[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 88 (Thursday, June 27, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               H.R. 4560, THE AUCTION REFORM ACT OF 2002

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                        HON. W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 26, 2002

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, ``H.R. 4560 will clarify Congress's position 
on the 700MHz band width. In lieu of Committee action, the following 
points should be noted for the record.''
  Section 6 ensures that the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 
policies that are designed to clear channels 52-69 do not result result 
in an increased level of interference to ``in core'' channels 2-51, by 
permitting the operation of an analog facility on a channel assigned 
for digital transmissions was not designed to accommodate analog 
operations, and in most instances, relocating analog facilities on ``in 
core'' digital channels increases interference to surrounding analog 
and digital stations in both the URF and VHF band, to the detriment of 
those station viewers. Indeed, the increased levels of interference has 
the ability to deprive television viewing households of the signals 
they depend upon for news, entertainment, and sports programming.
  Sub-section 6(a) specifically prohibits the FCC from granting waivers 
to its spacing requirements (as required by section 73.610 of the 
Commission's rules (and the table contained therein) (47 CFR 73.610)) 
and its interference rules (as required by sections 73.622 and 73.623 
of such rules (47 CFR 73.622, 73.623),) for stations assigned to 
channels 52-69, that seek to operate an analog facility on a digitally 
assigned ``in-core'' channel (channel 2-51), if such waiver will result 
in any degradation in or loss of service, or an increased level of 
interference, to any television household, except as the Commission's 
rules would otherwise expressly permit, exclusive of any waivers 
previously granted.
  Pursuant to sub-section 6(b), television stations assigned to 
channels 63, 64, 68 and 69, that are seeking to clear these channels in 
order to make such frequencies available for public safety purposes by 
moving their facilities into the core (channels 2-51) will be governed 
by the FCC's interference rules and policies, including the waiver 
process. Subsection 6(b) should not be construed as relieving stations 
from the obligation to meet the FCC's traditional waiver requirements.

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