FCC Making Allowances for COVID-19 Repack Delays

The FCC Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau are allowing stations in the current repack phase affected by delays related to the novel coronavirus to wait until the next phase, said a public notice Tuesday. The repack just began phase 9, scheduled to end May 1. Stations that can’t meet that deadline will be granted a waiver of that deadline and a reassignment to phase 10, May 2-July 3, the PN said.

“We recognize that the construction and delivery delays that are occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as efforts undertaken by the stations themselves to protect the health of their employees and their families, result from circumstances outside of a station’s control,” the PN said. The repacking transition plan includes flexibility to allow the agency to adjust the schedule for specific stations on a case-by-case basis “as they navigate specific transition problems,” the notice said.