The federal government is turning down the volume on New York City’s underground airwaves, and this time it is the landlords in the spotlight. The Federal Communications Commission has sent formal warning letters to multiple property owners after field agents traced unlicensed FM signals to buildings in Manhattan and Queens. The Enforcement Bureau has given the owners a short window to respond and warned that if the broadcasts keep going, they could be staring at serious federal penalties.
According to Radio World, field agents tracked a 91.9 FM transmission to a Farmers Boulevard property in Jamaica tied to Thomas J. Chavannes and Beverley Dixon‑Chavannes, a 90.1 FM signal to a Linden Boulevard property linked to David Duchatellier, and an 89.3 FM signal to a building on West 189th Street in Washington Heights. Each owner was mailed a formal “Notice of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting” instructing them to spell out what they have done to stop the unauthorized broadcasts.
What the letters require
The notices give property owners ten business days to prove that the pirate transmissions have stopped and to identify the individuals or tenants believed to be responsible. The FCC’s sample notices warn that blowing the deadline or ignoring the request may be treated as evidence that the owner “permitted” the operation, which can set up a formal enforcement case. See an example from the Federal Communications Commission that outlines the response window and the details the Enforcement Bureau expects to see.
How big the fines can be
Under the PIRATE Act and the FCC’s inflation adjustments, penalties for permitting pirate broadcasting can now reach roughly $2,453,218 for a continuing operation, with daily caps around $122,661. The commission told Congress it issued 28 notices to property owners in 2025, down from 41 in fiscal 2024, while it continued enforcement sweeps and follow up monitoring in markets with heavy pirate activity, as industry reporting has noted. For the updated penalty figures and rule changes, see the Federal Register and the FCC’s report to Congress summarized in industry coverage.
What landlords should do now
Communications attorneys say any landlord receiving one of these letters should move fast. That typically means inspecting leased spaces, removing any suspected transmitting equipment that turns up, documenting every remedial step, and filing a written response to the Enforcement Bureau explaining exactly what was done. Cooperation and a clear paper trail, along with legal counsel when needed, can help limit exposure if the FCC decides to take the next step. Legal analysis and practical advice are collected in Pillsbury.
The latest round of letters is another signal that the FCC is putting real muscle behind pirate radio enforcement in cities where unlicensed FM stations refuse to fade out. The agency says it will keep monitoring the flagged properties and is ready to escalate if needed. For New York landlords who find one of these notices in the mail, the message is blunt: shut the signals down quickly or risk a long, expensive regulatory fight.
