Waiting for a low-power TV rulemaking proceeding to extend the...

docket 03-185. The proceeding stems from an ATBA petition for a deadline extension on the permits (CD Aug 18 p6) until after the incentive auction. Though most of the initial commenters supported extending the deadline, the LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition had argued that any such extension should be part of the larger LPTV rulemaking and LPTV licensee CTB Spectrum Services had said it should be part of a larger effort to address LPTV issues. “Everyone recognizes that no reasonable person would construct an expensive facility that the government might render useless in a year or two,” said ATBA. The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association was the only entity to file initial comments opposing the proposed extension, which CTB called “impractical as well as harsh” (http://bit.ly/1tucbpx). Requiring a separate extension application for each construction permit “will explode the amount of paper work for both permittees, which, remember, are small businesses, and the Commission, whose resources are far from infinite” said CTB. LPTV licensee Miriam Media supported the extension (http://bit.ly/1rN0BFX), arguing that the NAB’s court challenge of the incentive auction report and order have increased the likelihood of a delayed incentive auction. “It is unfair to require construction decisions and large expenditures by LPTV permittees in advance of any ability to make an informed decision,” said Miriam Media.