The House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology on Wednesday, May 24th unanimously advanced a bill to renew the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) authority to auction commercial airwaves and use the proceeds to pay for both next generation 911 and the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The bipartisan 50-0 vote comes after the FCC’s … Continue Reading
On March 9, 2023, the FCC’s spectrum auction authority expired for the first time since it was initially granted in 1993. The authority enabled the FCC to auction spectrum when it received conflicting applications for a frequency in the wireless or broadcast services. Under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the FCC’s spectrum auction authority … Continue Reading
Input sought on revised catalog of likely repack expenses As we all know, TV stations forced by the Incentive Auction/spectrum repack process to modify their facilities will be entitled to reimbursement of their reasonable repacking-related costs. And as we reported a couple of years ago, to give everybody – FCC and affected broadcasters (and MVPDs) … Continue Reading
If you have planned your summer vacation plans around the FCC’s TV Channel Sharing Webinar that was originally scheduled for July 22, we hope you can get your deposit money back. But cheer up – now you’ve got the afternoon of July 22 free and clear! That’s because the Commission has announced that the webinar … Continue Reading
On the agenda: Everything, um, A lot of things, er, Several things, Stuff you always wanted to know about channel sharing but were afraid to ask If your station happens to be on the FCC’s Eligibility List for the upcoming reverse spectrum auction, listen up. The Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau are … Continue Reading
Areas/pops data for auction-eligible stations released for comment. We have another sign of the impending arrival of the spectrum auction. The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) has released what it describes as the “final” version of its TVStudy software. This latest-and-greatest version – dubbed Version 1.3.2 – is the one that will be … Continue Reading
A seemingly small but crucial element of the FCC's incentive auction preparations has survived a broadside attack in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.… Continue Reading
That loud sound you just heard was probably the "cha-ching" resulting from the latest Greenhill Report on anticipated opportunities for broadcasters in the Incentive Auction.… Continue Reading
The Incentive Auction may not start until sometime in 2016, but the Commission is facing - now - the monumental task of working out the myriad details that will govern the auction process.… Continue Reading
More than 30 petitions for reconsideration of the Incentive Spectrum Auction Report and Order have been filed - and deadlines for responding to those petitions have now been set.… Continue Reading
If you picked "mid-2015" in your office pool for the date the FCC's incentive spectrum auction would be held, we've got some bad news for you.… Continue Reading
If you think you might want to ask the FCC to reconsider its spectrum incentive auction Report and Order, or maybe ask a court of appeals to review it, you should mark your calendar now.… Continue Reading
A report commissioned by the FCC provides a clear, if unpleasant, glimpse of the practical burdens the TV industry faces in the channel repacking process.… Continue Reading
The public notice doesn't say anything about requiring licensees to patronize equipment suppliers who offer Green Stamps, but we're guessing the Bureau might be open to that if somebody were to suggest it.… Continue Reading
The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology wants to sharpen its pencil when it comes to predicting TV station coverage. Is that really a good idea?… Continue Reading
In an effort to coax otherwise reticent TV broadcasters to join in the public discussion about plans for incentive auctions, the Media Bureau has provided instructions on the fine art of filing comments anonymously.… Continue Reading
