Range of Auction Results Exemplifies Choice, Epstein Says
The range of auction results announced by stations exemplifies the intent of Congress and the FCC that each licensee in the incentive auction has a range of choices for what to do with its spectrum, Incentive Auction Task Force Chairman Gary Epstein said at America's Public Television Stations conference Tuesday. Though he said the FCC couldn't release details about how specific stations did, such information will become available when the commission issues its channel reassignment public notice in April. At that time, the FCC will "open the tent" to allow industry to see how the auction "played out," Epstein said. In a videotaped message played before the panel, Chairman Ajit Pai said he hoped the funds raised from the auction by public TV stations allow them to "enhance the services they provide."
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Details on the filing window for translators will be available "soon" after the commission issues its channel reassignment public notice, Deputy IATF Chairwoman Jean Kiddoo said. Many noncommercial educational stations are particularly dependent on translators, APTS Chairman Eric Hyyppa told the FCC officials. Some further options for translator stations could be created by an item on circulation on channel sharing for low-power TV and translators, Media Bureau Associate Chief Hillary DeNigro said. The draft item would resolve outstanding channel sharing issues, bureau officials said. PBS will issue a study of translators likely to be displaced and the effects of the auction on public broadcasting once the channel assignment public notice is released, Vice President-Technology and Planning Eric Wolf said.
The FCC must "be mindful of the effects of new technology on consumers," acting Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey said of the ATSC 3.0 proceeding. Commission staff have spent a great deal of time considering issues related to simulcasting, she said. Public TV stations will likely find it more effective to take advantage of the repacking process to purchase equipment that will be ATSC 3.0 compatible, said Eagle Hill Consulting Industry Lead Executive John McCoskey in another presentation. Many broadcasters likely will need to upgrade their station power levels for the transition, he said. Though transitioning to ATSC 3.0 isn't required, most PBS stations will want to in order to stay competitive, he said.
McCoskey and the FCC officials said that stations should be working with engineers and planning for the repacking, which he said would be "a pain." Since many broadcasters are being repacked to lower frequencies, they will likely need longer, heavier antennas, which create weight issues for towers, he said.