M B Docket N o . 03-185, A U D o c Dear Ms. Dortch: - PDF document

WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE a n c h o r ¢ g e , ¢ l a s k a flour mill building b e i j i n g , c h i n a 1000 t Potomac s t r e e n w new ynrk, new york s u i t e 200 Portland, O r e g o n W a s h i n g t o n , d . c . 2 0 0 0 7 - 3 5 0 1 S e a t t l e , w ¢ s h i n g t o n 2 0 2 9 6 5 7 8 8 0 F A x 2 0 2 9 6 5 1 7 2 9 TEL G S B L A W . C O M A P A R T N E R S H I P O F P R F E Z O N A L CORPORATION 5 O S ' S P l e a s e reply t o ERWIN G. KRASNOW e k r a s n o w @ g s b l a w . c o m T E L E X T 2161 V I A ECFS February 15, 2017 Marlene H. D o r t c h S e c r e t a r y F e d e r a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission 1 2 t h Street, S . W . 445 W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. 2 0 5 5 4 Regulatory D i s a b u s e H i ~ g h t e d in S e n a t e Testimony Re: L P T V MB Docket N o . 15-146, MB D o c k e t P a n e P r e s e n t a t i o n — GN D o c k e t No. 1 2 - 2 6 8 , E x k e t N o . 14-252 N o . 16-306, M B Docket N o . 03-185, A U D o c Dear Ms. Dortch: LLC ( " F A B " ) submitted on b e h a l f of Free Access &Broadcast Telemedia, T h i s l e t t e r i s presentation in t h e a b o v e r e f e r e n c e d d o c k e t s . as an ex p a r t e Hoover I n s t i t u t i o n Research F e l l o w A d a m J . White On Wednesday, F e b r u a r y 1, 2 0 1 7 e , Science a n d Transportation r e g a r d i n g testified b e f o r e t h e f u l l S e n a t e Committee on C o m m e r c k e l i f e difficult for b u s i n e s s e s , w h i c h f a l l s t h e t e n d e n c y of Washington regulators to m a s t e r s . small firms s u c h as c o m m u n i t y - b a s e d l o w p o w e r T V b r o a d c a d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y on t h e regulatory e q u a l i t y which f o r C o n g r e s s to e n d what h e c a l l e d t h e i n H e stressed t h e n e e d work d e f e n d i n g e r i g h t s o f face. As a c a s e in p o i n t , M r . W h i t e highlighted his t h small b u s i n e s s e s own e x p e n s e to f i g h t c o m m u n i t y -based l o w power t e l e v i s i o n b r o a d c a s t e r s forced at t h e i r s m a l l , m u c h larger broadcast in federal court s y s t e m for a simple level playing f i e l d w i t h t h e companies. was " A G r o w t h Agenda: Reducing Unnecessary Regulatory The S e n a t e h e a x i n g t i t l e d radar t o p i c w a s n o t broadcasting -specific, i t a p p e a r s to h a v e f l o w n under t h e B u r d e n s . " S i n c e t h e of broadcast t r a d e press. t h e

Dortch M a r l e n e H . ~ R ~ E R b r u a r y 15 F e G A R V E Y R ~ Z Q I / g A S C H U B E R T 2 P a g e ~ ~ working w i t h a s m a 1 1 bank, c i t i n g h i s e x p e r i e n c e s Mr. W h i t e f i r s t highlighted t o e r i n s t i t u t i o n s w e r e far b e t t e r able handling r e g u l a t o r y burdens t h a t l a r g disadvantages i t f a c e d s h o u l d e r . s t i m o n y , White f o r L P T V clients. In h i s written t e h e n stated h i s experience working T h e stated: Committee's h o m e . r s t h a n d h i t s closer t o t h i s " A n o t h e r example I w i t n e s s e d f i colleagues and I b e c a m e Hoover I n s t i t u t i o n , m y l a w firm B e f o r e I joined the t a b l i s h i n g the u n p r e c e d e n t e d c h a l l e n g i n g the F C C ' s o r d e r s e s c o u n s e l t o paNties c h the F C C w o u l d c o n d u c t a r e v e r s e e c t r u m incentive auction, in w h i b r o a d c a s t s p i g h t s licensees, then r e o r g a n i z e the n t o b u y b a c k s p e c t r u m u s a g e r f r o m a u c t i o the p u b l i c auction s p e c t r u m u s a g e rights b a c k t o a v a i l a b l e s p e c t r u m , and f i n a l l y non -television uses. " for new o t h e F C C t o w h i c h C o n g r e s s l e g i s l a t e d t o a u t h o r i z e t "In the S p e c t r u m A c t , expressly p r o t e c t the auction, C o n g r e s s t o o k care t o u n d e r t a k e a n i n c e n t i v e stations, w h i c h tend t o g h t s of l o w p o w e r television ( L P T V ) s p e c t r u m usage r i othe~rvise g o unserved b y u s or ethnic c o m m u n i t i e s t h a t w o u l d b r o a d c a s t for r e l i g i o t h e S p e c t r u m A c t t h a t Specifically, Congress provided in m a j o r b r o a d c a s t e r s . alter the s p e c t r u m u s a g e r i g h t s n g in subsection s h a l l b e construed t o ` [ n J o t h i t h i s p o w e r t e l e v i s i o n stations. " ' of l o w provision t o presume t h a t L P T V s t a t i o n s the F C C radically reanterpreted t h a t "But t p r e v e n t the FCC f r o m u n i l a t e r a l l y have n o s p e c t r u m u s a g e r i g h t s t h a a c t u a l l y stations' compensation, e v e n w h e n the L P T V t a k i n g a w a y their l i c e n s e s without the C . d the b r o a d c a s t s of other licensees; and D . b r o a d c a s t s have not i n t e r f e r e w i t h the held t o b e F C C ' s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of what c o u r t C i r c u i t ultimately a f f i r m e d the t o r y l a n g u a g e . " ambiguous s t a t u the shutdown o f m a n y L P T V t a b l e outcome—which threatens t o f o r c e " T h a t r e g r e t adnZission—highlights another nZajor disadvantage s , b y the F C C ' s o w n s t a t i o n r e g u l a t o r y context: w h e n C o n g r e s s l e g i s l a t e s in t h a t s m a l l e r c o m p a n i e s face in the o l i c y c h m o r e d i s c r e t i o n t o i m p o s e their own p b r o a d t e r m s , i t g i v e s r e g u l a t o r s m u context, of s i g n i f i c a n t j u d i c i a l d e f e r e n c e . In t h a t p r e f e r e n c e s w i t h the added b e n e f i t proceedings, where they l e f t t o fend for t h e m s e l v e s in a g e n c y small c o m p a n i e s a r e their m u c h l a r g e r fewer o f the r e s o u r c e s and t o o l s wielded b y e n j o y far competitors. " testimony. taken f r o m p a g e s 6-7 in the e n c l o s e d p a s s a g e s q u o t e d a b o v e a r e T h e