House Communications Subcommittee Chairman
Greg Walden (R-Ore.) Wednesday said in an e-mail that the FCC won't draw a
crowd to its incentive auctions unless it heeds the advice of the coalition,
comprising some 40-plus stations willing to consider putting their spectrum up
for auction.
He
said it was good news that stations were showing interest in the auction,
"if structured properly."
In
an e-mailed piece entitled "Keeping the Incentive in Incentive
Auction," Walden cited the coalition's filing of reply comments on theauction this week,
calling it "one of the most important filings in the FCC
proceeding..." and associating himself with some of its key non-negotiables.
Those
are that: 1) the FCC not artificially limit the compensation of broadcasters,
that it 2) not exclude any potential bidders, and that it 2) auction all
airwaves it clears rather than setting some aside for unlicensed wireless.
"[T]he
FCC must encourage as many broadcasters as possible to participate, since
without broadcasters there is no spectrum to auction," Walden said.
"The FCC must also maximize the amount of money it raises, since the FCC
will need to compensate the broadcasters that relinquish spectrum and reimburse
broadcasters that relocate, with $7 billion left over for public safety and
preferably more to help with the deficit."
He
suggested the coalition's filing was a respite for doing just that.
