Early Repacking Approved for Storm-Damaged Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island TV Stations
Twenty TV stations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands can begin early transitioning to the new channels they were assigned in the post-incentive auction repacking, said the FCC Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau in a public…
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notice issued Thursday. The stations, all affected by storm damage from 2017’s powerful storms, requested (see 1712010052) the early transition to avoid having to rebuild twice -- once to broadcast on their current channel, and then again to transmit on their new channel assignment by their repacking phase deadline. Now the stations --12 of which are currently dark -- will transition before phase one, allowing them to take advantage of repacking reimbursement funds in their rebuilding effort. “The bottom line is that residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to access emergency communications and other valuable broadcast content sooner as a result of this decision,” said Chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. Under the waiver, the stations are permitted to begin testing on their post-auction channels July 1, and must be off their pre-auction channels by Aug. 1. The timing is intended to keep their repacking efforts from draining resources needed for phase one of the repacking, the PN said. Phase one stations can begin using their new channel in September, most of the stations that requested the waiver were in phase three, and couldn’t have moved to their new channel until 2019.