NAB Slams Graduated Payments in Reimbursement Draft
The FCC’s draft reimbursement proposal to give FM stations graduated reimbursements based on how the repacking has affected their service caused NAB “surprise and concern,” it told Incentive Auction Task Force Chair Jean Kiddoo and Media Bureau staff Thursday, said…
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a filing posted Monday in docket 18-214. “It is unclear to NAB on what basis this tentative conclusion was developed.” The proposal would restrict funding to FM stations before it’s clear that such restrictions are needed and could create “perverse incentives” for stations to reduce service, said the association. The draft NPRM “adopts an incorrect (and unnecessarily restrictive) view of the Commission’s authority to distribute the additional funds Congress made available,” the group said. “The NPRM asserts that the Commission has authority only to reimburse FM stations up to $50 million from funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2018, ignoring the fact that funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2019 have no such restriction.” NAB wants the FCC to instead seek comment “on the necessity of adopting a prioritization scheme in this or a future proceeding.”