Proposals by the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition that...
Proposals by the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition that the FCC step up rule enforcement against low-power TV stations and require secondary broadcast licensees share a single 6 MHz 2 channel would be illegal rule changes, said the LPTV Spectrum Rights…
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Coalition in an ex parte filing Thursday (http://bit.ly/19kiv8X). PISC said the agency should “vigorously” enforce rules “to ensure that LPTV, translator and booster stations that are not entitled to interference protection also do not have protected status in the TV Bands Database.” If PISC’s suggestions -- made in an ex parte filing Tuesday (http://bit.ly/12jBYUZ) -- are put into effect, it could “slow the Spectrum Auction implementation by many months or years because of the lawsuits which will be initiated to protect the rights of the LPTV, translator, and TV booster services,” said LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition Director Mike Gravino. Responding to PISC’s statement that “too many” LPTV stations “are not operating or occupying far more spectrum than needed for a single digital stream of content,” Gravino said the LPTV rules are protected by Congress, and that LPTV stations “are free to program as much or as little of their 6-MHz license spectrum as they want.” Since LPTV has “secondary spectrum priority and interference to other TV stations only,” unlicensed spectrum uses like those advocated by PISC “have to not interfere with it, not the other way around,” said Gravino. “What PISC wants to do is to do a ’taking’ from LPTV so that their Silicon Valley backers do not have to bid on spectrum that would help with the other goals of the auction, that is, funding First-Net, and reducing the deficit.” PISC’s recommendations are consistent with longstanding FCC policy on “legacy services,” said Harold Feld, PISC member and Public Knowledge senior vice president. “We think LPTV stations that are doing their job and servicing their communities ought to be protected, but a license is not an entitlement,” he said. The agency should issue a public notice that focuses on LPTV and the spectrum repacking to facilitate more discussion of the issue, he said.