II Subjecting Public Broadcasters To Auctions Would Limit The Diversity Of Voices Represented On The Airwaves By Closing A Substantial Portion Of Spectrum To Public Broadcasters
Resorting to an auction when one of the mutually-exclusive applicants for a broadcast frequency is a public broadcaster not only would violate the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, but it would also harm the public interest by restricting the diversity of voices and viewpoints available over the air. Public radio stations routinely provide service via full-service stations and FM translators outside of the limited reserved FM band, and continued access to frequencies in the AM band and unreserved FM band is essential for public broadcasters to extend service to underserved communities, to improve reception and/or merely to maintain an existing level of service when they are forced to relocate an FM translator. Yet, auctions would effectively close these frequencies to public broadcasters, who are in no position to compete in auctions for broadcast frequency assignments. At a time of rapid media consolidation and the resulting decline in the diversity of voices and viewpoints on the airwaves, the Commission should not institute a procedure which would automatically exclude from much of the broadcast spectrum a diverse group of entities whose very purpose is to offer alternative programming.