[opendtv] Re: Opinion: Putting A Price Tag On TV Spectrum
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:25:34 -0600
Mark Aitken wrote:
> How about this one!?
-------------------------------
http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1602959&spid=24698
MMTC Asks For Freeze On Channels 5, 6 Filings
November 25, 2009: The Minority Media and Telecommunications has asked the FCC
not to accept applications specifying channels 5 and 6 in its January 2010
filing window for low-power TV stations and TV translators, and would also like
the FCC to delay processing those applications in the August 25, 2009 window.
MMTC Exec. Director David Honig notes in the letter that it's been proposed in
the FCC's ongoing diversity hearing that the channels be used for FM
broadcasting and says, "It is critical that the commission avoid accepting
applications for new Channel 5 and 6 stations and delay processing the pending
applications so as not to prejudice the commission's consideration of the
various proposals that have been submitted for the use of this spectrum for FM
broadcasting."
Honig points out that the MMTC filed comments in support of a proposal from the
Broadcast Maximization Committee to use the channel 5 and 6 spectrum for new
and displaced LPFMs, to expanding the noncommercial educational service, and
for reallocating AM stations as digital-only transmissions. Indeed, he says the
BMC proposal "may be the only means to save the AM stations in a digital-only
world."
He writes that "without a freeze on the filing and processing of applications
for Channels 5 and 6 in the LPTV digital filing windows, the commission will
preclude the proposed uses of this spectrum space and waste the remaining
spectrum space that could be much better used to save the AM service, eliminate
the sharing arrangement with FM and LPFM stations and respond to the large
number of interested parties wanting new NCE stations."
Honig also says that the FCC's granting new station authorizations in the
spectrum would "violate basic procedural due process requirements" when
interest has been expressed in other uses for channels 5 and 6. He adds that
the FCC has a "once in a generation opportunity" to solicit ideas for the
spectrum and says it would be "extremely short sighted" of the FCC to process
applications for the channels.
---------------------------------
Right you are, Mark. Another examnple, although that particular spectrum is not
so desirable anyway.
My past (and current) comment on that was that radio already has a perfectly
viable way to improve itself, without doing its own spectrum grab. OTA TV paid
the price, with the analog switchoff, and radio can certainly shoot for the
same goal, with the same technique used by TV. The FCC has approved the
Ibiquity standard, so it's now up to radio to make the most of it.
This quote should be galling to TV types, I would think.
"He writes that 'without a freeze on the filing and processing of applications
for Channels 5 and 6 in the LPTV digital filing windows, the commission will
preclude the proposed uses of this spectrum space and waste the remaining
spectrum space that could be much better used to save the AM service, eliminate
the sharing arrangement with FM and LPFM stations and respond to the large
number of interested parties wanting new NCE stations.'"
Radio already has a way to "save AM." Even make it useful. Try switching off
analog AM radio entirely, and replace it with digital-only IBOC service. When
used in all-digital mode, IBOC in the AM band can take up either 5 or 10 KHz of
bandwidth, making it fit readily, day or night, in the existing AM band. The
bad press AM band IBOC has gotten to date is due 100 percent to the (totally
predictable) interference between the 30 KHz IBOC hybrid bandwidth and old AM
radios. What a surprise.
There should be no excuse for using TV spectrum to save radio in the US of A.
Bert
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