WASHINGTON-Five percent of the nation’s broadcasters are holding the nation’s hostage by refusing to give back their spectrum, which has been allocated to public safety, charged Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.).
“Unbelievably in such unimaginably critical and complex situations, our first responders were reduced to Roman-era technology-runners-to do their jobs,” said Harman, referring to Sept 11, 2001. “Because of broadcaster intransigence, some 5 percent of the TV stations in the U.S. are holding the rest of America hostage by refusing to move their channels off the spectrum promised to first responders.”
Harman appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee as the panel examined the digital TV transition.
The broadcast lobby was absent from the hearing by its own choice, said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. “Commercial broadcasters are critical stakeholders who deserve a voice in this discussion, so we invited the National Association of Broadcasters and the networks to offer a broadcast executive to testify today. Unfortunately, they chose not to accept,” said McCain.
After the hearing, McCain said he wanted a broadcast executive rather than an NAB lobbyist to testify, but only an NAB representative offered to attend the hearing.
