A change in FCC policy toward sharing arrangements...
A change in FCC policy toward sharing arrangements such as joint sales agreements (JSAs) would “take broadcasting backward and turn a building block for a successful incentive auction into a barrier to auction participation,” said a Wall Street Journal op-ed…
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Wednesday co-authored by Sherrese Smith, former aide to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. The op-ed was written with Eric Dodson Greenberg, also of Paul Hastings. Smith and Greenberg represented Gannett in its deal to buy Belo last year, according to the firm’s website. Restricting JSAs runs counter to the FCC’s stated support for channel-sharing arrangements, the op-ed said. Broadcaster sharing arrangements “offer real-world models easily adapted to include channel sharing,” the article said. “Broadcasters who already share some operations are more likely to use that existing framework to share channels and promote participation in the FCC’s incentive auction,” said the article. Changing the rules for sharing arrangements would “create new uncertainty around the ability and potential to create innovative operating efficiencies,” the article said. “The FCC and the wireless industry should see sharing arrangements as a foundation for future channel sharing and a successful incentive auction."