Month: February 2018

Comment and Reply Dates Extended for Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Modify or Eliminate the National Television Audience Reach Cap and UHF Discount. The Media Bureau extends the deadlines for comments and reply comments in the above-captioned rulemaking proceeding until March 19, 2018, and April 18, 2018.

On December 14, 2017, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) initiating a comprehensive review of the national television audience reach cap, including the so-called UHF discount used by broadcasters to determine compliance with the cap. The Commission set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 and 60 days, respectively, after publication of the  NPRM in the Federal Register. A summary of the NPRM was published in the Federal Register on January 26, 2018, thus requiring comments and reply comments to be submitted by February 26, 2018, and March 27, 2018, respectively. In addition to seeking comment on the initial question of the Commission’s authority to modify or eliminate the national audience reach cap and UHF discount, the NPRM asks many complex factual and policy questions about changed market conditions, effects on competition and diversity in local and national broadcast television broadcast markets, and the appropriate methodology for determining compliance with any retained national cap. The NPRM also requests analysis of the costs and benefits of modifying or eliminating the national cap and UHF discount, supported by “relevant economic theory and evidence, including empirical analysis and data.

The Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau has provided sixty days advance notice of the opening of a displacement application filing window for low power television (LPTV), TV translator stations, and analog-to-digital replacement translators (DRT) (referred to collectively as “LPTV/translator stations”) that were displaced by the incentive auction and repacking process (Special Displacement Window). The Special Displacement Window will open on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, and close on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at 11:59 pm EDT. They also announced that simultaneous with the release of this Public Notice they are releasing a channel study to assist stations in identifying potential new channels in the repacked television bands.See Public Notice for further details.

The Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau hereby announced a program to visit the facilities of a statistically valid sample number of broadcast television stations that are eligible for reimbursement from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund to validate the existence and functionality of baseline equipment. This program supports the Commission’s responsibility as a prudent steward of taxpayer money to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse associated with the disbursement of federal funds.

John Kean of Cavell Mertz & Associates presented a paper on Antenna Radiation Pattern Measurement with a Drone at the 2017 IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposium in Washington DC on October 12,2017.

The presentation focused on the history of RF signal strength measurements and the recent advances in technology allowing the use of Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, to perform measurements with considerable improvements in accuracy. The close proximity to the antennas allows more horizontal and vertical antenna pattern measurements otherwise not possible with previous aircraft or ground based techniques.

A PDF of Mr. Kean’s presentation slides can be viewed at the link below.

Cavell Mertz has made a significant investment in drone technology and has several platforms for making RF measurements of wireless transmitters, particularly FM and television antennas. Additional information can be found at www.cavellmertz.com.