The technical information includes a description of how to “pre-calculate which stations could be assigned to which channels in the repacking process” following the upcoming spectrum incentive auction.
FCC Details Its Station Repacking Proposal
The FCC Monday released updated computer software and other technical information that the agency staff is proposing to use to repack the channel assignments of the hundreds of TV broadcasters who refuse to participate in the agency’s incentive auction next year.
In a public notice, the FCC said the newly released information includes a description of how to “pre-calculate which stations could be assigned to which channels in the repacking process.”
“We are releasing the information … in the interest of transparency and to give interested parties the opportunity to provide input regarding aspects of the repacking process,” the public notice said.
“It’s an awfully big data dump to review the night before a congressional hearing, and we’ll respond after we have a chance to review it,” said Dennis Wharton, an NAB spokesman.
The House Communications Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing on the FCC’s spectrum auction plans for Tuesday,
Julie Kearney,VP of regulatory affairs for the Consumer Electronics Association, said: “The release of the new TVStudy software and key TV licensee data is yet another key step in the process toward achieving a successful repacking of broadcast TV stations as part of the incentive auction process. We applaud the FCC staff for their hard work and thoughtful consideration of the many details involved in updating decades-old software to reflect current technology and accurate, real-world coverage and interference effects.”
BRAND CONNECTIONS
“Repacking, or the re-assignment of channels to broadcast television stations that remain on air after the incentive auction, is required to free up contiguous blocks of spectrum for mobile broadband use,” said an FCC spokesman in a statement. “As directed by Congress, the FCC will ensure this process makes all reasonable efforts to preserve the coverage area and population served of each broadcast television licensee.”
The agency’s incentive auction is intended to free up TV channels to provide additional spectrum for smartphones and other wireless devices.
Under the basic concept, the FCC will give broadcasters who agree to pull the plugs on their broadcasting operations a part of the proceeds from auctioning the TV channels to wireless companies like AT&T and Verizon.
To accommodate the ambitious spectrum repurposing plan, many of the vast majority of broadcasters expected to remain in broadcasting may be required to move to new TV channels, and the repacking plan will determine how that is done.
The FCC’s proposed technical details of the plan can be found here.
The FCC’s blog post on the new incentive auction repacking information can be found here.
Comments (3)
Ellen Samrock says:
July 23, 2013 at 1:36 am
Wackadoo Silicon Valley shill, Public Knowledge, is asking the FCC for 20 MHz of white space guard band beginning at channel 36. But white spaces are what is left over between television channels not a spectrum grab by the Silicon Valley crowd.
Bobbi Proctor says:
July 23, 2013 at 11:12 am
We don’t have pay TV–either cable or satellite–and save hundreds of dollars each year. We are satisfied with the selection of stations we can receive (over 40 channels). I can’t imagine that this FCC repacking plan won’t significantly limit our viewing choices. We already have additional interference as a result of losing channels 52 to 69. Oh well, there are a lot of books I still want to read. I hope they don’t come after those.
Rebecca Theim says:
July 24, 2013 at 4:02 pm
I guess I am somewhat of the minority, however I choose to get ‘live’ television through an over-the-air outside antenna. I am happy with the choices and I’m not putting down those who choose to pay for satellite or cable TV. For me I don’t see paying more than $45 a month for “commercial driven channels” anyway. The concept for selling & airing the commercials are to pay for the programming content and maintenance of those channels? Shouldn’t the broadcasters be thankful of such a wide audience as to not charge cable or satellite company’s a ‘rebroadcasting fee’ ? After all more viewers – means more revenue from those spots sold. Unfortunately, if government narrows the spectrum of available channels for over-the-air only broadcasters, we all will see a decline in choice content at first. (Starting to see more of those infomercial ‘filler’ programs as we speak). Then broadcasting will go the way of the dinosaur. For me,I will continue to purchase dvd’s,or rent from the machines, and watch episodes or movies I missed when I used to have cable or satellite…without the commercials. Now there is an idea? How long will it be before those dvd company’s start adding commercials to the content we rent…don’t give-em’ any ideas-Right!