Nobody has ever claimed the broadcast spectrum incentive auctions are “as simple as that.” Sometimes it appears to be a three-horse race among broadcasters, wireless companies and the FCC, with the issues boiling down to buying, selling and accommodating those who decide not to participate. But ‘broadcasters’ includes noncommercial and religious stations with their own issues, and a Rubik’s Cube of variables and moves involving a host of stakeholders.
The FCC concedes the auction is a complicated, first-of-its-kind mechanism with many moving parts—or in the case of some stakeholders, “not wanting to move” parts—and a multitude of issues. Getting it right will mean accommodating, or potentially angering, a panoply of players. [Read More…]
