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PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:33 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:45 pm
Posts: 405
Location: Fargo, ND, USA
I listened the other day to a owner of a local low power station in our area talk about the FCC buying out existing broadcasters to open new frequencies (mostly for the cell phone providers).
http://wireless.fcc.gov/incentiveauctio ... n-program/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_reallocation
or google "fcc tv spectrum auction"

The Incentive program seems to goes like this. (cliff note version)

The FCC will determine a value on each and every broadcaster according to it's location and broadcast programming quantity / quality.
As it stands right now the approximate range is between $5000 (for a low power in Billings not on the air) to $180 million (for a major network in New York)
From what I heard they are being very generous with their valuations. About 5X of what the total business would sell for on the street.

The FCC sells a frequency range to the highest (cell phone) bidder.

If there happens to be broadcaster in that (geographic area / frequency range) the FCC will force them to relinquish their transmitter frequency and the FCC's will pay them their predetermined price.

That broadcaster now has some choices to make. He could
1. Take the cash and run (no obligation to put anything back on the air) Most local broadcasters have been looking for a way to get rid of there transmitters
and go to 100% cable/ satellite but up until now the FCC has blocked that.
2. Move to another open frequency (if one is available) ( in high population area there will not be any open channels)
3. Claim a transmitter frequency of another station at the FCC's predetermined price and receive the price difference in cash.
Note: (That would send that broadcaster into this process.)

As it stands today we have 50 channels today (02-->51) we lost 31 channels (52-->83) in the digital switch over.
Around 2004 the 800 to 900 MHz band (channels 70 to 83) was sold
In 2008 the 700 to 800 MHz band (channels 52 to 69) was sold for 19.6 billion

Logic would have it that nothing lower than a 1/4 wave of 12 cm would be useful for today's phones.
That would correspond with 600 to 700 MHz (Channel 35 to 51).
This auction was suppose to happen sometime in 2015.

At the time of the digital switch over 2008 I had 5 channels
The FCC started this in 2012. I had 10 channels then. Four them where PBS.
Now in 2015 I have 22 with 2 more in the process. (The rush before the tribulation)
I have one channel (above channel 35) with ten sub carriers. (more programming more $)

From what I understand the number one business goal of a broadcaster right now
is to maximize your programming and sell out to the FCC.
Sounds Like another bailout program in the making.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 9:32 pm 
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Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 11:14 am
Posts: 1343
Location: Orlando FL
This never came to fruition but it shows how little the big broadcasters think of OTA. http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/08/news-c ... al-battle/

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:50 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:45 pm
Posts: 405
Location: Fargo, ND, USA
Well the FCC repack has come to pass. To easily see how you have been affected is to go to antennaweb.org and put in your address and look for the "i" under FCC repack.
Some stations are being moved back to VHF frequencies even low VHF. If they do not move they are paid to shut down.

In my Television Market Area two channels are being moved.
RF Channel 38 is moved to 24, Phase Completion Date 11/30/2018
RF Channel 44 is moved to 18, Phase Completion Date 11/30/2018

Summery: The FCC sold off
Channel 70 to 83 in 1983 (cell phone)
Channel 69 to 52 in 2011 (cell phone)
Channel 51 to 38 in 2016 (T-Mobile purchased the spectrum)
Channel 37: Radio Astronomy 1963
Channel 14: Low Power Channels (450-470 MHz)

So this leaves UHF channels 15 to 36 (21 UHF channels) if no more of them are cannibalized.

High VHF channels are 7-13 are still intact.
Low VHF channels 2 - 4 and 6
----- Channel 5: Low Power Channels (77 MHz)

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Last edited by TVBox on Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:52 pm, edited 3 times in total.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 5:59 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:44 pm
Posts: 580
TVBox, thanks for the heads up. In my area, it looks like there will be a number of changes in the UHF range on Jan 17, 2020.

I also wanted to note that the proper url is http://www.antennaweb.org

There was a typo in the previous post and I just blindly copied and pasted it.


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