FCC Engineers Honored for Pirate Radio Tools

The award recognizes a new enforcement system designed to assist field offices in addressing illegal radio broadcasting.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Telecommunications

Bold flat-color illustration showing a stylized radio antenna on a tripod against a broadcast tower, evoking regulatory technical enforcement. — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr presented the 2026 Excellence in Engineering Award to agency staff for their development of new radio enforcement technology. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should federal agencies prioritize developing new technical systems to improve their operational efficiency?

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has presented the 2026 Excellence in Engineering Award to Nathan Bohne, Adam Wofford, and Eric Krueger. The trio received the honor for creating Project PERMIT, a system developed to improve enforcement bureau operations.

Why it matters

This development modernizes the commission's ability to enforce telecommunications laws against illegal broadcasting. It specifically addresses mandates under the PIRATE Act, which prohibits property owners from enabling unlicensed radio operations.

Project PERMIT provides new technical tools for FCC field offices to identify and combat pirate radio operators. The system was developed specifically to support compliance mandates outlined in the PIRATE Act.

The players

Nathan Bohne

Equipment development group director for the FCC Enforcement Bureau.

Adam Wofford

Electronics engineer for the FCC Enforcement Bureau.

Eric Krueger

Software developer for the FCC Enforcement Bureau.

Brendan Carr

Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

The details

The enforcement system was developed by Nathan Bohne, the equipment development group director, alongside electronics engineer Adam Wofford and software developer Eric Krueger. The platform serves to update existing field operation tools, allowing staff to better track illicit signals and enforce regulations against landowners who knowingly facilitate pirate broadcasts.

September 2026: The FCC held an open meeting to announce the award recipients.

The Tech Race

This project provides the operational enforcement tools required to execute the legal prohibitions established by the PIRATE Act. It marks a significant internal investment in specialized hardware and software to better monitor the airwaves against illegal interference.

The deployment of these tools aims to reduce illegal interference in the FM radio band across the United States. While the technical tools are for internal FCC use, their implementation is intended to provide a cleaner and more compliant frequency landscape for licensed broadcasters.

The takeaway

The FCC is prioritizing technical upgrades to keep pace with evolving illegal broadcasting operations. Observers should monitor future enforcement bureau reports to see how Project PERMIT impacts the rate of pirate radio station closures.