Landover LPTV Total to Exceed 800 With $46.5 Million Purchase

WASHINGTON —Landover Wireless, the New York concern developing an LTE network in 600 MHz spectrum, is buying more than 50 low-power TV stations for $46.5 million, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission. Sellers include Mako Communications, Mintz Broadcasting and members of the Mintz family, Nave Communications, Tuck Properties and Marcia Cohen—all of which are listed at 518 Peoples St. in Corpus Cristi, Texas.

Several of the stations are located throughout Texas. Others are located in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, New York, Palm Springs, Calif., San Juan, Puerto Rico; and near Denver, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Miami, Philadelphia and Sacramento, Calif.

The purchase, subject to FCC approval, would push Landover’s LPTV station total above 800. The current count in the FCC database, according to Cavell, Mertz & Associates search engine, is 764. Cellular Terrestrial Broadcasting, a company associated with Landover, has 365.

Landover is currently conducting tests under an FCC experimental license to evaluate its network and see if it interferes with TV stations. Testing commenced Sept. 1, 2012, and is being done in two phases, according to Landover’s experimental license application. The first phase involves the use of Rohde & Schwarz LTE signal generators, with the second using modified LTE eNodeB equipment originally designed for lower 700 MHz spectrum, which was reassigned to wireless providers in the 2008 700 MHz auction.

“The proposed operation will allow Landover to test and demonstrate new data infrastructure equipment designed in accordance with the 3GPP specifications of LET standards but that will operation in a new spectrum location—namely, the 600 MHz RF band,” the application states. “The testing will determine potential interference issues with existing digital television broadcast stations, both adjacent and on the same channels but some distance away.”

Landover initially anticipated completing the experimental process in one year, but recently was granted an extension of its experimental license, which now expires Aug. 1, 2014.

TVNewsCheck broke this story.