This week, the Western Governors Association urged members of the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that a planned spectrum auction does not disenfranchise any American by leaving them without access to free over-the air broadcast signals.
The Governors, in a letter signed by WGA Chairman and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, told the FCC they “support the concept of free over-the-air reception of television broadcasts for all Americans, as envisioned in the Communications Act of 1934.”
Western Governors went on to say that the FCC must “ensure that a planned spectrum auction does not disenfranchise any American by leaving them without access to news … through free over-the air broadcast signals.”
March 10, 2015
Chairman Thomas Wheeler
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
Commissioner Ajit Pai
Commissioner Michael O’Rielly
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
Dear Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners:
Western Governors support the concept of free over-the-air reception of television broadcasts for all Americans, as envisioned in the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. We join with the commercial and public broadcast stations in the West and throughout the country in urging the Commission to ensure that the planned spectrum auction does not disenfranchise any American by leaving them without access to news, weather, emergency messages, cultural, arts and entertainment programming accessible through free over-the air broadcast signals.
The western U.S. is dotted by small towns, some in remote spaces. Many residents are older and they grew up on, and still rely on, over-the-air television broadcasts. We recognize new technologies have pushed into these rural areas. But none of these are free, over the air broadcasts. Television stations serve these areas through their transmitters– augmented by translators that boost the signals – into rural areas, small farms and mountain communities.
We urge the FCC to ensure its auction process leaves no community without access to free over-the-air television broadcasts.