Digital-television trade group the Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) is asking the Federal Communications
Commission to delay the scheduled June 19 auction of spectrum now used for TV
channels 52 through 69.
If the auction goes forward now, core channels 2 through 51 may experience
unacceptable new interference because analog stations on the auctioned ban are
likely to take advantage of rules allowing them to negotiate early buyouts with
winning bidders.
Those broadcasters are permitted to use their remaining digital allotments in
the core channels for analog broadcasting.
"These digital-channel allotments were not designed to be used by analog
facilities," MSTV told the commission in a
May 15 letter. "The need to postpone these auctions is based on the very real
interference problems associated with early band clearing."
Under pressure from Congress and the White House, the FCC is considering a
delay.
Paxson Communications Corp. and other broadcasters with stations on the upper parts
of the UHF band are poised for a windfall from buyouts and are pushing for the
auction to go ahead as planned.
