Donovan Gives “White Spaces” Warning To Sports Broadcasters

DONOVAN GIVES "WHITE SPACES" WARNING TO SPORTS BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Glen Dickson]
Broadcasters could face significant problems in using wireless microphones for live sports coverage if the government approves the use of new unlicensed wireless devices in the broadcast frequency band, warns Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) president David Donovan. At issue are consumer devices, such as laptop computers with wireless cards, which would use free spectrum or “white spaces” within the broadcast band to enable broadband services. Using wireless technology to increase broadband penetration has been a priority for both the FCC and Congress, and the FCC issued a proceeding on the matter in 2004. The idea of allowing unlicensed devices was then addressed by Congress this year with the Wireless Innovation Act, which suggested using slivers of spectrum between Channels 21 and 51 to transmit data to such devices. MSTV, the spectrum watchdog for the broadcast industry, lobbied hard against that bill on the grounds that unlicensed devices would interfere with the reception of digital television (DTV) signals by consumer DTV sets. The bill ultimately didn't pass, despite the support of the Senate Commerce Committee. But Donovan says the issue isn't going away, and that its impact could reach beyond the digital television in a consumer’s living room and onto the sidelines of major sporting events, where networks routinely rely on wireless mics for audio coverage.
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