Telecommunications: Enhanced Data Collection and Analysis Could Inform FCC's Efforts to Complete the Digital Transition of Low-Power Television Stations and Reallocate Spectrum
Highlights
Television stations that broadcast at lower power levels were not required to meet the 2009 digital transition deadline for full-power stations. These low-power television stations transmit over a smaller area, and most are less regulated than full-power stations. Low-power television stations use valuable radio frequency spectrum, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) noted the stations' digital transition could aid its efforts to clear spectrum for wireless broadband. GAO examined (1) low-power television stations' location and status in transitioning to digital, (2) FCC's steps to transition low-power television stations to digital and whether these stations are facing challenges transitioning to digital, and (3) why low-power television stations were established and the extent to which FCC collects information to determine if low-power television service is meeting FCC's statutory and policy goals. GAO analyzed FCC data and documents, reviewed stakeholder comments, and interviewed agency officials, stakeholders, and low-power television licensees.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Communications Commission | The Federal Communications Commission should explore options for assessing how the three types of low-power television stations have affected the communities they serve and have contributed to FCC's policy goals of localism and diversity. Such an assessment could include evaluating what existing data FCC could use and what additional data should be collected to inform such an assessment. |
Our 2011 report on the digital transition of low-power television stations was completed over 8 years ago and FCC has since informed us that it will not be taking any further action to address this recommendation. We continue to believe that FCC should assess how low-power television stations have contributed to FCC's policy goals of localism and diversity because it is not clear that FCC knows the public benefit of low-power television stations' receiving spectrum for television broadcast. However, given FCC's position that there are no plans to take additional steps to address this recommendation, we are closing this recommendation as not implemented.
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| Federal Communications Commission | The Federal Communications Commission should work with Congress, as necessary, to determine what the long-term role of Class A stations should be, whether additional low-power television stations should be permitted to apply for Class A status, and what criteria stations must meet to qualify for such status. Such criteria could include attributes that contribute to FCC's goals of serving underserved communities and enhancing localism and diversity, such as providing locally produced programming and programming otherwise unavailable to communities. |
Our 2011 report on the digital transition of low-power television stations was completed over 8 years ago and FCC has since informed us that it will not be taking any further action to address this recommendation. We continue to believe that FCC should determine what the long-term role of Class A stations should be and what criteria stations need to meet to qualify for Class A status. However, given FCC's position that there are no plans to take additional steps to address this recommendation, we are closing this recommendation as not implemented.
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