Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
The Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington DC 20554
RAUL M. GRIJALVA
7TH DISTRlCf OF ARIzoNA
COMMfITEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Subcommittee on Parks. Forests and
Public Lands - Ranking Member
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary and Secondary Education
Subcommittee on Higher Education and
Workforce Training
CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS,
Co-Chair
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September 7, 2012
1511 wngworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2435
Fax: (202) 225·1541
District Offices:
738 N. 5'" Avenue, Suite 110
Tucson, AZ 85705
Phone: (520) 622-6788
Fax: (520) 622-0198
201 Bingham Avenue. Suite 2
P.O. Box 4\05
Somerton, AZ 85350
Phone: (928) 343-7933
Fax: (928) 343·7949
I am writing to you with respect to the television broadcast incentive auction that Congress
authorized as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of20l2.
As you know, 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. "\ .
I know that the demand 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 Tucson market.
While increasing the amount of spectrum allocated to wireless broadband fulfills an important
national goal, it is equally important that the Federal Communications Commission protects the
ability of the public to continue to receive free over-the-air television signals from those
television stations that will continue to provide service to our constituents after the auction is
over.
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 grown significantly to nearly 54 million, and the
trend line indicates that the number of over-the-air households is likely to continue to grow.
For this reason, the band plan that the commission adopts for remaining television licensees must
not adversely affect the ability of our constituents to continue receiving their free local
programming. Thus, it is imperative that the commission adhere to a policy of transparency,
disclosing its plans to the public at the earliest possible opportunity, to maximize the ability of
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 ofthe television viewing
public who rely on free over-the-air television, such as those in Arizona. All Americans deserve
to know how the commission's repacking plan will affect their ability to continue receiving the
free television signals they currently receive. I urge to 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.
I thank you for your attention to this request, and look forward to hearing from you.
u~.~
Member ofCongress