With STELA dust settling, more risks await TV broadcasters

After fending off the Pay-TV industry’s most aggressive attempts yet to gut the retransmission consent process and deprive millions of households of their favorite television programming, broadcasters are turning from Capitol Hill, where the STELA debate played out, to the FCC where another slew of maneuvers that could hurt the industry are teed up.

DC-based communications attorney David Oxenford with Wilkinson Barker Knauer outlined the issues facing TV broadcasters in his latest blog post; among them:

Commissioners are tentatively slated to take up a proposal by Chairman Tom Wheeler to repeal the sports blackout rule, as well as some potential changes to the agency’s rules on devices that operate in white spaces on the TV band, wireless microphones, and OET 69 – the standard used for predicting interference between TV stations.

NAB has filed suit against the FCC’s plans to use a new predictive interference standard for planning station re-packing after the anticipated incentive spectrum auction concludes.

Other pending rulemaking efforts involve TV translators and LPTV stations, particularly how those stations will be affected by the upcoming auction, but also whether current construction permits that will soon expire will be extended.

Questions?  Contact TAB's Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.