Incentive Auction Discussion

[Trip]

The FCC has announced that the initial clearing target for the incentive auction is 126 MHz.

https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-453A1.pdf

List of markets and number of 5 MHz blocks available in each:

https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-16-453A2.pdf

- Trip

 

[primestar31]

So, any station above UHF channel 29 is done for, or must move?

 

[jxg0754]

"forward auction,99% will have no impairments" in this article link
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/...s-feed-FCC-To-Auction-Off-126-MHz-Of-Spectrum

 

[jxg0754]

So, any station above UHF channel 29 is done for, or must move?

Those stations who choosed to be done will, some may choose hi/low vhf, others will be repacked in the remaining uhf (that currently broadcast from a uhf channel) or 1% will with wirless services

 

[localclassictvfan]

Wait and see now. Hope I don't lose any stations in Lafayette Louisiana

 

[harshness]

List of markets and number of 5 MHz blocks available in each:

So they're going to use a 1MHz guard band to separate the remaining 21 RF channels and pack them in shoulder-to-shoulder.

The Mexican border issue sounds like it has a potential to be a bit of a mess. I wonder what Canada has cooking with respect to Seattle and other northern state metros.

 

[Trip]

So they're going to use a 1MHz guard band to separate the remaining 21 RF channels and pack them in shoulder-to-shoulder.

The Mexican border issue sounds like it has a potential to be a bit of a mess. I wonder what Canada has cooking with respect to Seattle and other northern state metros.

Assuming the auction closes at 126 MHz, the band plan is that 100 MHz would be sold while the remaining 26 MHz goes into the duplex gap and guard bands, including a 7 or 9 MHz guard band to prevent the channel 51 issues we've been seeing with 700 MHz.

Canada is repacking and matching the US clearing target, so there's no issue there.

Mexico only agreed to clear down to channel 37, so yes, there could be an issue if the auction closes at a value higher than 84 MHz. But many of those licenses aren't being sold at all, so it won't be that much of an issue.

- Trip

 

[harshness]

But many of those licenses aren't being sold at all, so it won't be that much of an issue.

What are the chances that the LA market isn't going to buy all available bandwidth? It seems like between LA and San Diego (6.58 million TV homes), there's an awful lot of TV channels that are going to be packed into a rather small space.

How many independents/low-budget operators are projected to be forced out?

 

[HoTat2]

So if I'm understanding all this, it's ...

1) 126 MHz total (not all available in every market) to be actioned off comprising 100 MHz in 5 MHz paired blocks + 20 MHz in total guard band + TV channel 30's 6 MHz as a guard band between DTV's now highest available channel 29 and BB Mobile's lowest, the former TV channel 31?

2) Since I'm in the LA market, and the chart of available spectrum "blocks" is 5. This means I can expect a total of 60 MHz or RF TV channels 51-42 to eventually become unavailable for DTV service?

3) Would it be a good idea to invest in a VHF-lo/hi/and UHF antenna like under the old analog days. Since some channels in the re-pack to channels 2 to 29 may move to the VHF-lo band (channels 2 to 6)?

Currently using a Winegard HD7697P UHF/VHF-hi band antenna.


Sent from my SGH-M819N using Tapatalk

 

[Trip]

What are the chances that the LA market isn't going to buy all available bandwidth? It seems like between LA and San Diego (6.58 million TV homes), there's an awful lot of TV channels that are going to be packed into a rather small space.

How many independents/low-budget operators are projected to be forced out?

Not sure I understand your first question, though maybe my answer to the second one addresses it.

Full power and Class A stations cannot be "forced out." They either are in the auction and could be paid to go off the air or move to VHF, or are not in the auction and will stay on the band they're on now.

So if I'm understanding all this, it's ...

1) 126 MHz total (not all available in every market) to be actioned off comprising 100 MHz in 5 MHz paired blocks + 20 MHz in total guard band + TV channel 30's 6 MHz as a guard band between DTV's now highest available channel 29 and BB Mobile's lowest, the former TV channel 31?

2) Since I'm in the LA market, and the chart of available spectrum "blocks" is 5. This means I can expect a total of 60 MHz or RF TV channels 51-42 to eventually become unavailable for DTV?

3) Would it be a good idea to invest in a VHF-lo/hi/and UHF antenna like under the old analog days. Since some channels in the re-pack to channels 2 to 29 may move to the VHF-lo band (channels 2 to 6)?

Currently using a Winegard HD7697P UHF/VHF-hi band antenna.


Sent from my SGH-M819N using Tapatalk

1) Sounds correct, if the first stage closes. If the bids from wireless companies does not cover the cost of paying the broadcasters who sell, then the amount of spectrum will be reduced and bidding will continue.

2) It's actually the same 126 MHz that will be cleared in Los Angeles. Just that not all of the recovered spectrum will be auctioned there.

3) No need to jump the gun. Stations only wind up on low-VHF if they volunteer to receive money to do so, so there's no guarantee that any market will gain low-VHF stations at this time.

- Trip

 

[navychop]

Whole thing seems stupid to me. Back door assault on OTA TV.

 

[waylew]

Whole thing seems stupid to me. Back door assault on OTA TV.

The phonies want your wavelength

 

[larrykenney]

They say the San Francisco market is able to meet the new standard, but I don't see how when we have so few empty channels. Either a lot of stations are going off the air or they're buddying up with one another and sharing. From my home in the center of San Francisco, the only channels where there is no reception now are 5, 6, 11, 13, 22, 24, 31 and, of course, 37. It's going to be very interesting to see what the auction results are!

 

[HoTat2]

They say the San Francisco market is able to meet the new standard, but I don't see how when we have so few empty channels. Either a lot of stations are going off the air or they're buddying up with one another and sharing. From my home in the center of San Francisco, the only channels where there is no reception now are 5, 6, 11, 13, 22, 24, 31 and, of course, 37. It's going to be very interesting to see what the auction results are!

Same thing down here in the LA market ...

According to Rabbitears.info, have 17 full power stations operating above RF channel 29 with 13 of those having HD on the main sub-channel. And 6 more CD and LD stations in addition to the aforementioned full power stations.

And outside of the VHF-lo band, aren't too many available RF channels to go to. Must be a lot of stations planning to leave the air in addition to a lot more channel sharing below channel 30 through multicasting arrangements.

Sent from my SGH-M819N using Tapatalk

 

[harshness]

It seems like now would be a good time for someone in the know to explain the timing and phasing of the repack and how it interleaves (or not) with a proposed transition to ATSC 3.0.

The examples that HoTat2 seem to provide compelling evidence that there won't be nearly enough bandwidth left in the largest markets to support ATSC 1.0 much less parallel operation during a transition to ATSC 3.0.

 

[localclassictvfan]

Cant wait to see what Lafayette's market will turn out to be. Especially since we still have to find an owner for KLFY

 

[BM10K]

http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/201...ir-spectrum-to-wireless-users-to-begin-may-31

 

[localclassictvfan]

Alot of Louisiana Stations will be affected by this

 

[danristheman]

that cuts off 3 stations in fort wayne for me.

 

[localclassictvfan]

I'm looking at a possible 8