Broadcasters are divided whether the FCC should change how it determines whether a station is significantly viewed in a market. Hubbard agrees with NCTA and Nielsen that the agency shouldn’t disrupt the status quo. Gray Television and others want more flexibility.
The FCC was close but not spot-on in its preliminary cost category schedule for C-band relocation expenses, said numerous interested parties in docket 18-122 filings posted Friday, suggesting additions and changes. There was some opposition to reimbursements for gold-plated upgrades and support for not finalizing the cost category schedule until after the FCC has filed, reviewed and approved satellite operator transition plans.
Scrambling to fill programming hours amid canceled community events and having to train public officials on the use of videoconferencing platforms are among challenges public, educational and government channels face during the pandemic, operators and officials told us. The smallest operations had the toughest time, and there are funding concerns the longer the pandemic goes on, said Alliance for Community Media President Mike Wassenaar.
Despite the Covid-19 surge in the use of residential landline phones, stakeholders don't expect a reversal in the long-term trend toward mobile-only households. Residential landline voice traffic rose dramatically this spring as Americans sheltered in place, with volume reaching traditional Mother's Day levels in March.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is circulating an NPRM to “take the next statutorily required step to implement” the 2012 spectrum law's mandate for public safety to move off the 470-512 MHz T band by 2021. Pai on Friday also repeated his call for Congress to repeal the rule. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., again urged Congress to undo the T-band mandate. The House was expected Friday night to have voted on the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act (HR-6800), which includes language from the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act (HR-451) to undo the statute (see 2005130059).
Unlike Western Europe, the U.S. isn't facing physical attacks on wireless infrastructure by activists who believe 5G helped spread COVID-19. Some municipalities are facing more RF concerns. “We are not aware of any such situations to date within the United States,” an FCC spokesperson emailed last week. “We have provided some social media and online content to reassure the public that this rumor is without merit.”
The Senate passed the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act 80-16 Thursday. The House will now reconsider the bill (see 2005130056) with an amendment from Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
COVID-19 is affecting the launch of ATSC 3.0 stations and creating uncertainty about when they will begin airing the new standard, said broadcasters and NextGenTV advocates Thursday on an NAB Show Express streamed panel. “We’re still on track to get a bunch of markets launched this year,” said John Hane, CEO of Spectrum Consortium (Spectrum Co).
With the FCC citizens broadband radio service auction set to start, the agency is under pressure to further delay the auction because of credit market issues. Markets remain jittery due to the pandemic, a problem for small players that may need to raise the money to bid. The FCC postponed the auction in March to July 23, from June 25, because of COVID-19 concerns (see 2003250052).
The first ATSC 3.0-compliant TVs from LG, Samsung and Sony bearing the NextGenTV logo are available for purchase, though the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down much brick-and-mortar retail or confined it to curbside pickup, said executives at the NAB Show Express virtual event. “The question we’re all grappling with is, what will this new normal be?” said John Taylor, LG senior vice president-public affairs and communications.