FCC spectrum reclamation plan threatens TV coverage in border cities
Jul 21, 2011 11:13 AM, By Michael Grotticelli
NAB president Gordon Smith said the FCC’s spectrum reclamation plan might leave major American cities along the Canadian and Mexican borders without television coverage.
Smith said that if the FCC moves forward with its goal of allocating 120MHz of broadcast spectrum, cities like Detroit would be impacted because there would be no channels available for the city’s 14 stations. He also added that every border city is at risk of having no broadcast TV if Canadian and Mexican channel reservations are taken into account.
Smith argued that the FCC’s incentive auctions should be structured with limitations on its authority to reallocate and co-locate TV signals and that the commission should explicitly spell out mandates to protect broadcast contours and compensate broadcasters for relocating. He said the NAB has grave reservations about the FCC reclaiming that much spectrum (120MHz) “for fear of unfair treatment of broadcasters.”
Smith’s statements came in an exchange last week with Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), who is pressing the FCC for answers around the border signal issue. He said he has not gotten a satisfactory answer from the FCC. The FCC said it is working on a written response to the claims.
While the station auctions are voluntary, the draft legislation in both the House and Senate does not prohibit the FCC from forcing broadcasters to move from a UHF to a VHF channel. Broadcasters that decide to participate in the auction would have their identities protected until the auctions are concluded and the broadcasters vacate the spectrum.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), the key force in the Senate behind the auctions, wants to pass the legislation and get it to the President before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The auctions would also help pay for a broadband emergency communications network recommended by the 9/11 Commission. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) said he is not going to rush the process.
However, both Republicans and Democrats now appear closer to reaching agreement on a bipartisan bill than it first appeared. The major point of disagreement now appears to be whether to auction the spectrum for the emergency network or to allocate it directly.
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