Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/830466
FCC UPDATE The Other Shoe The FCC released DA-17-376A1 April 20, 2017, and though a bit unclear as to timelines, it does not bode very well for professional wireless users. The document is avail- able at the FCC's website: http://transition.fcc.gov/… /Dai…/2017/db0420/DA-17-376A1.pdf Immediately after the auction, we all breathed a sigh of relief when we realized that the band below 608 MHz (Lectro Blocks 23 and below) would still be available for our use, pending the reallocation of any UHF TV stations that would be relocating. The 'other shoe' has dropped. The number of UHF TV stations relocat- ing from above UHF Ch. 37 to below 37 in most of the major markets, is going to dramatically reduce the bandwidth avail- able for licensed and unlicensed wireless microphone use. Remember, UHF TV Ch. 37 is reserved for Radio Astronomy only! IATSE Local 695 is in LA (FCC—please read that as Hollywood…), which is probably one of the 'worst case' scenarios. Though the actual timetable is as yet uncertain, when the transition is complete by July 2020, this is what the spectrum in LA will look like: The following VHF and UHF channels will be occupied by TV stations: VHF: 4, 5, 12 UHF: 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 31, 32 and 35. In terms of Lectro Blocks, which are 25.5 MHz wide, Block 470 will have about 8 MHz open for us, Block 19 will have between 6 MHz and 18 MHz open, Block 20 will have 12 MHz open, Block 21 will have between zero and 13.5 MHz open, Block 22 will have between zero and 7.5 MHz open, Block 23 will have between 6 MHz and 12 MHz open. There will be a "Guard Band" just above Ch. 37, 614 MHz to 616 MHz (UHF Channel 38, Lectro Block 24) and this will be open for licensed and unlicensed use. A larger band, the infamous 'duplex gap' (the 11 MHz guard band between up and down broadband) is also available for wireless mic use. 653 MHz through 657 MHz is available for licensed use only, and 657 MHz through 663 MHz is available for licensed and unlicensed wireless mic use (straddling UHF Channels 44 to 46, all in Lectro Block 25), but limited to 20 mW output at the transmitter. Some existing stations seem to be repurposed (Ch. 22), but if existing stations (18, 28, and 34) stay where they are, look for the worst possible case. I consulted with RF guru Bill Ruck in San Francisco as to my accuracy in the below chart. The chart is based on available information, and all the details aren't in at this time, so please view as an accurate approximation, but still an approximation. Bill Ruck's reply to the FCC's publication: "What is confusing me is that there is no place that I can find that gives details on which stations sold their chan- nel and are going dark. Not sure if stations not listed are the ones going dark. Stations were offered money to move from UHF to High Band VHF (7-13) and Low Band VHF (2-6). This allows