CMU may sell public broadcasting stations


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Photo: "Fantastic Fury Four Super Heroes" ; Muppets & Cast, Sesame Street - Season 41; television producition photographed: Monday, September 29, 2009; 9:00 AM at Kaufman-Astoria Studios; Astoria, New York; Photograph: © 2009 Richard Termine. PHOTO CREDIT - Richard Termine

Central Michigan University officials issued a press release today on the Federal Communications Commission auction of free bandwidth. Trustees voted in December to apply for eligibility to participate in the auction.

The FCC wants to buy television spectrum from stations across the country and repackage it for wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T, as the public is now relying more on mobile devices as opposed to over-the-air TV waves. The FCC will then purchase the spectrum and sell it to wireless carriers. 

CMU operates five television stations. If CMU chooses to participate in the auction, trustees have authorized President George Ross to decide bidding strategies "consistent with the best interests of CMU." If the FCC approves CMU's eligibility, CMU will need to decide whether to participate by March 29. At question is whether the university's stations will participate. The application to be deemed eligible is due today and is non-binding, said Director of Public Relations Steve Smith. 

"All related discussions and decisions will be confidential, as required by a federal anti-collusion rule being strictly applied to the auction. This does not follow our standard level of openness, but the rule is being used by the FCC to protect the integrity of the auction and prevent unlawful pricing manipulation," Smith said. "We recognize this matter is important to a number of Michigan residents, and we will be mindful of that."

Other universities, such as Michigan State University, will hold public hearings on whether the entity should participate. Those who wish to provide input on CMU's decision can send emails to trustees@cmich.edu. 

Joining the auction involves a "repacking" process, which means reorganizing and assigning channels to remaining stations in order to create blocks of "cleared spectrum suitable for flexible use." According to the FCC, the majority of stations that remain on the air after the auction will be assigned channels in UHF or VHF.

The board's meeting agenda  states "(the) auction presents potential but uncertain opportunities for CMU's broadcast television stations, and the process may also impose costs and obligations on CMU in connection with the television spectrum repacking." 

The agenda also states that while involved, the board may become knowledgable to "highly confidential" information regarding the auction, including whether CMU will participate, which is sometimes protected information by federal law. The disclosure of this confidential information could "result in significant harm to CMU and the stations interests and may be in violation of federal law."

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Sydney Smith is a super-senior at Central Michigan University. She comes from metro Detroit ...

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