The Colorado Broadcasters Association and some of its members cautioned...

in docket 12-268 on efforts to expand spectrum use through a broadcast spectrum incentive auction (http://bit.ly/WZpZDT). Many of the unprotected public broadcast translators and construction permits “were purchased with taxpayer dollars to build a more robust public television system,” it said during a meeting with Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and her staff. People served by these signals are going to want to know why these translators “were turned off to make room for private broadband corporations whose intentions of providing any form of free programming with their use of this spectrum is highly unlikely,” it said. The CBA also urged the FCC to undertake designated market area-specific, fact-based, public interest determinations weighing the adverse effects “which a particular ‘national’ TV spectrum reallocation goal would have on the residents served by all potentially affected LPTV [low power TV] stations and TV translators.” The CBA said it supports the return of ’tax certificates’ as a proven, effective way to accomplish the goal of easing the path for more women and minorities to own radio and TV stations. The New Mexico Broadcasters Association agreed that displacing any single TV translator could leave wide areas unserved. Preservation of TV translator service should be considered “in connection with the proposed repacking of the television spectrum,” it said in an ex parte filing also recounting a meeting with Clyburn and her staff (http://bit.ly/12xDdj8).