HFU HF Underground

General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on October 21, 2015, 0002 UTC

Title: FCC Sets Incentive Auction Opening Bid Prices
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on October 21, 2015, 0002 UTC
The FCC Friday released its final opening bid prices for TV stations eligible for the broadcast incentive auction that starts in March 2016.

The top bid will be in New York—$900 million for WCBS-TV.

The list also includes stations—listed as "not needed"—that the FCC will not need to offer to buy in order to clear enough spectrum in each market. For example, the FCC needs no stations in Grand Junction‐Montrose, Colo., or the Butte‐Bozeman, Mont., markets.

Full article: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-sets-incentive-auction-opening-bid-prices/145025 (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-sets-incentive-auction-opening-bid-prices/145025)
Title: Re: FCC Sets Incentive Auction Opening Bid Prices
Post by: ff on October 21, 2015, 1425 UTC
The creative destruction driving this makes sense to me.  It's basic capitalism at work.  Scarce resources are being reallocated to present day needs.  What I don't get is why our government needs to inject itself directly into the process by throwing billions of taxpayer dollars around to help TV broadcasters monetize "their" spectrum.  It's not theirs.  It's ours.  Licensees should be reassigned without a payday at renewal time and given a reasonable amount of time to comply.  Lobbying at work...
Title: Re: FCC Sets Incentive Auction Opening Bid Prices
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on October 21, 2015, 1432 UTC
The creative destruction driving this makes sense to me.  It's basic capitalism at work.  Scarce resources are being reallocated to present day needs.  What I don't get is why our government needs to inject itself directly into the process by throwing billions of taxpayer dollars around to help TV broadcasters monetize "their" spectrum.  It's not theirs.  It's ours.  Licensees should be reassigned without a payday at renewal time and given a reasonable amount of time to comply.  Lobbying at work...

I had the same thoughts. Either they accept their new channel assignment, or close up shop. What's ironic is UHF channel owners are getting paid to switch to a VHF channel, something they would have gladly paid money for back in the analog days.

It's the same as taxi medallion owners wanting compensation for the end of their rent seeking business model their losses.
Title: Re: FCC Sets Incentive Auction Opening Bid Prices
Post by: redhat on October 21, 2015, 1554 UTC
I kinda wish all TV would go the way of UHF, like the UK did.  It would be nice to have just one antenna.  The FCC throwing it's weight around is nothing new, but at this rate they're bound to wind up in orbit somewhere.

+-RH
Title: Re: FCC Sets Incentive Auction Opening Bid Prices
Post by: ByteBORG on October 21, 2015, 1556 UTC
The FCC throwing it's weight around is nothing new, but at this rate they're bound to wind up in orbit somewhere.

+-RH

Nicely said...
;)