On Thursday, March 4, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm EST, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Association of Maximum Service Television (MSTV) will host a live web conference to discuss the reallocation of channels 1 and 2 of the 2 GHz broadcast auxiliary band. As a result of the loss of these two channels, broadcasters in many markets will have to replace or modify their ENG equipment when channel bandwidth is reduced to make room for two channels to replace those reallocated to other services.
As noted in previous RF Report articles, broadcasters in the top 30 markets will be the first to negotiate with the new users of the of the 2 GHz band for reimbursement of the costs of modifying or replacing microwave equipment. This live web conference may provide some information on how these negotiations are going. Many of the issues surrounding the move to the new channel will have to be decided locally and broadcasters will have to cooperate to make the switch happen with minimal loss of ENG capability.
In the announcement of the web conference, NAB said station group executives, chief engineers and news directors in all markets as well as frequency coordinators are invited to participate. Participants must register before the call at http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/nab/2ghz/. At this site you will have an opportunity to test your connection to see if it is fast enough to view the live streaming video of the presentation. I tested it with a 133 Kbps Verizon Express Network wireless connection and it worked okay. The NAB announcement said special arrangements would be made to accommodate non-broadband Internet users.
