Government Shutdown Impacts FCC Auctions, Deadlines and Workshops

By Doug Lung
published

The FCC was up and running after the federal government shutdown ended last week, but some FCC activities have been rescheduled.

The start of the 2 GHz H-block licenses has been moved to Jan. 22, 2014, a delay of about a week from the date originally proposed Jan. 14 date. Other activities related to Auction 96 have also been postponed. While this auction does not impact any spectrum used by broadcasters, strong interest in this auction could increase pressure on the FCC to reallocate even more of the 2 GHz BAS band for wireless broadband, as CTIA has requested. For more information, and the latest schedules, visit the FCC Auction 96 H Bock website. Also see CTIA Proposes Using 2 GHz BAS Spectrum for Broadband – Plan offers no solution for affected broadcasters.

The FCC Media Bureau has extended the low power FM filing window from Oct. 29, 2013 until Nov. 14, 2013. The Bureau also rescheduled the second LPFM webinar for Oct. 24, 2013. Details are available in FCC Notice DA 13-2029.

Wireless microphone users and TV band white space proponents are worried that the repacking of UHF TV stations after the Incentive Auction will leave no spectrum for their operations. The FCC had scheduled a workshop to discuss unlicensed spectrum issues related to the broadcast television incentive auction proceeding for Thursday, Oct. 24 but as a result of the shutdown it has now been postponed until Nov. 8. The FCC said it would release additional details on the workshop closer to the event date.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.