The FCC Media Bureau is seeking comment on...
The FCC Media Bureau is seeking comment on what expenses would be eligible for reimbursement from the $1.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund established by the Spectrum Act, said a public notice released Monday (http://fcc.us/16CqgkV). The bureau wants input on…
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a preliminary “Catalog of Eligible Expenses,” which contains categories and descriptions of costs broadcasters and multichannel video program distributors are most likely to incur as a result of broadcaster channel reassignments, said the PN. The proposed catalog -- issued with the PN as an attachment -- lists a wide range of possible costs, including new receiver antennas, paying attorneys to complete relocation paperwork, and renting interim facilities during the repacking. The catalog is an “initial summary of common expenses broadcasters and MVPDs may incur,” and the bureau wants commenters to “identify any additional expense categories that they believe should be eligible for reimbursement.” Along with kinds of expenses, the bureau is looking for “specific price information” for the relocation costs -- the catalog doesn’t include any dollar amounts. The PN also seeks comments on the possibility of mitigating channel reassignment costs through bulk purchasing and economies of scale. “Are there ways to encourage manufacturers and service providers to establish prices with built-in discounts that reflect the volume of business that channel reassignments will generate?” asks the PN. The bureau is also looking for comment on whether companies seeking reimbursement from the fund should be required to obtain competitive bids for costs over a certain threshold. “Should the Commission require competitive bids any time a broadcaster requests reimbursement from the Fund for a particular type of equipment or service (such as for the construction of a new tower)?” asks the PN. The bureau is also seeking comment on “ways in which broadcasters can incorporate interim equipment into their permanent facilities, thus saving the expense of potentially purchasing the same equipment twice,” the PN said. Comments on the public notice are due Oct. 31, reply comments Nov. 14, the PN said. The commission will also hold a public workshop to discuss cost and cost mitigation issues associated with relocation on Sept. 30.