ED PASTOR
4TH DISTRICT, ARIZONA
COMMITIEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN
DeVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ENERGY AND WATER DeVELOPMENT, AND RELATED
AGENCIES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND RELATED AGENCIES
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PLEASE REPLY TO:
o 2465 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20615-(31)4
(2021 22&-4065
o 411 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 150
PHOENIX, AZ 85004
(60 56-0551
Dear Chairman Genachowski:
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, Southwest
Washington, DC 20554-0005
August 21,2012
1am writing with respect to the television broadcast incentive auction that Congress authorized
as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of2012. Congress adopted this
measure to permit those television licensees that want to exit the broadcast business to do so
voluntarily, thereby freeing up frequencies that could then be reallocated for wireless broadband
services.
CHIEF DEPUTY DEMOCRATIC WHIP
As you know, the dem~d for reallocated spectrum is likely to be. greatest in the largest U.S.
markets. Not surprisingly, those also happen to be the largest television markets with the largest
number of viewers. In Arizona for example, the greatest shortage of spectrum is likely to be in
the Phoenix: market..
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While increasing the amount ofspeqtrum a)locat,ed to ,wireless p~o,adb~d fulfills an imp()~t'
national goal, it is equally importlil\tthat the,f~deral Communications Commission prolect the
ability ofthe pubHc t() continue tp rec~v~ free o.vc;r~th~;air ~elevisi,on ,~igp,ai~ ft.9m thqse
television stations that will continue to provide service after the auction is over.
In my view, maintaining access to free over-the-air television service[is an increasingly
"important goal for the Commission to achieve. Recent statistics demonstrate that the number of
Americans who rely exclusively upon free over-the-air service has ~9wn significantly to nearly
54 million, and the trend line indicates that the number of over-the-lUr.households is likely to
continue to grow.
For this reason, the plan tlJ,at the,Commis~ionaqopts forre~aining teleVisi(m,wv~t(lot adversely
affect the abili~ of viewers~o,continuerc;cei,:ing ~he,fre,e local programmhl,g ~~ttli~Y,r,~ently
receive. Thus, 1believe itiscritic~.tha,t,the Commission aclhet~"to ap,olicy Qftrimspare~G~" , .
disclosing its plans to the public at the earliest possible 6pportUIlity,to mrodinize the abilhy'or
those who may be affected by the Commission's actions to evaluate and understand how the
proposed changes will affect them.
Freeing up spectrum to increase the amount available for wireless broadband services is
important. But, achieving that goal should not come at the expense of the television viewing
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 12 OCT 2012 RCIJD
public who rely on free over-the-air television, such as those in Arizona. In keeping with all
relevant rules and regulations, I am hopeful you will consider disclosure as you implement this
important new statute, and make available to the public all of the information available to the
Commission, allowing enough time for stations to determine how they may be affected.
Thank you for your attention to this request, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Ed Pastor
Member of Congress
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