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LPTV INDUSTRY NEWS - WED. - JAN. 13, 2016
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TODAY'S NEWSLETTER SPONSOR
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CHAIRMAN WALDEN HAS NO PLANS FOR PALLONE BROADCASTER BILL
The House Energy and Commerce communications subcommittee may be making a push on telecom issues, but don't expect to see Rep. Frank Pallone's new telecom bill on the agenda anytime soon. Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden told MT after a hearing Tuesday that he's not on board with Pallone's new bill that would give the FCC a $1 billion emergency fund to help broadcasters stay on the air after this year's incentive auction. He cited timing concerns.
Walden - who's generally sympathetic to the broadcasters - said Republicans have pushed for more funding to relocate stations after the auction. "We've always felt that there may need to be more revenue there," he said, but "there will be a time to deal with that after we see how the auction moves forward." Four Republican bills - including two net neutrality-related bills - that were discussed during Tuesday's hearing will be marked up as soon as the schedule allows, he added.
It looks like Walden can expect some pressure from broadcasters to support the bill. "NAB absolutely wants to work in bipartisan fashion on this issue, and intends to work closely with Chairman Walden," NAB's Dennis Wharton said in a statement to MT."
COALITION COMMENTARY
It's reality time for Congress related to how they are going to diminish the impacts on LPTV and TV translators resulting from the incentive auction. But we agree with Chairman Walden that until we know the real damages, it is hard to come up with adequate solutions. Don't forget, the only reason there is a draft bill from Congressman Pallone is that NAB struck a deal for more money, if they would agree to a regional repacking to speed up the time which the wireless bidders could get access to their spectrum. Which of course throws LPTV and translators under the bus if we are not included in the process, and could have to wait years to build out new construction permits due to no available tower crews.
We stand ready to work with the Chairman Walden for what needs to be done for LPTV and TV translators, and have already submitted a lot of research and analysis for potential solutions.
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Communications Law Attorneys representing clients before the FCC, the federal courts, and other regulatory, and governmental agencies on communications matters.
Chip Grange & Wray Fitch
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THE NEW DOUBLE-BUILD RANT
CAN THE NEW
ATSC 3.0 STANDARD
BE READY FOR
THE POST AUCTION REPACK?
LPTV AND TV TRANSLATORS COULD BE FORCED TO USE OUTDATED 1.0 ENGINEERING TO FIND NEW CHANNELS. THIS COULD MEAN MANY 100'S LESS AVAILABLE CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS BEING POSSIBLE.
There is a movement by major broadcasters interested in repacking with ATSC 3.0, and to get the FCC to "fast-track" it for the post-auction repacking. While not really all that important for the auction-eligible surviving repacked primaries and Class-A's, since they get replicated coverage and contours using 1.0 anyway, it is vitally important to LPTV and TV translators.
The reason is simple. 3.0 is based on two major standards, OFDM, and IP. It is the OFDM which is important for this discussion. The ATSC 3.0 "transport layer" is based on it. This is the part of the standard which relates to the current Longley Rice methodology and what our 1.0 licenses are now based on. It is what allows us to carve-out a contour by predicting interference.
With 3.0's OFDM's much more precise methodology for predicting interference, LPTV and TV translators could use it a lot more easily find new channels, and in many cases, find channels where none existed before. There is no good reason to force us to use an outdated method to repack which is so much less efficient in predicting interference. And this could be an avenue of appeal, big time.
While all of the interactive and IP benefits of 3.0 might not be available for years, or until a vibrant ecosystem of end-user products are available, the interference-prediction methodology of 3.0 is essential for engineering new LPTV and TV translator channels, in a much narrower band. For the major urban areas this is a must!
Just so that you understand, in the LPTV and TV translator displacement window, 6 months after the auction, you for sure want to be able to use OFDM rather than 1.0.
APPROVE THE 3.0 TRANSPORT LAYER AND HAVE IT AVAILABLE FOR LPTV AND TRANSLATOR DISPLACEMENT APPLICATIONS
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CES 2016: ATSC 3.0 DEMO'S
Long-time LPTV industry leaders Greg Herman, and Amy Brown, of Spectrum Evolution, and WatchTV, went to the CES 2016 floor and demo rooms, to see if they could track done the latest on ATSC 3.0. What they find out is both great to see, and very disappointing. Check out this report to see what the future does, and does not have in store for LPTV and translators.
Last week we reported on LPTV being first to broadcast 4K (CES 2015), and now ATSC 3.0 (2016). The two major 3.0 groups, LG Electronics, which leased new LPTV station in Las Vegas, KHMP-LD; and, the second test, on a full power owned by Sinclair Broadcasting, and with equipment from Samsung, and the Pearl TV consortium. Below is a pix from the Sinclair demo room.
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COALITION COMMENTARY
Why is this important for LPTV and translators? Because it shows how one the top users of duopolies and diginets for primaries is going to be running out of OTA carriage, and they want to get themselves ready for making money via OTT. This is a bellwether for other networks doing the same. We can expect to see a lot more possible OTA channel leases for diginets this year.
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LPTV SPECTRUM RIGHTS DEFENSE FUND
SUPPORT THE DEFENSE OF OUR INDUSTRY IN
FCC FILINGS, CONGRESS, AND THE COURTS!
The Coalition is the only group with wide standing in the rulemaking proceedings and for the Courts on all LPTV issues. We need to make sure we take all of the actions we can to protect our collective interests, stall the auction process, and get compensations for relocation moves, technical flexibility, and a fair share of the now $50 billion which the FCC says the LPTV spectrum is worth (post AWS-3 auction valuation!).
$100 DONATION
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$250 DONATION
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$500 DONATION
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$1000 DONATION
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WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT!
IT'S ONLY YOUR BUSINESS FUTURE AT STAKE!
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Folks, these studies are changing and are becoming even more important the closer we get to the auction and repacking process. The FCC is not releasing until late April, or in early May, which of the 11 "band plans" it will be using. That is a long time to wait from now to see what could happen to your market. We can show you now the possibilities.
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COALITION SPONSORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!
LPTV & TV TRANSLATOR
EXTRAVAGANZA & PARTY OF THE YEAR
SUNDAY NIGHT
AT THE NAB SHOW IN APRIL
JOIN 100'S OF LICENSEES AND PERMITTEES BEFORE YOU START YOUR NAB SHOW EVENTS
VENDOR AND SERVICE PROVIDER SPONSORSHIPS
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
NEW AND EXPANDED
2016
INCENTIVE AUCTION
INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
AND NEW
DISPLACEMENT REPACKING
SURVIVAL GUIDE
CONTACT NOW FOR YOUR
SUNDAY NIGHT VENDOR BOOTH
AND 2016 DIRECTORY AD PLACEMENT
(203) 604-0747
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If you would like to be part of our collective effort to make sure LPTV and TV translators are treated fairly in the Incentive Auction and channel repacking JOIN US today!
Mike Gravino
Director
LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition
(202) 604-0747
http://www.lptvcoalition.com
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