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spectrum auction, can someone explain?

AMRocks

AMRocks

I'm hoping someone can explain to me, in very layman's terms, what the spectrum auction was about. I get that TV stations were giving up spectrum to wireless companies for money. But does that mean they are going off the air? Or are they moving to other channels? It seems like a LOT of TV stations were/are involved.

Thanks for your help to understand this.
 
About a dozen stations will go off the air completely nationwide. Many will move to new OTA channel assignments, some which are currently primary channels will become subchannels. Another thread in this forum has the exact details. If you're primarily interested in a particular market, let it be known and the specific impact there could be provided.
 
umfan said:
About a dozen stations will go off the air completely nationwide. Many will move to new OTA channel assignments, some which are currently primary channels will become subchannels. Another thread in this forum has the exact details. If you're primarily interested in a particular market, let it be known and the specific impact there could be provided.
Click to expand...

So moving to a new channel will net them money? For example, I see that WSB-TV Atlanta is moving from 39 to 32. I assume certain channels are worth more than others?

(Thank you for the info, BTW)
 
Last edited:
Stations that are moved to a new channel in their current band, like WSB from 39 to 32 or WGTV from 8 to 7, will be reimbursed for the costs of making that move.

Stations that were winning bidders in the auction (which means they are being paid to go off the air or move to VHF) will receive a fixed payment, which they voluntarily accepted, for that. WNGH in Chatsworth, for instance, is moving from 33 to 4 (UHF to low-VHF) and will receive about $11.9 million for doing so. Some part of that money will be used to pay for moving to the new channel, but the rest is a profit the winning station can use however it wishes.

- Trip
 
tripinva said:
Stations that are moved to a new channel in their current band, like WSB from 39 to 32 or WGTV from 8 to 7, will be reimbursed for the costs of making that move.

Stations that were winning bidders in the auction (which means they are being paid to go off the air or move to VHF) will receive a fixed payment, which they voluntarily accepted, for that. WNGH in Chatsworth, for instance, is moving from 33 to 4 (UHF to low-VHF) and will receive about $11.9 million for doing so. Some part of that money will be used to pay for moving to the new channel, but the rest is a profit the winning station can use however it wishes.

- Trip
Click to expand...

So, for example, WSB. Did someone want channel 39 for something? Is that why they moved? Or is 32 a "better" channel? The party doing the reimbursing, is it a company that wanted that channel? Thanks.
 
It's also predicated on the fact that the digital spectrum will now end at channel 36. So in WSB's case (as well as Atlanta stations WUVG, WATC, WHSG and WUPA), the move was mandatory. 37 is still reserved for radio telemetry purposes, so 38 to 51 will be no longer used for TV.
 
umfan said:
About a dozen stations will go off the air completely nationwide. Many will move to new OTA channel assignments, some which are currently primary channels will become subchannels. Another thread in this forum has the exact details. If you're primarily interested in a particular market, let it be known and the specific impact there could be provided.
Click to expand...

Can you clarify? I think a dozen full power TV stations will leave the air permanently.
Also, the list does not include a couple in Michigan that I know for sure are going dark
(WCMZ, Flint and WHTV, Lansing).

And WEPA here in Pittsburgh, which is actually a network of Class A stations, is
shutting down in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
 
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