Month: January 2017

The Media Bureau adopts a methodology to establish construction deadlines for full power and Class A television stations that are transitioning to new channels following the incentive auction. The Media Bureau established transition deadlines within the 39-month post-auction transition period.  In consultation with the Incentive Auction Task Force, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, the Media Bureau proposed a methodology for establishing deadlines within a “phased” transition schedule in the Transition Scheduling Proposal Public Notice.

The FCC proposed methodology is detailed in Appendix A (beginning on page 37.) This methodology will be used after final channel reassignments are known in order to establish an orderly schedule that will allow stations, manufacturers, and other vendors and consultants, to coordinate broadcasters’ post-auction channel changes.

The Media Bureau, addresses the transition of full power and Class A television stations to post-auction channel assignments in the reorganized television bands following the conclusion of the broadcast television spectrum incentive auction. In order to provide guidance to broadcasters assigned to new channels, we summarize and clarify the process established in the Incentive Auction R&O and further developed in subsequent decisions.

This Public Notice provides detailed information, instructions, and projected deadlines for filing applications related to the post-incentive auction broadcast transition. It includes details about the requirement that all stations assigned a new channel as a result of the incentive auction submit an application for construction permit for their post-auction channel, as well as the procedures by which winning reverse auction bidders must relinquish their spectrum usage rights. It also sets forth the process by which eligible television stations can seek reimbursement of certain costs incurred in relocating to new channels and Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) for certain costs incurred in order to continue to carry the signals of relocating television stations. Additionally, this Public Notice includes an Appendix with instructions for filing in the Commission’s Licensing and Management System (LMS) the applications required to effectuate this transition.