House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., said there’s a...
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., said there’s a “distinct possibility” that no broadcasters will participate in the incentive auction if the FCC fails to consider their concerns, according to a news release Wednesday. In order for the auction…
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to be a success, the commission “must encourage as many broadcasters as possible to participate … and maximize the amount of money it raises,” he said. Walden referenced a recent FCC filing by the Expanding Opportunities for Broadcasters Coalition, a group of owners and potential owners of more than 40 large-market TV stations (CD March 12 p13). “In one of the most important filings in the FCC proceeding to implement the law, the coalition listed three critical elements for a successful auction,” he said. First, the commission must not artificially limit the potential compensation to broadcasters; second, the Commission must not exclude potential wireless bidders; and third, the FCC must auction all the airwaves it clears rather than giving some away for unlicensed use, Walden said. “We have an unprecedented opportunity before us to help meet Americans’ growing thirst for mobile Internet service, advance the public safety network, and even raise needed federal revenue. Let’s not squander it.”