Feds Target Anchorage Baptist Temple Radio Broadcast

[Jerome]

Anchorage Baptist Temple radio broadcast draws FCC warning

The agency’s enforcement bureau on Monday published a “notice of unlicensed operation,” warning ABT that pirate broadcasts are against federal law and punishable by “substantial monetary fines” and “criminal sanctions including imprisonment.”

"It was like, 'Ooh, ABT, the big scary pirate radio station,'" said Christian Broadcasting Inc. General Manager Tom Steigleman, of the low-power radio signal that had been broadcast from Anchorage Baptist Temple, drawing a warning letter from the FCC...."Somebody picked it up on their car radio and probably somebody who doesn’t like the church -- a little controversial around here at times -- and decided to cause a stir,” Steigleman said.

 

[Sapper Woody]

This, judging only by what you shared, seems to be false martyrdom. If the church is broadcasting illegally, then they are acting criminally. It seems like they are skirting the law, bringing a just punishment, then claiming it to be persecution.

I'll read your link in a bit when I can. But on the surface, this seems like they're in the wrong.

Edit: I'll leave my original post. But I just read the link. If it's factual, then this is trivial, but still breaking the law. Kind of like getting upset when you get a ticket for going five miles over the speed limit. It's trivial, but you still bring the law.

 

[Jerome]

More here:

Alaska Church Among Latest to Get a Pirate Radio Warning.

field agents based in the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices flew into Anchorage last month to track down a pirate station operating at 99.9 FM. They traced the station to the Anchorage Baptist Temple on Northern Lights Boulevard. The church has an online station that apparently relays on the unlicensed FM. It’s apparently been in operation for a few years since Pastor Jerry Prevo has been promoting it since at least Dec. 2015 on his Facebook page.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

My home church at one time had the same kind of set up for the hearing impaired. It was an ultra-low powered transmission. But, with the other traffic in the area, it didn't make it out of the building.

 

[TCassidy]

Our church has the same thing. The audio is transmitted from the sound room and picked up by receivers in the pews into which the hearing impaired can plug a headset.

This is just the FCC being idiotic.

 

[Salty]

Christian Broadcasting Inc, (not to be confused with Christian Broadcasting Network) has a full power, (authorized) FM station - KATB 89.3 --(the illegal transmission is on 99.9)

In reality - CBI is part of Anchorage Baptist Temple. Though legally - it is a separate entity - probably for some legal reasons.

I used to listen to KATB quite often when I was in Alaska. You can listen onlin

 

[Salty]

KANC broadcast at 99.7. If ABT is broadcasting at 99.9 - - it could interfere with KANC.

Several years ago -our station WVOA was on 105.1 FM. Our transmitter was about 30 miles from Syracuse.
We had received tentative approval to operate a repeater on 105.1 - a couple of miles from the city. However, another full power station at 104.7 informed the FCC that several listeners complained that our signal was interfering with theirs. We ended up not be given permission to continue using our repeater.