Pennsylvania Congressfolk Back Broadcasters

Add members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation to
those calling on the FCC to let the FCC know as soon as possible how it will re-auction
and repack stations.

The FCC released its incentive auction proposal this week,
but it asks lots of questions and seeks comment on the answers it does propose.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, 16 House
members from the state said that as the FCC does finalize its repacking plans,
it disclose those at the "earliest opportunity" so stations can
figure out how they will affect them.

They said the auctions are needed, but that over-the-air TV
remains important, given that many of their constituents rely on it.

The commission has also gotten letters from the New Jersey
and New York congressional delegations along the same lines: Spectrum auctions
are needed, but so is a viable broadcasting business.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.