IATF and Media Bureau Reimburse Repacked Broadcasters 100%, Begin Site Visits
The FCC Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau are making a final allocation from the $2.75 billion broadcast incentive auction reimbursement fund and beginning site visits to verify reimbursement claims, said a public notice in Thursday’s Daily Digest. The…
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move increases the allocation for each reimbursed entity from 92.5% of estimated repacking expenses to 100%. As of Feb.15, the reimbursement requests from broadcasters totaled $2.15 billion while the amount allocated up to then was $2.07 billion. “Thus, the final allocation we will now make amounts to approximately $85 million,” the PN said. 973 out of 987 full-power and Class A TV stations have transitioned to their permanent repacked facilities, with the remaining 14 operating on temporary facilities through special temporary authority, the PN said. The final allocation should allow the agency to streamline the close-out process for the reimbursement fund, the agency said. 753 broadcasters have begun the interim close-out process, and stations repacked in the latter phases of the transition must submit all invoices by March 22, the PN said. Doing site visits to “validate the existence and operational status of post-transition broadcast equipment” supports the FCC’s “responsibility as a prudent steward of taxpayer money,” the PN said. A randomly selected, “statistically valid sample” of reimbursed entities in the contiguous U.S will be visited, though others can be selected “based on specific facts or circumstances.” The visits will be conducted by a third-party contractor, last one or two days, and stations will be notified ahead of time, the PN said. “Site visits are expected to begin in March 2022 and continue throughout 2022.”