Broadcasters Concerned About Mics Sharing Their Spectrum

The unpredictability of breaking news means there is no safe way to have TV stations and wireless mics coexist in the same slice of spectrum, broadcast TV networks and affiliates said in a filing posted Thursday in FCC docket 14-252. While the FCC plans to limit the number of markets in which this repacking occurs, keeping reserved spectrum for wireless mics "is critical," said the Big Four network owners, their affiliate associations and Univision. "Our stations' news gathering teams need the ability to operate nimbly in response to unpredictable local events and weather. We ourselves cannot predict which television stations in which markets will need to operationalize at a moment's notice." The broadcasters asked the agency to reject the repacking of stations or investigate more the effect of such a move on newsgathering.