Posted on 04/26/2026 7:07:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Spectrum: A new proposal asked the FCC to clear out a large block of UHF broadcast spectrum -- a move that could force more than 40% of U.S. TV stations to relocate. In an April 15 petition, a group called Landover Saturn 5 LLC urged the FCC to open a rulemaking that would repurpose Channels 28 -- 36, or 554 -- 608 MHz, for flexible wireless use aimed at future 6G services. The plan dropped just three days before the start of the National Association of Broadcasters' annual convention in Las Vegas. The company -- which said "it has the financial resources, technical expertise, and broadcaster relationships necessary for the success of this ambitious initiative" -- said the plan could generate roughly $15 billion for the U.S. Treasury while shifting participating broadcasters into shared NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) arrangements.
(Excerpt) Read more at broadbandbreakfast.com ...
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Subtitle: Ahead of NAB show in Las Vegas this week, a group called Landover Saturn 5 is targeting 'underutilized' UHF spectrum amid declining TV station economics fueled by MVPD cord cutting
First it was OTHER-PEOPLE’S-MONEY…. now it’s OTHER-PEOPLE’S-SPECTRUM.
Interesting. Please tell us how it plays out. Nothing in the article to understand.
The Cord Cutters article is more detailed.
Yeah, around here the PBS telethons will have to move off channel 35 and onto another frequency. They’ll need a whole new telethon just to raise the money for that.
Pretty soon AM radio will be gone. And buggy whips. And no one will ever be prosecuted for it!
https://search.brave.com/search?q=drive+to+take+over+tv+uhf+channels+28+through+36+for+6g&summary=1
Landover Saturn 5 LLC has petitioned the FCC to repurpose UHF channels 28 — 36 (554 — 608 MHz) for 6G wireless services, arguing the spectrum is underutilized amid declining TV economics.
Impact: The proposal could force over 40% of U.S. TV stations to relocate, potentially shifting them to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) arrangements.
Rationale: The company claims the move could generate roughly $15 billion for the U.S. Treasury and support flexible 5G/6G broadband expansion.
Context: The petition was filed in April 2026, just before the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual convention, targeting spectrum currently occupied by channels that operate in the 554 — 608 MHz range.
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.
The plan is to totally eliminate “free” untracked viewing or listening so that everyone must pay to be entertained by endless advertisements AND a record of everything they watch.listen or read will be maintained.
It’s funny. GM wanted to eliminate AM radios from their cars and the talk shows took exception. So why couldn’t the talk shows just move to FM? My sports talk station did layoffs and the hosts went into podcasting. I missed them but there was no money in it for the stations. Rug was pulled out from under them. Think AI and Waymo. 100% driverless cars can’t come soon enough. No insurance, highway patrol, DUI’s, wrecks and bumper to bumper traffic at 80 mph. Think of the work getting done while riding. Mechanics will work the midnight shift maintaining them as all cars will spend their days on the road and no need for garages or parking lots. Gonna be awesome.
Whenever anyone tries to get me involved with amateur radio it is to experience the thrill of contesting.
I'm not sure what benefit contesting provides?
Don’t know about you, but I haven’t used “rabbit ears” for decades.
Why aren't HAM bands under scrutiny?
Because the spectrum involved with the ham bands are too narrow to provide the amount needed for wireless.
It’s the same idea as other hobbies like golf or fishing. Quite a few people who are into ham radio are into the contesting aspect of the hobby.
Full Disclosure, I have ham radio general license and can operate on just about any ham radio frequency should I choose to do so.
Personally, I’ve never been into the contesting aspect of the hobby, I’m more into the SHTF or Grid Down scenario when communicating is impossible with your cell phone, telephone, etc.
My fun was to create a backpack with everything I needed to operate on several of the most popular ham radio bands, like 20m, 40m, and 80m, plus I have a few handheld ham radios that use for local or thru ham radio repeaters.
To each is own in terms of the enjoyment they get from a hobby.
That’s it exactly — carefully curated “choices” and complete tracking. I read just the other day of someone whose mother-in-law had a “smart” fridge with a viewscreen on the front. When she walked into the kitchen the screen would click on and play loud advertising. There was no way to turn it off or adjust the volume. I remember now — it was The China Show on Youtube (highly recommended). The CCP shows our leaders the way forward.
all air-wave radio spectrum was long ago declared to be OWNED by the public and rules and regulations were established about how it could be used and allocated in an orderly manner and for the public good ... the FCC was established specifically for that purpose ... otherwise, the gallizionaires who could afford the most powerful transmitters could overpower everyone else and there would be transmitter wars and chaos ...
none who are allocated use of the public spectrum ever own it, but are allowed temporary use of it, subject to the requirement that it be used for the public good ...
I have an antenna to get the major broadcast networks that I would never watch if not for live sports.
I can get a lot of channels and I surf them through now and then.
I always wonder how many folk are actually watching over half of them.
It was a sad day when Rush died.
It was a sad on many levels as it was probably the end of AM radio.
I’m old and I guess I’m over it.
Rush proved a FREE broadcast medium could unite folk.
Today nothing is free and every medium divides and fractures.
Growing up, UHF channels had all the B movies , Japanese cartoons, reruns of old tv shows .
I considered that, especially when we were in South Louisiana. However, I decided that if a major hurricane was approaching, we would simply evacuate the area, stay in a motel room a couple of weeks until allowed to return and try to locate what if anything remained of our property.
I do have a shortwave receiver in case of a more widespread scenario.
Other SHTF type scenarios are to me unlikely uses for HAM because even in WW-II, I seem to recall operating HAM radios could land you on the wrong side of the Feds.
I live in North Florida, whenever a hurricane gets anywhere near Florida, I break out the handheld ham radios, a couple stay charged 100% of the time, in Florida a statewide radio network exists with repeaters from Pensacola to Key West, with a handheld you can communicate with anyone on the network anywhere in Florida.
During a storm the EOCs take over the network, you can listen into emergency preparations all over state.
I then tune another handheld to local EOC operations like evacuations that are ordered in the area.
Even though scanners are almost obsolete because most of the traffic is now encrypted, I’m fortunate but the county I live in and the county next door are not encrypted, and I can listen to fire/rescue in the two counties. Police traffic is almost universally encrypted or soon will be.
I also have GMRS radio license, anyone can obtain one, you just apply and get approved, no tests are required, there is a GMRS repeater that I can operate on in the area I live and there is some traffic on it that I listen to.
That's pretty good. However, in a true SHTF fan scenario, key the mic and you tell the world where you are and that you have valuable items.
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