Really too bad. The real problem is you need a license but you can't get the license.
I think that lady would have gladly got a license to operate out of her apartment if it was realistically possible. Not bad for her being rated so highly in LA by local papers.
Wonder if she made no money from this and just did it as a hobby to offer an alternative to the commercial stations. Not that I condone breaking the law by any means but I consider something like this compared to smoking a joint or growing a cannabis plant in your back yard(before it was legal). New Zealand has it right. 40 watts was a bit much but still. Over there corporations aren't running things.
The worst thing about this is if you are told you need a license you should realistically be able to get the license. Even here in Canada, Look how hard it is to get even a RSS-123 license with a watt of power, if at all possible. Look at all the trouble,$$$ and red tape with Artisan trying to get it.
I look at it this way, if you want to drive a car, you can't just get in and drive, you need a license but it is possible to get that license. It's in reach. Same should be with a home brewed radio station. If you are told you need a license, it should be possible to get it. This woman and probably other well intentioned "pirates" would not be pirates if the license could be had. Within some rules and maybe not 40 watts, maybe 1 or 2 watts but possible to get the license.
This woman was just doing what Johny C does in New Zealand.