tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600560384355436278.post8120735197923908723..comments2024-02-24T15:19:02.095-08:00Comments on SPARK NEWS: NEW NPR NEWS/TALK STATION – WLVR 91.3 FM – IS COMING SOON TO ALLENTOWN-BETHLEHEM • PPM’s FOR SAN FRANCISCO & DALLASKen Mills Agency, LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00792966356989583664noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600560384355436278.post-49547924017903053322019-10-10T09:11:15.488-07:002019-10-10T09:11:15.488-07:00Thanks for the clarification, Kevin. In a lot of w...Thanks for the clarification, Kevin. In a lot of ways, this is an irresponsible and inaccurate blog post. <br /><br /> "Many of the PBS stations that received auction revenue paid off debts, set up “rainy day funds” or ordered new carpeting for their CEOs office."<br /><br />Anyone who claims to have some knowledge of how the public media enterprise works would not refer to institutional endowments with the disparagingly, in quotes term "rainy day funds." It suggests that there's something not quite legit about an endowment. And the "ordered new carpeting for their CEOs office" is just an unwarranted put-down. He also (I am just now noticing) insults PBS and PBS stations who he suggests are typically unexciting. I don't get it at all. Nor like it. marklaskowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17404418078700886817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600560384355436278.post-13520138196399506822019-10-08T03:30:26.422-07:002019-10-08T03:30:26.422-07:00The spectrum auction was not selling surplus chann...The spectrum auction was not selling surplus channels or a result of converting from analog to digital.<br /><br />The spectrum auction was a mandate from the FCC because they wanted to sell a large portion of the TV UHF band. <br /><br />Going into the auction, stations had a few options:<br /><br />1. Sell their license and get out of the broadcast business<br />2. Move to the less-desirable VHF band<br />3. Share an RF channel with another broadcaster and sell the "surplus" channel<br /><br />All of which would result in varying degrees of compensation, depending on your region. Because you were doing the FCC a favor in getting out of the way so they could sell the band to wireless carriers. <br /><br />Because the option most stations chose was <br /><br />4. Not participate and likely be forced to change channels, with expenses being reimbursed by the FCC.<br /><br />Option 3 was what WLVT chose. Their "surplus" channel was because they sold the license to WLVT and now operate on the same RF channel as another broadcaster. Viewers don't notice the difference, thanks to the magic of virtual channels and PSIP.<br /><br />Stations like mine, WGCU, did not participate and in February of 2020 we are being forced to change channels from 31 to 22 in the repack. Other stations sold their licensed, but not necessarily by choice. WUSF is an example of this.Kevin Truebloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006376255780436447noreply@blogger.com