Police in Hollywood, Fla. have discovered the cause of a problem that left dozens of people unable to unlock or start cars equipped with keyless entry systems while parked near the Hollywood Police Department. The problem disappeared when the cars were towed to dealerships and was blamed on everything from dead batteries to a Hollywood Police Department antenna that was rumored to have recently changed broadcast frequencies.
Police determined that an illegal pirate radio station broadcasting nearby was jamming the signal from keyless entry systems of cars made by Ford, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Toyota. Discovered by an undercover detective and an FCC agent, the radio broadcast equipment was concealed under an air conditioning chiller on top of an eight-story building located a block north of police headquarters.
If found, the operator of the pirate radio station could be arrested on felony charges and face a fine of at least $10,000 from the Federal Communications Commission.
According to an FCC official, a case of a pirate radio station blocking keyless entry systems has only happened once before, two years previously in Miami.
