Alternative C-Band Plan Proponent Talking With Programmers

"no big surprise" those who would have to move, such as with ACA "members, had a lot of questions about how this as going to work, and was this going to be as reliable a delivery service," said Senior Vice President-Government Affairs Ross Lieberman. "Ultimately, they understood the value." Allies of the ACA, Charter Communications and Competitive Carriers Association recommendation to use fiber in place of the satellite spectrum to deliver programming have been having "numerous conversions with programmers, both large and small, sort of a goodwill tour of education," he added. "A lot of the concerns we’ve heard have been just misperceptions." Maybe "our plan wasn't clear enough," and the concerns are being addressed, Lieberman said. "We’re in the process of putting together a supplement to our filing" at the FCC. Liberman has spoken with broadcast and with cable programmers, he told us Friday. "Everybody wants 5G, and I think people also want certainty, so I think the FCC is really trying to get this done as soon as possible," said Charter Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Colleen King. "Programmers have been using the C band for decades," so it takes "some warming up to get to" understand the ACA, Charter and CCA plan, even at her own company's video business, she said. "If we are going to give up this great resource we have, you want to make sure it’s fairly available to everybody" via FCC auction, King said. This plan gives CCA members "a fair shot at getting that spectrum," said CCA General Counsel Alexi Maltas. The C-Band Alliance would provide as much as 300 MHz of spectrum for 5G, less than the ACA consortium seeks. NAB isn't "aware of a single programmer that has endorsed the ACA proposal," a spokesperson emailed. "If that constitutes ‘warming up’" to the plan, he added, "we’re afraid to ask what cooling off looks like.” The CBA, FCC and NCTA declined to comment.