From our Moving Targets File, the latest word from the FCC is that it has released a new version (Version 1.1.2) of the TVStudy software that the Commission “plans to use in connection with” the anticipated spectrum auctions. We wrote about TVStudy back in February, when it first burst – without discernible prior notice – onto the scene. Apparently, a number of folks have since provided the FCC with some “feedback” which, in turn, has caused the Commission to fiddle with the software.
According to the Commission, the revised version
addresses an issue with calculation cell indexing that can result in the population of some cells not being correctly considered, and which may cause the program to crash in unusual instances. The update affects only the command-line program (C code); the graphical user interface (Java code) is unchanged and its version remains the same (Version 1.1.1). To facilitate the update process, the 2013Jan_tvstudy_files (which included both the software and all of the required databases) have been replaced with separate files for 2013Apr_tvstudy (software only) and the databases (cdbs, terrain, census), which are unchanged from the initial release. This means that only the TVStudy software (less than 2 MB) needs to be downloaded and updated; the various CDBS, terrain, and census databases need not be replaced.
Presumably, this makes sense to somebody.
It appears that the Commission plans to use the revised version for auction-related computations, since the FCC’s public notice cautions that “[i]t is recommended that all TVStudy users apply this update so that results will match those obtained by the FCC.”
If you understand the stuff in the block quote, above, it will probably also make sense to you that the FCC advises that “a separate build (executable file and source code) for Debian-based Linux systems (such as Ubuntu) is also being released along with instructions for configuring the software for use on Debian/Linux platforms.” All you Debian/Linux folks (yes, that means you Ubuntu fans, too, we think) can access the relevant files here.
The public notice invites continued input from the interested parties “to help insure consistent results”. Notwithstanding Ralph Waldo Emerson’s take on consistency, it seems to us that the FCC is on the right track in that regard.
