NAB Supports FCC Stance on Opening Bids Except for DRP

NAB supports the FCC plan for determining TV incentive auction opening bids, except for the plan to include dynamic reserve pricing, association representatives told aides to the agency's members in separate meetings and conference calls last week, an ex parte filing said Friday in docket 12-268. “If prices are raised to unreasonably high levels the Commission may believe it is further justified in artificially suppressing reverse auction bids that otherwise should have been accepted.” The FCC should also remain flexible about consumer education requirements after the auction, NAB said. Repacked stations have every incentive to make certain their viewers know about channel changes in advance, and are in the best position to make decisions about how to educate their viewers, it said. The commission should let wireless mics operate in the duplex gap, and not repack TV stations there, NAB said. “While it may be inconvenient for unlicensed advocates, if the Commission has any interest in newsgatherers’ ability to do their job, wireless microphones must have some small exclusive home.”