Many of the concerns raised in response to a 2010...
Many of the concerns raised in response to a 2010 notice of proposed rulemaking on channel sharing “stem from the apprehension that channel sharing would not be a voluntary process,” said the channel sharing report and order posted online by…
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the FCC. The order makes clear that any sharing, prior to an eventual auction of broadcast spectrum, will be entirely voluntary. The order used the word voluntary 27 times (http://xrl.us/bm5sih). “The rules we adopt will not require any licensees to operate on a shared channel under any circumstances,” the order said. “Nor will the rules we adopt authorize the Commission to choose channel sharing partners.” Commissioners approved the order Friday (CD April 30 p6), but it was not released until after our deadline. A news release from the commission contained all the key details. “These new channel sharing rules will facilitate the recovery of underutilized television channels for flexible use in a manner that meets consumer and business needs by enabling broadcasters to relinquish spectrum while continuing to maintain broadcast television service,” the order said. “As we begin this effort to repurpose spectrum in the U/V [UHF/VHF] bands, we continue to recognize the vital role played by broadcast television. To this end, we intend to provide for an orderly transition of a portion of the U/V bands to flexible use in a manner cognizant of the impact on consumers of television programming viewed over-the-air and through multichannel video program distributors."