Over two years ago at the urging of the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA), Joe Barton (R-Tex.)and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) requested the Government Accounting Office (GAO) study the impact of the FCC’s incentive auction on low-power TV stations and translators.
“From the beginning, the ATBA met with congressional leaders and agreed that a GAO study would be beneficial to the LPTV industry,” according to Louis Libin, ATBA Executive Director. “This has paid off for the industry and we congratulate the GAO for releasing a document that will be cited, discussed and commented on by LPTV broadcasters for a long time. We know the goal of the GAO report was to have a balanced report from both sides; broadcasters and those who want the spectrum for other purposes. In spite of the pressure, the GAO did a very good job highlighting the issues LPTV broadcasters face now and after the repack.”