On July 16, the FCC will be taking some big steps toward finalizing the rules of the road for the multibillion-dollar broadcast incentive auction, including bidding rules and how much spectrum will be available to the top wireless companies. But the commission is still wrestling with a few important issues currently on the table. One is the 39-month hard date for TV stations moving to new channels after the auction, which commercial broadcasters represented by the National Association of Broadcasters have been particularly concerned about. The other is the FCC's deci- sion not to reserve a channel for noncommercial broadcasters in each market after the repack of stations post-auction. That later decision had noncommercial broadcasters seeing red and contemplating a lawsuit against the auction.
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