FCC Chmn. Powell’s response to criticism of Commission’s Ch. 60-6...

they reiterated their concerns that FCC’s decision (CD Sept 18 p2) to allow “voluntary band-clearing arrangements” between broadcasters and wireless companies “amounts to one of the most expensive and unjustifiable grants of corporate welfare in our nation’s history.” Powell recently sent reply letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.), who last month (CD Oct 18 p5) expressed outrage that FCC order would enable private sector to negotiate terms of and profit from spectrum sales. Ornstein and Calabrese said “as Senator Hollings suggests, allowing self-interested private parties to determine the public’s share of the revenue from a public asset appears inconsistent with the FCC’s fiduciary role as the public trustee of the airwaves.” They said Commission’s order “ignores alternatives” such as: (1) Imposition of “squatter’s fee” on broadcasters that failed to return analog spectrum on time, measure that had been recommended by former FCC Chmn. William Kennard. (2) Imposition of “hard deadline” on broadcasters, as suggested by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.). (3) Earmark auction revenue “to subsidize digital tuners or converter boxes for citizens who [in 2006] still rely on over-the-air signals.”