The trade group says it takes no issue with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski setting plans for a spectrum auction – as long as stations have the right to participate on a voluntary basis. The commission is scheduled to vote on the chairman's newly released proposal Sept. 28.
NAB Backs FCC Spectrum Move — Sort Of
As expected, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski released a proposal to the FCC commissioners on how to go about auctioning off spectrum currently used by broadcast stations in order to expand the capacity for mobile broadband.
While the plan has not been circulated beyond the FCC, the National Association of Broadcasters issued a statement of tenative support: “NAB looks forward to working with the FCC and Congress to implement spectrum incentive auction legislation,” wrote executive vice president of communications Dennis Wharton.
“We have no quarrel with television stations choosing to voluntarily participate in the auction process. Our overriding objective remains the preservation of a vibrant future for free and local TV stations that serve tens of millions of Americans every day with quality entertainment, local news, the most popular sports and life-saving weather warnings.”
In an FCC press release Genachowski confirmed earlier reports that he is scheduling a vote on the proposal at the next commission meeting, Sept. 28th.
If adopted, the incentive auctions “will help create jobs and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in a world where, increasingly, mobile leadership is required,” Genechowski said in the release. “The proposal would also free up a significant amount of unlicensed spectrum for innovative WiFi-like uses, and create the first uniform, national low-band unlicensed spectrum in any country.
Comments (5)
Ellen Samrock says:
September 7, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Once again neither Genachowski nor anyone else in the Obama government has presented any hard evidence to prove that selling broadcast spectrum will bring jobs. It’s buzz and it’s bull. What we do know is that taking spectrum away from broadcasters will negatively impact an untold number of small businesses–most likely putting them out of business. Now if that’s their idea of job creation then it really is time for a change.
Christina Perez says:
September 8, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Repeating for the West Coast: Knowledgeable broadcast industry insiders say the claim of spectrum scarcity is a myth, and that huge swatches of spectrum remain unused. The U.S. military has weaponized the electromagnetic spectrum with a cell tower- mounted scalar wave “directed energy” weapon system; some believe that’s the real hidden agenda behind the spectrum grab. And then there’s the desire of the pay TV and cellphone industries to kill off free, over-the-air digital television service, which is adding new channels, an incentive for hard-strapped consumers to drop pay TV in favor of free “OTA.” As for payments to stations, the courts will never uphold the legality of payments to licensees of publicly owned airwaves. Broadcasters do not own the airwaves, and don’t even pay for the privilege of using same.
Ellen Samrock says:
September 8, 2012 at 4:03 pm
That broadcasters don’t pay for the privilege of broadcasting is a myth. Most broadcasters have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their CPs at auction and every year the FCC assesses regulatory fees that run into thousands of dollars and for some stations even millions of dollars.
Joanne McDonald says:
September 7, 2012 at 5:11 pm
I honestly don’t like to have to post this comment from earlier stories related to a planned spectrum auction in the future. It might change anyone mind about my own opinions about the spectrum auction.
I would take a bet that Daystar, Trinity, Ion and all the other religious and minor broadcast network plus all the diginets multicast networks would round up being regulated to cable only network that would be made available to customers with FTA systems and be made available on all cable systems as well as on both Directv and Dish Network and also be allowed to stream their programming online for internet users at no cost. I like the idea in which NBC stations on 1080 share their channel with Telemundo on 480 in widescreen, CBS stations on 1080 sharing with CW on 1080 in widescreen, FOX stations on 720 sharing with MyNET on 720 in widescreen, Univision and Telefutura share a channel together on either 480, 720, or 1080 in widescreen, and ABC would continue to not have to worry about sharing their stations with another network or another station and still on 720 in widescreen, but could likely share it with other network affiliated channels on either 480, 720, or 1080 in widescreen. PBS stations would likely be forced to merged and share it’s stations on the same channel frequency and still be able to transmit in 1080 widescreen. The stronger PBS stations would end up sharing the channel space with the weaker PBS stations in markets where there are multiple PBS affiliates in the same market. The mid-sized and smaller TV markets could end up carrying 2 to 3 subchannel feeds in widescreen SDTV or HDTV on the same channel frequency. I would recommend that all the TV stations that are now on the UHF 14-51 band in digital that were on 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in analog be forced to move on 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in digital and all the TV stations that are now on the UHF 14-51 band in digital that were on 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 in analog be forced to move back to those channels in digital plus all the TV stations that are now on the VHF 7-13 high band with different RF physical channel numbers on the VHF high band in digital that were on 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in analog to be forced to move back to those channels in digital as the best way to not mess up on frequency assignments in the future maybe by around 2020. I like the idea of all the TV stations be allowed to transmit all HDTV and SDTV as well as mobile programming in the MPEG 4 format in the future maybe by around 2020. I like the idea of both IVI TV and FilmOn HDi be allowed to go in business again and be able to transmit all the local stations to the viewers on the net for free without any interference from the government for violating any copyright laws with benefits for online viewers that want to watch their favorite stations programming such as local news and shows even after the spectrum auction and plan becomes very mandated and very hard for TV stations to be able to stay on the air without being able to stream all their programming online to the viewers online. Me wanting IVI TV and FilmOn HDi transmitting the locals online for free to the viewers on the internet would be very beneficial when it comes to very severe weather outbreaks and breaking news that the viewers would want to be very informed the sooner and the better.
I’m afraid that my take of what channels the TV stations ought to be on with the planning of an spectrum auction.
Thank you for my understanding to this crisis in the TV business lately.
P.S. Sorry for the inconvience for posting my comment on this subject again.
mike tomasino says:
September 8, 2012 at 2:22 am
Go stick your muddled brain in a microwave oven!!!