Genachowski: Public TV Would Be Shielded From Any Forced Spectrum Reclamation
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 3/25/2010 12:57:38 PM
Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday that public TV stations would be protected from any involuntary reallocation of broadcast spectrum, not that he was saying he thought the FCC would be forcing any broadcaster off their spectrum.
That came in a response to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who called noncommercial TV, a treasure that needed protecting.
The FCC has proposed a voluntary plan for encouraging commercial and noncommercial broadcasters to return some of their spectrum in exchange for some form of compensation, likely a cut of proceeds when the spectrum is re-auctioned for wireless broadband.
But while it is viewed as voluntary, the FCC has also made clear that it has the authority to force the issue if it does not get enough broadcasters to give up the 120 Mhz says it needs from broadcasters.
That came in a House broadband plan oversight hearing Thursday. Earlier in the hearing he had assured Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) that the FCC was focused on a voluntary plan.
The FCC's broadband team's key spectrum reclamation adviser has told Multichannel News he is confident that the FCC will not need to force any broadcasters to take the FCC up on its offer.
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