The Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (Alliance) is calling for the immediate release of the FCC’s AOM (Allotment Optimization Model) that the FCC Chairman said would be released upon authorization to conduct spectrum auctions. That authorization came in the recently signed “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act.”
The Alliance, made up of hundreds of full and low power station owners, operators, programmers, equipment vendors and advocates of free television, believes that before any steps are taken to implement the new law, a complete understanding of the spectrum analysis should be made available.
The Alliance echoes the sentiments of the NAB, whose spokesman says the CTIA’s ambitious deadline for implementation of the spectrum auction and repacking, left out one red letter date: “a deadline for a complete inventory of warehoused spectrum being hoarded by CTIA members.”
Others, recently, have commented on the complexity of the implementation. Several have cited that clearing the 1755 to 1780 MHz bands, which are currently reserved for federal agencies will be extremely difficult in the time allotted, and may not even generate the requisite, positive auction revenues demanded by the new law.
Even the FCC has formed a “task force” to spearhead the law’s implementation demonstrating the complexity of the matter.
With the complexity, the unknowns, the severe impact of the repacking on local television, the Alliance strongly suggests it is time to release the AOM. Executive Director, Irwin Podhajser, says, “This process should not be implemented in haste, and without a complete survey of all available spectrum. As we have stated on multiple occasions there is a better alternative to an auction and repack, but if the Federal Government is going to continue to go down this path, it should be done in a way that guarantees that no broadcaster, including LPTV/Translators are involuntarily diminished in spectrum or signal coverage.”
The Alliance, formerly the Coalition for Free TV and Broadband, is advocating a “Broadcast Overlay Plan” which would meet the growing needs of one-to-many distribution for wireless broadband. That plan along with updates on the Alliance will be part of an event to be held Monday evening, April 16, 2012 at the NAB Convention in Las Vegas.
ABOUT
The Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance, formerly the Coalition for Free TV and Broadband, is an industry organization comprised of low power television broadcasters, translators, full power television broadcasters and allied industry organizations and companies. The goal of the Alliance is to preserve and promote the efficient and effective use of all television broadcast spectrum. Visit www.BroadcastingAlliance.org for more information and to join.
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