Election Update

Alas, neither his rhetorical savvy nor the last-minute endorsement of DIYmedia was enough to help Kelly Benjamin claim victory in his candidacy for a seat on the Tampa City Council. Kelly did, however, garner 13,955 votes, just a little shy of one-third of all ballots cast.
It might be a statistical defeat, but not too shabby considering Kelly was outspent by an approximate 30-to-1 margin (or more), and citywide voter turnout was an abysmal 33%.
Next try, the White House?

Last-minute Props and Good Luck to Microbroadcaster-turned-candidate

Kelly “Kombat” Benjamin, founder of the “original” 87X pirate radio station in Tampa, Florida, is running for a seat on the Tampa City Council. The election is tomorrow.
Benjamin, along with Doug Brewer and Lonnie Kobres, fell victim to the law on November 19, 1997, when agents from the FCC and Federal Marshals executed three coordinated SWAT-style raids on microradio stations in Florida. Continue reading “Last-minute Props and Good Luck to Microbroadcaster-turned-candidate”

The FCC Awakens

Just two months ago it seemed like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was taking a break in its enforcement efforts against unlicensed broadcasting.
That break is now over.
Since July, agents with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau (EB) have definitely been busy in the field, doubling their number of station busts for the year in the course of a scant 60 days. Continue reading “The FCC Awakens”