The interest in acquiring the broadcast spectrum currently used by many professional quality wireless microphones has been raging for a while. Everyone knows that some changes will take place in February 2009, when the FCC reallocates some of the spectrum in the 700 mhz range.
I have written before regarding these licensing requirements and speculated at the time that the FCC could really make things chaotic for the entertainment industry. Get ready for a new player to turn up the heat!
As reported in Forbes, The Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, a coalition of consumer’s rights organizations has filed a complaint with the FCC regarding the failure of almost all wireless mic owners to obtain an operator’s license for what is essentially a low power radio transmitter. This complaint accuses manufacturers like Shure and AKG of deceptive advertising in how their products are marketed.
This is a complaint that could potentially impact millions of microphone owners.
More importantly, it makes a very powerful argument on behalf of those companies that are vying for use of this part of the broadcast spectrum when digital televison comes online in February 0f 2009.
Bids of as much as $19 billion dollars have been placed for access to these airwaves and lots of major players are vying for the space.
While the FCC has rarely, if ever, enforced the licensing requirements for wireless mics, the law is not new and it may not be possible to ignore it any longer.
Want to know more? Here’s a link to the FCC rule.
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