The congressman grills FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and isn't satisfied with the chairman's answers on just how voluntary FCC's proposed spectrum auction plan for broadcasters is. "I have dark suspicions," he says.
CASH FOR SPECTRUM
Dingell Likens FCC Spectrum Plan To ‘Holdup’
Michigan Congressman John Dingell wants the FCC to come clean about whether its plan to recover broadcast spectrum through incentive auctions for would be truly “voluntary.”
The veteran Democratic lawmaker grilled FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski about the FCC’s spectrum reallocation proposal during a House Communications Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday (Feb.16).
But Dingell wasn’t quite able to break him, despite suggesting that the FCC proposal sounded about as voluntary as a “bank holdup.”
And at one point he told Genachowski: “I have dark suspicions over your spectrum plan.”
Asked directly if the FCC would “forcefully take” spectrum from incumbent licensee, Genachowski said that FCC hadn’t addressed that issue yet.
But Dingell wasn’t satisfied.
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How can it be voluntary if pressure is placed on broadcasters to give up their spectrum, he asked the FCC chief.
Genachowski replied that “market incentives” make the proposal voluntary.
Dingell’s response: “It sounds like a bank holdup to me. You hold a gun at the teller’s head and say ‘We’re going to shoot you in the brain.’ ”
“Only if the free market is a bank holdup,” replied Genachowski.
The congressman wanted to know how the FCC will deal with broadcasters that don’t relinquish their spectrum. He asked: Would they be forced to give back their spectrum?
“Broadcasting is a very important business,” replied the FCC chairman.
Obviously not happy with that reply, Dingell said to Genachowski “would you please go off and comtemplate your navel and come back to us with an answer, yes or no, to this question.”
Comments (13)
Robert Crookham says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Good for Congressman Dingell! It’s good to see that people on the Hill are starting to see through Genachowski’s little scam…
Brad Dann says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Way to go Mr. Dingell, where are the Republicans on this issue? At least one member of Congress understands what’s going on with this issue.
John Weller says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:04 pm
“Broadcasting is a very important business.” Yeah, I can see how Rep. Dingell would not be satisfied by that. That’s not even skillful evasion.
Ellen Samrock says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:17 pm
According to a letter sent to Genachowski on 2/15, other legislators are beginning to ask tough questions about the spectrum auction as well. And when they finally get a copy of the spectrum inventory and see that wireless providers and telcos are already sitting on hundreds of MHz of unused spectrum, no doubt even more questions will be asked. For the FCC chairman to say that “broadcasting is a very important business,” has got to be worst, most transparent bit of insincere lip service I’ve ever read.
Steve Downing says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:45 pm
It’s interesting that Democrat like Dingle would know what a “hold up” was after Bill Clinton’s “hold up” and sell off of the broadcast spectrum during his administration.
As a sidebar, how about listing WHAT PARTY AFFILIATION your writing subjects are.
It’s bad enough that they, like Dingle don’t care to reference them on their taxpayer funded websites, but it would be nice if SOMEONE in the feckless Media do it.
I can understand how and why Dingle wouldn’t want readers to know what party they belong to…considering the Democrat Party borders on being a Criminal Organization these days.
Dante Betteo says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Give them have Channels 52 to 69 and thats it.
Kathryn Miller says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Is this the time to go on the offensive and try to take back a few channels between 52 and 69? 🙂
ABELARDO BLANCO says:
February 18, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Mr. Dingell is spot on. Since the plan is voluntary, broadcasters to volunteet to opt out of this plan. Its time to put a stop to this social engineering plan.
Alli Smith says:
February 18, 2011 at 7:20 pm
about time some one took on the FCC ! Look at their books
Peter Grewar says:
February 18, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Dingell is on target. And it’s important to have him on the side of broadcasters, because it’s going to take supporters in both parties to derail Genachowski’s spectrum grab.
Kimberly Gari-Luff says:
February 18, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Genachowski is in his position because he is Obama’s lawyer buddy from their days together at Harvard. He doesn’t need the truth unless it coincidently helps him get where he’s going. Trust him at your peril.
Warren Harmon says:
February 19, 2011 at 1:20 am
It is about time congress gets the FCC under control and exposes Genachowski’s corrupt actions which are just an extension of obama-nation!
Jason Rankin says:
February 21, 2011 at 9:25 am
I think Genachowski doesn’t truly understand the free market system. It’s never free when the government “urges” you to give something up because a bureaucrat has decided in their wisdom what the spectrum will be used for going forward. “Encouraging” a sale to large corporations is hardly a free market system.