Media Bureau Incentive Auction Implementation, Sections 73.3700(c), (h)(5)-(6), (g)(4)

This submission is being made to the Office of Management (OMB) for the approval of information collection requirements contained in the Commission’s Incentive Auction Order and its Order on Reconsideration , Channel Sharing Order on Reconsideration, Channel Sharing Second Order on Reconsideration, which all adopted rules for holding an Incentive Auction, as required by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act). The Spectrum Act directs the Commission to hold a “reverse auction” in which broadcasters can voluntarily return some or all of their broadcast spectrum usage rights in exchange for incentive payments. The Spectrum Act also requires the Commission to reorganize the broadcast television band, which will be accomplished by repacking stations, or moving broadcast stations to different channels. The Spectrum Act directs the Commission to hold a forward auction of the ultra-high frequency (UHF) spectrum obtained as a result of the reverse auction and channel repacking. This UHF spectrum will be auctioned as flexible-use licenses suitable for providing mobile broadband service. Broadcast stations that participate in the forward auction can relinquish their spectrum rights, agree to share a channel with another broadcaster or move from the UHF to VHF band or from a high VHF channel to a low VHF channel. For non-participating broadcast stations, the Spectrum Act establishes a TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund (Fund) to reimburse reassigned broadcasters and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) that incur expenses associated with continuing to carry relocated stations, for their reasonable expenses resulting from the post-auction channel reassignment.

The latest form for Media Bureau Incentive Auction Implementation, Sections 73.3700(c), (h)(5)-(6), (g)(4) expires 2022-01-31 and can be found here.