FCC Should Remain Flexible on Reimbursements, Say Broadcasters
The FCC should take a flexible approach toward reimbursing low-power TV, translator and FM stations for repacking expenses, said NPR and other broadcasters in docket 18-214 in comments posted through Friday on the proposed catalog of reimbursable expenses for those services. Along with requests for general flexibility, broadcasters listed repacking costs the FCC should cover, such as helicopter costs to reach remote towers and the economic impacts caused by the repacking.
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“This economic impact cannot be quantified at this point, but should be considered by the FCC when cataloging reimbursement expenses,” said Missouri Southern State University, which operates LPTV station KGCS Joplin. “Flexibility is warranted for radio stations to obtain reimbursement for unanticipated and unusual expenses incurred in their efforts to minimize service disruptions caused by the TV repack work and remain on air,” NPR said.
NPR wants a flexible reimbursement process to allow public broadcasting stations to use loaned or previously used equipment, it said. Using “secondhand or borrowed equipment” saves money but “may entail other fees and expenses, such as testing, maintenance, and returning equipment so it is suitable for use at the new station,” NPR said. “The reimbursement process should support and encourage such creative efforts to reduce costs in mitigating the impact of the TV repack.”
The reimbursement process should be simple and streamlined, NPR said, echoing comments from the National Translator Association on a previous reimbursement NPRM. “The paperwork and approval process for reimbursement requests” that align with the final cost catalog should “be streamlined as much as possible,” NPR said. “Simplified filing requirements and expedited reimbursement is especially critical for under-resourced public radio stations with limited staff and financial resources.”
Several broadcasters suggested specific changes to the catalog. It covers the costs of cooling equipment and helicopter services for FM stations, but not LPTV stations, said LPTV broadcaster Edge Spectrum. “Clarifying what appears to be a simple oversight in the development of the Catalog will be widely appreciated by LPTV licensees,” said the filing. NPR said the catalog “inexplicably and erroneously” has a lower cost ceiling for radio station attorney fees connected to negotiating leases than it does for LPTV. It's “important” that the catalog include reimbursement for costs connected with microwave relay stations, said the Mohave County, Arizona, Board of Supervisors. The stations are “necessary to maintain the continued delivery of distant, full-service television programming provided by County translators,” the filing said.