WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass the RAY BAUM’S Act Tuesday, March 6, with provisions addressing repack funding and reauthorizing the Federal Communications Commission.

Of particular interest to TV and radio broadcasters are provisions that make up for an anticipated shortfall in the $1.75 billion originally set aside to fund the relocation of repacked full-power and Class A television stations; address the repack expenses of low-power and translator TV stations affected by reshuffling channel assignments; and pay for the expenses radio stations caught up in the work to repack TV stations.

Passage of the legislation drew praise from around the broadcast industry. “NAB applauds today’s passage of RAY BAUM’S Act by the U.S. House of Representatives,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith in a statement to the press. “Chairman [Greg] Walden [(R-Ore.)] and Ranking Member [Frank] Pallone [(D-N.J.)] deserve enormous credit for their leadership in crafting bipartisan, unanimous legislation that ensures local broadcasters are fairly reimbursed for expenses related to the spectrum ‘repack’.”

America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) welcomed passage, as well. “This additional funding —whose need was predicted by the broadcasting industry and by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden before the spectrum law was enacted in 2012—would ensure that our local public television stations have the resources they need to complete the repacking in a timely and efficient way, educate consumers about the transition and minimize disruption for their viewers,” said APTS President and CEO Patrick Butler in a press release.

In addition to repack funding and FCC reauthorization, the act approves the provisions of S.19, the MOBILE NOW Act, to advance 5G broadband development; corrects a spectrum auction deposit issue by allowing the FCC to deposit upfront payments from bidders directly with the U.S. Treasury; instructs the FCC to develop a national policy for unlicensed spectrum; and puts fraudulent phone calls to consumers in the crosshairs of the FCC and law enforcement.

The act awaits Senate approval. NAB’s Smith pledged to work in the Senate to “ensure this legislation’s passage into law along with full funding for the repack in the final omnibus spending bill.”

The act is named for Ray Baum, staff director of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, who died in February.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.   

WASHINGTON—Leaders from the House of Representatives and Senate Friday, March 2, jointly announced a bipartisan agreement in both chambers that addresses the shortfall in funding to reimburse full-power and Class A stations for their repack expenses, establishes funds to pay for the authorized relocation expenses of translators, low-power TV and radio stations impacted by the repack and a fund to educate consumers regarding the repack.

The legislation, called the RAY BAUM’S Act (H.R. 4986), addresses several other issues, including the reauthorization of the Federal Communications Commission; a boost to 5G wireless broadband development via inclusion of provisions of the Senate-approved MOBILE NOW Act (S.19); a spectrum auction fix authorizing the FCC to deposit upfront payments from bidders directly into the U.S. Treasury; FCC creation of a national policy for unlicensed spectrum; and consumer protection from fraudulent calls.

“This legislation, combining provisions that have previously passed both the House and Senate, does what no legislation has done in 28 years—it reauthorizes the FCC and includes provisions that help make sure that the Commission is transparent, efficient and ready for the 21st century communications landscape,” according to a joint statement released by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

[Bill to Address Repack Shortcomings Advances]

“Importantly, it includes spectrum legislation that passed the Senate unanimously last year and authorizes reimbursement for broadcasters who were displaced in the successful incentive auctions,” the statement said.

A vote in the House is scheduled for March 6. The RAY BAUM’S Act is named for Ray Baum, a telecommunications policy staffer and friend of Walden, who died in February.

NAB welcomed word of the agreement. Gordon Smith, president and CEO of NAB, called Friday's agreement a "significant step toward fully reimbursing broadcaster repack relocation expenses."

"A truly voluntary incentive auction means tens of millions of Americans who rely on local TV and radio sations—as well as low-power TV stations and translators—are not unfairly burdened by the repack," he said in a statement released to the press. "America's hometown broadcasters fully support swift passage of RAY BAUM's Act and remain optimistic that appropriations will include full repack relocation funding in the final omnibus spending bill."