Official Says Most Broadcasters Unlikely To Give Up Spectrum

Phil Weiser, the National Economic Council's senior adviser for technology and innovation, said that not many broadcasters have to participate in a proposal that would give them a share of the proceeds from the auction of spectrum they voluntarily give up for the initiative to be a success.

During a forum sponsored by the Wireless Innovation Alliance on ways to expand the availability of spectrum, Weiser said broadcasters' top concern with the incentive auction proposal is not how much money they would get from the proposal but the process that will be used for relocating broadcasters who choose to give up some spectrum. "Most are not going to participate," Weiser said. "Most don't need to participate for it to be a win." Broadcasters have said they are open to incentive auctions as long as they are truly voluntary. When asked what share of the proceeds broadcasters will want in order to give up spectrum, Weiser said he did not believe it would be much given that they will still have "the same business model but it is done ... more efficiently." He said lawmakers, when crafting legislation authorizing the Federal Communications Commission to conduct incentive auctions, will have to decide what share of the auction proceeds broadcasters should receive in exchange for giving up some spectrum.