Agriculture Community Pulling For LPTVs
Eight agriculture and conservation organizations tell the FCC that their
members “rely heavily on broadcast television for local public affairs
programming, news, weather and emergency information” and are concerned
that the commission’s upcoming incentive auction may leave them without
access to over-the-air television.
By Andrew Dodson
TVNewsCheck
May 23, 2013 4:41 PM EDT
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/67746/agriculture-community-pulling-for-lptvs
Several agriculture and conservation organizations are urging the FCC to
hold a public hearing about the impact an incentive auction could have
on low-power television stations that provide programming for rural America.
Eight groups, including the National Association of State Departments of
Agriculture and the National Farmers Union, expressed their concerns
about potentially losing over-the-air television once the auction and
subsequent channel repack take place.
“In rural and mountainous areas, local broadcast television is often the
only communications infrastructure that connects our communities.
Over-the-air broadcast television often serves as our lifeline —
connecting farmers, ranchers and growers to more populated areas. Our
members rely heavily on broadcast television for local public affairs
programming, news, weather and emergency information,” they said in a
letter to the FCC.
Operators of those LPTV stations are also nervous about being squeezed
out of business when the auction takes place in the coming year and a
half. Except for the Class A variety, LPTV stations can’t participate in
the voluntary auction and won’t be included in the FCCs database when
the channel repack takes place.
The agriculture and conservation groups say they relay on local
broadcasting for original farming-related programming. “At risk are many
of the thousands of television translators and LPTV stations that
originate local farm reports or extend the reach of local broadcast
signals into rural communities across America.”
The organizations sent the same letter to the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation and the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.
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