At the SVG Summit on Dec. 14, Jacquelynn A. Green, Vice President of R&D/Engineering at Audio-Technica, joined Kevin Parrish, NBC Universal, Senior RF Engineer, Network News Field Operations; Henry Cohen Senior RF Designer at CP Communications; and Jeff Willis, outgoing Coordinating Technical Manager at ESPN, in parsing possible outcomes of the upcoming FCC RF spectrum reallocation process.
Jacquelynn A. Green, Vice President of R&D/Engineering at Audio-Technica
Green pointed out that while the spectrum auction, scheduled to commence in March 29, 2016 is intended to sell off the 600-MHz frequency range, If it proves very successful it could reach into the upper ranges of the 500-MHz range.
Noting that the last auction spread over approximately two months, she added that this iteration of the process and subsequent channel repacking analysis will take several weeks more until channel assignments are published. So sometime in summer of 2016 is when will know more about how much spectrum is lost and know more about what frequencies we might be able to use. The FCC should issue the channel reassignments in fall of 2016 she said.
At that point, a 39-month period will commence during which wireless users of that spectrum will begin to vacate it. However, users must vacate immediately when entities that acquired spectrum at auction begin use of it. This may take place as quickly as six months post re-assignment, especially in major market areas. Some wireless-microphone operation will still be allowed in possible vacant channels, the guard bands, and the 11MHz duplex gap (with some technical restrictions in that gap). However, Green stated, We won't know where this operation will be possible until after the channel re-assignment.
Meanwhile, wireless equipment manufacturers will be working on systems to utilize remaining spectrum. However, FCC mandates also stipulate that it will issue no new equipment type approvals in affected spectrum nine months post re-assignment. Furthermore, there is to be no sale or marketing of wireless mics in affected spectrum 18 months post re-assignment or 33 months after the rule-publish date. In addition, power levels inside the duplex gap will be severely curtailed - 20 milliwatts, down from as much as 250 mW in the past, which will limit range. Availability in the 900-MHz band will be increased, to help alleviate overcrowding in lower spectra, although the quality of that spectrum was questioned by panelists.
We gained some flexibility, Green acknowledged, but we are clearly losing some spectrum. Furthermore, she cautioned, the FCC is required to reallocate 120 MHz in the broadcast TV bands. If this auction does not go well and that goal isn't met, there is a possible need for additional auctions to meet this requirement. In addition, if the repacking process runs into roadblocks in certain market areas, there may be impairments and some of the duplex gap spectrum may have to be reallocated to television stations.
Adding to the complexity of the post-auction situation is the fact that outcomes will vary by geography, and managing the changed RF landscape will be new ground for many. As Roger Charlesworth, executive director of the DTV Audio Group, pointed out, The Today Show is right next to Broadway's theaters - there's over 600 channels of wireless right there. In New York we're used to that kind of tightness, but smaller markets may not have the experience with that level of [frequency] coordination.
Kevin Parrish added that the big city scenario would regularly be complicated by the unpredictability of ENG crews, noting that wireless would require a traffic cop.
CP's Henry Cohen says that while the crews in the trenches have already begun wrestling with the changes that reallocation will spawn, C-level management at broadcasters will have to get strategic about it.
The mindset that changes are coming has to start with upper management, he said. Noting how available spectrum will be scattered, he added, We will have to inventory a lot more equipment because there are no products that are frequency-agile enough to span that kind of fragmented spectrum. We have to plan budget and engineering considerations now, so we can move quickly to buy new equipment as it becomes available. There will be equipment from many more disparate brands on the trucks, depending upon where it has to go. Support will need to come from the manufacturers.
Green did have some words of encouragement. She noted that the technology to use the 2.4-GHz range is mature. In addition, there are tools that can leverage ultra wideband (UWB) ,which transmits by generating radio energy at specific time intervals and occupying a large bandwidth, versus conventional RF systems that transmit information by varying the power level, frequency, and/or phase of a sinusoidal wave. There are other possible frequency ranges that can be utilized, including in ranges that mobile devices already occupy.
The only reason we have what we do have is because we banded together, she said in concluding remarks. Manufacturers, broadcasters - we have to approach this collectively.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
At the SVG Summit on Dec. 14, Jacquelynn A. Green, Vice President of R&D/Engineering at Audio-Technica, joined Kevin Parrish, NBC Universal, Senior RF Engineer, Network News Field Operations; Henry Cohen Senior RF Designer at CP Communications; and Jeff Willis, outgoing Coordinating Technical Manager at ESPN, in parsing possible outcomes of the upcoming FCC RF spectrum reallocation process.
