Broadcast

摘要

The FCC incentive auction and subsequent TV station repacking don’t threaten rural TV viewersrnor the translators that deliver their signals, said the Expanding Opportunities for Broadcasters Coalition inrnan informal comment (http://bit.ly/1g33rNp) filed Thursday. It responded to a letter signed by 23 senatorsrnconcerned that the repacking will eliminate TV translator service (CD Nov 14 p21), since translatorsrnaren’t protected in the incentive auction process. Concerns that the FCC will reclaim more spectrum thanrnit needs in rural areas or that the repacking won’t leave room for translators are contrary to the auction designrnand to “commitments made by Commission staff,” said EOBC. The FCC has said that while lessrnspectrum may be cleared in “constrained markets,” it won’t compensate by clearing more in rural areas,rnsaid EOBC. “There is no rational basis to conclude that the FCC will recover more spectrum than it needsrnin rural areas." An examination of markets with heavy translator use “reveals that there would be amplernspectrum post-repack on which TV translators could continue to operate,” said EOBC.