FCC Seeks More Input on Auction Relocation Fund Costs

The Federal Communication Commission's Media Bureau wants to hear more from broadcasters and cable operators about what specific costs of incentive auction repacking they will want to cover out of the $1.75 billion relocation fund Congress approved for that purpose, including specific prices, ways to keep those prices down, and bulk buying.

The FCC's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the auction, released last December, asked for input on hard costs like equipment and tower services and "soft" costs like legal and engineering costs. But, according to a public notice the bureau says it wants to drill down on those, as well as strategies to limit costs--the commission has also scheduled a Sept. 30 public workshop to discuss those issues. The FCC is looking for specific pricing info on repacking costs, including whether there are regular discounts. The bureau said it did not get much info the first time around on bulk purchases, so wants to hear whether manufacturers could be encouraged to provide built-in discounts reflecting the amount of business the FCC will be sending their way via repacking.