FCC Announces Upcoming Webinar on TV Channel Sharing

[Commentary] If your station happens to be on the Federal Communications Commission’s Eligibility List for the upcoming reverse spectrum auction, listen up. The Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau are teaming up to present a one-hour webinar to go over various aspects of the channel sharing bid option. That’s the option that could let folks sell their current spectrum back to the government while staying in the broadcast business by bunking up with another licensee on that other licensee’s channel.

Channel-sharing promises to be an attractive opportunity for some broadcasters, but it’s not by any means a simple proposition. As with many aspects of the incentive auction, the FCC is venturing into previously unexplored turf here. As a result, the rules and policies that will govern the process are still a work in progress. Because of that, it would be a good idea to listen in to get updated on the latest and greatest thinking on the topic from the FCC’s Brain Trust. They’ve promised to address the revised channel sharing rules, FCC Channel Sharing Agreement requirements, the bidding process for licensees interested in channel sharing, and the post-auction licensing process. And they’ll be taking questions, too! The party’s scheduled to run from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, July 22.