FCC's Genachowski at NAB Show 2011

Speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters' annual convention, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski focused on how much technology is changing the broadcasting industry and our economy; how these changes require that we update our communications and spectrum policies; and how one of the most important tools the FCC needs is the ability to conduct voluntary incentive auctions -- an incentive-based mechanism to use market forces to free up new spectrum to meet rapidly growing consumer demand and fuel our economy. He stressed that incentive auctions will be voluntary, but also said, "voluntary can't mean undermining the potential effectiveness of an auction by giving every broadcaster a new and unprecedented right to keep their exact channel location. This would not only be unprecedented, it would give any one broadcaster veto power over the success of the auction -- and be neither good policy for the country, nor fair to the other participants."