NCTA Refutes NAB Spectrum Hoarding Charges


The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) strongly refuted claims by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) that NCTA members were hoarding spectrum.

In a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Commerce and House Energy and Commerce Committee, James Assey stated:

"The NAB's groundless accusation of spectrum hoarding by other licensees does nothing to advance the public debate. NAB's implied suggestion that the government—rather than even consider requiring greater efficiency from the broadcasters—should instead reclaim spectrum purchased at auction for billions of dollars and currently in full compliance with FCC rules, is patently absurd. It marks a desperate attempt to avoid a serious discussion of the responsibilities of broadcasters to promote spectral efficiency and of the broadband needs of consumers and first responders."

Assey explained that it will take years to clear incumbents from the AWS spectrum held by several cable companies. He assumed that the NAB's letter referred to that spectrum, and added that, "Unlike broadcasters, who received their spectrum for free, cable companies have paid billions of dollars at auction and have every incentive to put their investment to work."

Dish Network also rejected NAB's spectrum claims, as described in the article NAB Spectrum Hoarding Claims 'Wrong', says Dish on WirelessWeek.com.

In a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Commerce and House Energy and Commerce Committee, Stanton Doge, Dish's general counsel said, "With all due respect, the NAB is wrong."

However, the letter did not respond to the articles NAB attached to its letter with quotes from Dish's CEO Charlie Ergen. NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton, in an e-mailed response to Dish's letter, said, "Verbatim quotes are a stubborn thing. Dish's CEO has admitted to strategically warehousing spectrum for long-term gain."

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.