FCC Should Reinstate UHF Discount Without Waiting, CBS Says
CBS wants the FCC to reinstate the UHF discount “without waiting to launch any further proceeding on other ownership issues,” the broadcaster's Washington officials told aides to Commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly in a meeting last week, according to…
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an ex parte filing in docket 13-236. Restoring the discount is expected to be an early target of the FCC under the new administration (see 1701110067). “Time is of the essence in providing broadcasters the ownership breathing room they so desperately need to compete with other video services,” CBS said. The FCC failed to offer “a shred of evidence that the public interest is in any way adversely affected by retaining the UHF discount, especially given the passage of time since the DTV transition, the point when UHF and VHF stations supposedly became technical equivalents,” CBS said. Numerous industry officials and the FCC said that after the DTV transition, UHF spectrum became more desirable than VHF, undercutting the original rationale for the discount. Industry officials said it's unlikely the new FCC would restore the discount before the ongoing reconsideration process of the item is complete. Replies are due Jan. 23.