CEA President Gary Shapiro told his counterpart at NAB not to discourage...
CEA President Gary Shapiro told his counterpart at NAB not to discourage broadcaster participation in the voluntary incentive auction the FCC wants to hold for TV station spectrum. Gordon Smith’s speech last month at the NAB Show (CD April 20…
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p4) “appeared to be rather discouraging of broadcaster participation,” Shapiro wrote him in a Monday letter the CEA released Tuesday. “Recent statements discouraging participation in and support of these auctions are not only inconsistent with the goals of Congress, but also are not helpful to competition necessary for a successful and competitive auction,” Shapiro wrote. “Broadcasters do not legally own the spectrum at issue and have been assigned limited duration licenses. Congress was extraordinarily generous in allowing broadcasters to be compensated for these limited duration licenses should they choose to offer them for auction.” NAB supported the voluntary incentive auction legislation passed by Congress and “looks forward to working with the FCC and Congress to implement the bill,” a spokesman responded. “Just like radio and TV, spectrum licenses of broadband providers like Verizon and AT&T are also of limited duration and subject to renewal."