An Austin, Texas, pirate radio station is off the air and facing a $15,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission, according to a report.
The station — which aired controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show — was the subject of a lawsuit filed in federal court this week that accuses Liberty Radio of operating at 90.1 FM without federal consent, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
According to the report, the station’s operators, lawsuit defendants Walter Olenick and M. Rae Nadler-Olenick, are refusing to pay the FCC fine. The station’s website, txlr.net, states that Liberty Radio is streaming online and available over the phone, though it has not been broadcast over the airwaves since December.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday its enforcement of pirate stations “has nothing to do with the content that pirate radio stations air” but about broadcasting over the FM airwaves without a license.
Jones is the founder of the far-right Infowars website, which focuses on conspiracy theories and fake news. Jones and his organization were banned from most major social media and online platforms last week, including Facebook, Apple, and YouTube over violation of their hate speech guidelines. He earned a seven-day suspension from Twitter, as well.
[Twitter CEO: Alex Jones should think about his actions during his ‘timeout’]
According to Liberty Radio’s website, the station aired and rebroadcast the four-hour weekday and two-hour Sunday “Alex Jones Show.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove reference to Liberty Radio as a flagship station for Jones’ show and with details about the FCC’s action.
