FCC Announces Repack Deadline Relief

The FCC has agreed to allow any station currently scheduled to change frequencies in Phase 9 of the spectrum repack to move to Phase 10 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The FCC Public Notice concerning this issue can be found here. The details for how to make the request are in the public notice. If stations in Phase 9 would still like to transition during this time, they may do so.

Also, the FCC will be monitoring developments with tower crews and station personnel to determine whether Phase 10 needs to be extended. Please keep us updated at NABMarketing@nab.org over the next month if you have one or more stations scheduled to transition in Phase 10 so we can advise the FCC as to whether the Phase 10 deadline should be shifted.  

If your station has completed its transition as part of the spectrum repack, remember to submit your final invoices with the FCC as quickly as possible. The FCC has indicated to NAB that many stations that have completed their transitions have not yet begun their close-out procedures or submitted all requests for reimbursement. NAB urges stations to submit all final invoices as soon as possible to be made whole from the FCC-mandated spectrum repack transitions. Check FCC resources for further information.  

For all stations moving as part of the spectrum repack, consumer education tools including spots, talking points, sample scripts and crawls, automated phone messaging and an Alexa voice skill to help walk viewers through the rescan process are available at TVAnswers.org/tools. Customizable spots in English and Spanish instruct viewers how to rescan their TVs and converter boxes. In addition to on-air tools, don’t forget to utilize your websites, apps and social media pages to share information about your Rescan Day with viewers – once your station transitions, over-the-air viewers who have yet to rescan will not be able to see your on-air spots, so online communication is key!