ANAHEIM : FCC Fines Operator of Radio Station

The Federal Communications Commission has fined an Anaheim man $1,000 for operating an unlicensed radio station called Zodiac.

The station, which was shut down Feb. 24, aired polka tapes and stories such as “War of the Worlds,” by Orson Welles, said Jim Zoulek, an assistant engineer with the FCC.

Zoulek said that James Keul, 36, used an amateur-type radio transmitter to broadcast from his garage for two or three months.

“He told us he got it at a swap meet and that it was just a hobby,” Zoulek said. “He had been (into CB radio) before and used to repair old radios. He had an interest in this.”

Keul aired Zodiac for about two hours every two weeks on 7416 kHz on the AM band, Zoulek said. The station could only be picked up from a general-coverage receiver or shortwave radio.

Keul could not be reached for comment.

After locating the station Feb. 24, Zoulek and two other FCC officials drove to Keul’s home and inspected the garage.

“At that point, we issued him a warning letter for unlicensed operation in violation of Section 301. Then we fined him about a week later,” Zoulek said.

“He said he was getting letters from people in the state of Washington,” Zoulek said. “He was broadcasting an airdrop mailing address for his listeners.”

Catherine Deaton, FCC public affairs specialist, said, “Such misuse of radio frequencies is a serious offense because of its potential for interfering with safety-of-life services such as aviation, marine and law enforcement.”