The FCC Sept. 23, 2013, released details about its upcoming workshop on the reassignment of TV stations to new channels following the incentive auction, including topics to be discussed and panelists for each session, as well as public notice seeking comment on its catalog of expenses that will be eligible for reimbursement.
The workshop, scheduled for Sept. 30, 2013, is part of the agency’s Learn Everything About Reverse Auctions Now Program (LEARN). The agenda calls for two panels: “Categories of Reimbursable Costs Incurred by Broadcasters;” and “Strategies to Promote Transition Coordination and Cost Mitigation Among Broadcasters.”
The former will be moderated by Rebecca Hanson, senior advisor, Broadcast Spectrum, FCC Media Bureau. Panelists will include: Joe Davis, president, Chesapeake RF Consultants;Jane Mago, EVP and General Counsel, NAB; Peter Starke, VP, Broadcast, American Tower;
and Joe Zuba, national sales manager, Dielectric.
The latter will be moderated by Bill Lake, chief, FCC, Media Bureau. Panelists will include Mark Aitken, VP, Advanced Technology, Sinclair Broadcast Group; David Donovan, president, New York State Broadcasters Association; Erin Dozier, SVP and Deputy General Counsel, NAB; Robert Kelly, partner, Squire Sanders; and Lonna Thompson, EVP, Association of Public Television.
The workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET in the commission meeting room at FCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is open to the public and will be streamed live via the Internet.
The Media Bureau’s public notice regarding reimbursement of reasonable costs of relocating TV broadcasters seeks greater detail on the issue of costs to be covered as well as strategies to mitigate such costs.
The Spectrum Act (The Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012) established a $1.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund.
The public notice is seeking comment on the Media Bureau’s preliminary catalog of eligible expenses covering the items it believes TV broadcasters and MVPDs will likely incur resulting from channel reassignment. The Bureau wants comment on the prices for the hard and soft costs of items in the catalog. It wants pricing information and information on available discounts. It also wants general information, such as whether or not broadcasters typically pay list price for equipment and bulk order discounts.
Comments are due Oct. 31 and reply comments are due Nov. 14.
