[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 213 (Monday, November 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 51417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24024]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[GN Docket No. 12-268; MB Docket No. 16-306; DA 17-1015]


Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau Announce the 
Initial Reimbursement Allocation for Eligible Broadcasters and MVPDs

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document the Incentive Auction Task Force and the 
Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) 
announce the issuance of an initial allocation of the TV Broadcaster 
Relocation Fund (Fund) in the amount of $1 billion to begin to 
reimburse eligible television broadcasters and multichannel video 
programming distributors (MVPDs), for reasonably incurred expenses 
related to the post-incentive auction repacking.

DATES: November 6, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raphael Sznajder at (202) 418-1648 or 
[email protected], or Jeffrey Neumann at (202) 418-2046 or 
[email protected], of the Media Bureau.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Spectrum Act requires the Commission to 
``reimburse costs reasonably incurred'' by broadcast television 
licensees that are involuntarily reassigned to new channels as a result 
of the repacking process and by MVPDs in order to continue carrying the 
signals of licensees reassigned to new channels as a result of the 
incentive auction and repacking process (together, Eligible Entities). 
The Incentive Auction Report and Order (FCC-14-50) set forth the 
process for reimbursing these Eligible Entities. Pursuant to the 
process established therein, this Public Notice (DA 17-1015) announces 
an initial allocation of approximately $1 billion, which is based on 
the total verified demand on the Fund, as of October 10, 2017. Eligible 
Entities submitted estimates of the expenditures they expect to incur 
as a result of the post-auction repack. After the Fund Administrator 
completed its reasonableness review of the estimates, and the Bureau 
reviewed and verified its recommendations, the total reimbursement 
demand for the purposes of the initial allocation, as of October 10, 
2017, was $1,863,971,470.42. Based on this demand, the initial 
allocation will give commercial stations and MVPDs access to 
approximately 52 percent of their currently estimated and verified 
costs, and noncommercial educational stations access to approximately 
62 percent of their currently estimated and verified costs. This Public 
Notice also announces that each Eligible Entity will receive an email 
on behalf of the Bureau describing the specific results of the 
reasonableness review of its estimated costs, which included: The 
aggregate verified amount for that entity's submitted estimate; where 
adjustments (if any) were made; and the rationale and amount of the 
modification to any cost estimate line items. Eligible Entities may 
view their individual allocations in the CORES Incentive Auction 
Financial Module pursuant to the procedures outlined in the Financial 
Procedures Public Notice (DA-17-282). The initial allocation does not 
reflect the total estimated cost of a station's anticipated 
expenditures. All stations that are transitioning to new channels 
should be aware of the applicable phase transition deadlines and plan 
for and initiate the various stages of their construction project in a 
timely manner to satisfy them. We have provided several tools that 
allow us to provide relief to stations that are ultimately unable to 
satisfy certain deadlines due to circumstances beyond their control, 
but failure to timely initiate a construction project or undertake 
necessary steps to complete the transition by the phase transition date 
due to the amount of the initial allocation or any subsequent 
allocation will not be weighed favorably as a factor in considering 
such relief. This is a summary of the FCC's document GN Docket No. 12-
268; MB Docket No. 16-306; DA 17-1015 (released Oct. 16, 2017).

Federal Communications Commission.
Barbara A. Kreisman,
Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2017-24024 Filed 11-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P