NPR agrees with the NAB’s
assessment that a sliding scale to reimburse FMs forced off the air due
to the TV repack is arbitrary and won’t work. It urged the agency to
drop the plan. The public radio network also said the repack work has
been disruptive, forcing at least one station off the air when a tower
crew showed up unexpectedly, causing the station thousands of dollars in
lost donations.
The Commission should make sure the
reimbursement process for FMs co-located on TV towers affected by the TV
channel repack is flexible. “There is no easy way to measure the
significance of the service disruption caused when stations are forced
off-air or required to broadcast at reduced power,” NPR told the FCC in
filed comments. Without naming the towerco that showed up at one station
with no notice, NPR said that “gave the station no chance to rig a
temporary antenna, and forced the station off air for 11 days during a
funding drive. This situation could have been avoided if the station had
been able to secure alternative facilities in advance.” Continue Reading
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