Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (Sept 2012)

The Federal Communications Commission launched the Broadcaster LEARN (Learn Everything About Reverse-Auctions Now) Program. The LEARN Program is designed to offer broadcasters valuable information about the unique financial opportunities of incentive auctions and engage the broadcaster community throughout the entire incentive auction planning, design and execution processes. The first LEARN Program workshop is scheduled for Friday, October 26, 2012.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to officially launch the incentive auction process; here’s a look at the reaction.

So now that the Federal Communications Commission has begun writing the rules for the reverse auction of the television spectrum, what does it mean for local television stations? Will this reverse auction lead to enough revenues to make it worthwhile to cede all or some of the spectrum that is presently being used? Will those revenues be enough to compensate moving to the VHF spectrum? The answer for some television stations is clearly yes.

Broadcasters have three choices if they want to participate in the Federal Communications Commission's auction. They can give up their entire spectrum, two stations can share a channel, or a UHF station can move to the VHF band, a less desirable frequency.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, initiating a fresh look at its mobile spectrum holding policies given the changes in technology, spectrum availability, and the mobile marketplace since the last comprehensive review of these rules more than a decade ago. In recent years, large and small wireless providers, as well as trade associations and public interest groups, have requested that the FCC review its current policies regarding mobile spectrum holdings to keep pace with market changes. With this NPRM, the FCC seeks comment on ensuring that its policies provide the certainty and predictability needed to make informed investment decisions, including participation in upcoming incentive auctions and secondary market transactions, while also promoting the competition needed to sustain a healthy wireless marketplace.

The Federal Communications Commission initiated a wholesale review of its rules, also known as Part 25, governing licensing and operation of space stations and earth stations, which transmit radio frequency signals between the ground and satellites.

Add members of the Connecticut congressional delegation led by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to those asking the FCC to protect over-the-air TV service as it prepares to release its notice of proposed rulemaking Friday (Sept. 28) on spectrum incentive auctions.

The Federal Communications Commission is going through "a whole bunch of edits and questions" from commissioners' offices on the upcoming spectrum auction framework notice of proposed rulemaking, which is scheduled for a vote Friday, Sept. 28.

The Federal Communications Commission has long set limits on how much of the airwaves one company can control. Now, pushed by small and medium-size telecommunications companies, the government plans to begin setting new rules to govern how much of the airwaves, or spectrum, a single carrier can hold.

Three groups representing black, Hispanic, and Asian-Pacific Americans in Congress are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that a proposal aimed at freeing up spectrum from broadcasters for use by wireless carriers will not affect consumers' access to over-the-air television.

Apparently, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a model of spectrum and incentive auction repacking as an addendum to a draft notice of proposed rulemaking on an auction framework.

According to Federal Communications Commission sources, the draft framework for spectrum incentive auctions assumes that the repacking model it adopts will result, "generally" in less than a 2% loss of coverage are for stations that are moved or consolidated to free up spectrum for auction.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that the following items will be on the tentative agenda for the next open meeting scheduled for Friday, September 28, 2012

There is a long regulatory process ahead at the Federal Communications Commission to get the auction up and running and then make those airwaves available to winners.

The Federal Communications Commission is moving aggressively to auction television stations' airwave licenses to cellular service providers by 2014.

Federal regulators are gearing up to take another look at how much of the airwaves any one company should be able to control, stepping into a heated policy debate with broad implications for the wireless industry. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote in September on a proposal to set new rules for sales of airwave rights by one company to another.

The Federal Communications Commission is likely to take up a proposal at its Sept. 28 open meeting outlining rules for a new set of auctions aimed at enticing broadcasters to give up some of their spectrum for use by wireless carriers.