The Commission’s recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making proposing a framework and time line for the transition of Low Power Television stations to digital operations — which we wrote about last month here — was published in the Federal Register today setting December 17, 2010 as the deadline for Comments and January 18, 2011 as the deadline for Reply Comments. Interested parties should start preparing their comments now. One continuing issue commenters should be aware of is the possibility of a television spectrum incentive auction or some other reclamation of television spectrum. In seeking comment on the timing of the transition of LPTV stations to digital, the Commission has asked whether it makes sense for LPTVs to transition sooner rather than later and possibly face the need to reshuffle if the spectrum is compressed or otherwise reconfigured in the future, or alternatively, if LPTVs wait until the spectrum is settled before a DTV transition is mandated. Comments on that issue and any others responsive to the Commission’s NPRM are welcomed from all interested parties. Comments can be filed in paper with the Commission or electronically through the ECFS filing system. The proceeding has been designated as MB Docket No. 03-185.
