Dingell Spectrum Bill Protects Broadcast 'Essentials'

Reps. John Dingell (D-MI) and Gene Greene (D-TX) introduced the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, a version of the Senate incentive auction bill with one key difference: It gives broadcasters many of the protections they have been seeking to insure an incentive auction/spectrum reclamation plan does not marginalize their digital future.

According to a copy of the bill, it would allow for repacking of stations--moving them closer to together to make more room for wireless broadband. But it would only allow that so long as those stations that wanted it were give the same 6 MHz worth of spectrum, and were given a comparable tower heights, power levels and interference protections. It would specify that there be only one auction, and that broadcasters be reimbursed for moving expenses. It would also make it the law that no station could be forced to share facilities, but would be allowed to share a 6 MHz channel so long as each were given primary status for the purposes of must-carry by cable operators. Like the Senate bill, it would allocate the D Block of spectrum for an emergency broadband network, rather than auction it as current law requires. The network will be created and maintained with some of the proceeds from the auction of reclaimed broadcast spectrum.