Senate Looks At Spectrum Value

The Senate Communications Subcommittee will hold its first hearing of the new Congress March 2 and the subject is spectrum, specifically its value to the U.S. economy.

That will include looking at the demand for licensed and unlicensed spectrum, as well as the FCC's spectrum auctions--the broadcast incentive auction is wrapping up at the end of March. It's value to the Treasury is at least $7 billion.

The witness list has been set. It comprises Scott Bergmann, VP, regulatory affairs, CTIA–the Wireless Association; Roger Entner, founder, Recon Analytics; Dave Heiner, VP and deputy general counsel, Microsoft; Pat LaPlatney, president, Raycom Media; and Tom Stroup, president, Satellite Industry Association.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.