	Background

Low-power television stations, as indicated by their name, operate at  lower power levels and transmit over a smaller area than full-power  television stations.   Class A stations: Unlike translator stations and LPTV stations, Class  A stations are classified as a primary service. Stations that applied for and received Class A status must meet  requirements that are not applied to other low-power television stations,  such as broadcasting an average of at least 3 hours per week of locally  produced programming. Several Thousand Low-Power Television Stations Are Located across the United States and Its Territories, and the Majority of Stations Have Taken Steps to Transition to Digital

		Thousands of Low-Power Television Stations Provide Programming to Communities across the United States

As previously noted, we are using the term “low-power television stations”  to refer to translators, LPTV stations, and Class A stations. Translators  tend to be concentrated in both rural and mountainous areas. FCC Issued an Order Establishing a Deadline and Processes for Low- Power Television Stations to Transition to Digital, but These Stations Face Challenges in Transitioning Largely because of Regulatory Uncertainty

		FCC Has Established a Deadline and Processes for Low-Power Television Stations to Transition to Digital

FCC previously allowed low-power stations to apply for digital facilities,  and recently established a deadline of September 1, 2015, for low-power  television stations to cease analog operations and convert to digital  broadcasting. This is a concern for stations  located in urban markets where spectrum is already scarce and for  translator stations in rural areas that use several channels. FCC’s actions related to Class A stations: In its July 15 Report and Order,  FCC established a process for Class A stations to transfer their protected  status to their digital companion channel, which had previously posed  challenges for some stations in their transition to digital. However, the stations may be unaware of this  opportunity, as it is not explicitly stated in the July 15 Report and Order. FCC Does Not Have Data to Evaluate whether Low- Power Service Is Meeting Goals, and May Not Understand How Its Decisions on Low-Power Television Stations Affect Communities

Although FCC’s low-power television goals—meeting the needs of  underserved communities, and contributing to localism and diversity—are  well documented, FCC has not collected data to evaluate the extent to  which the stations fulfill unmet needs or contribute to meeting FCC’s  policy goals. However, FCC’s ability to weigh the effects of its  decisions on low-power television stations, the communities they serve,  and FCC’s goals of localism and diversity against the increasing need for  wireless broadband spectrum could be limited by a lack of data. FCC sought  comments on its statutory authority to create additional Class A stations  and how to define eligibility, but has not issued an order deciding whether  to create additional Class A stations and may need legislative guidance  from Congress on whether additional stations can apply for Class A  status after the original window of eligibility established by CBPA. As part of the 2009 digital television transition of full-power stations, FCC  did use some of the technical data it collects from low-power licensees to  create an internal document for a commissioner that identified areas in  which the only source of over-the-air broadcasting is a low-power  television station. Lacking such information, FCC does not know the public  benefit of low-power television stations’ receiving spectrum for television  broadcast. Regarding our recommendation that FCC work with Congress,  as necessary, to determine what the long-term role of Class A stations  should be, whether additional low-power television stations should be  permitted to apply for Class A status, and what criteria stations must meet  to qualify for such status, FCC stated that it plans to analyze the data  from Class A stations’ children’s programming reports to determine the  stations’ measures to provide educational and informational children’s  programming. To identify the steps FCC has taken to transition low-power television  stations to digital, and any challenges low-power television stations are  facing transitioning to digital, we interviewed FCC officials and reviewed  FCC’s orders and notices of proposed rulemaking relating to the digital  transition of low-power television stations and the proposed reallocation  of broadcast spectrum for wireless broadband, as well as comments  submitted in response to FCC’s requests for comments on these issues.
Why GAO Did This Study

Television stations that broadcast at lower power levels were not required to meet the 2009 digital transition deadline for full-power stations. These low-power television stations transmit over a smaller area, and most are less regulated than full-power stations. Low-power television stations use valuable radio frequency spectrum, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) noted the stations' digital transition could aid its efforts to clear spectrum for wireless broadband. GAO examined (1) low-power television stations' location and status in transitioning to digital, (2) FCC's steps to transition low-power television stations to digital and whether these stations are facing challenges transitioning to digital, and (3) why low-power television stations were established and the extent to which FCC collects information to determine if low-power television service is meeting FCC's statutory and policy goals. GAO analyzed FCC data and documents, reviewed stakeholder comments, and interviewed agency officials, stakeholders, and low-power television licensees.

What GAO Found

Thousands of over-the-air low-power television stations serve communities across the United States in both urban and rural areas, and about 60 percent of all such stations have either completed the digital transition or have taken steps to transition. Over half of all low-power television stations are known as translators, which retransmit major network and other stations' programming in areas that cannot receive the signals from a primary station, generally in rural and mountainous areas. The remaining stations include low-power television stations known as LPTV stations and Class A stations. Class A stations have a special status that gives them greater interference protection than translator and LPTV stations and requires them to broadcast a minimum amount of locally produced programming. Some LPTV and Class A stations serve niche or local audiences with ethnic, religious, or other programming. In July 2011, FCC issued an order that established a deadline of September 1, 2015, for low-power television stations to cease analog broadcasts, but stations may still face challenges in making the transition to digital because of regulatory uncertainty. Specifically, an FCC proposal to reallocate spectrum from broadcasting to wireless broadband created regulatory uncertainty and difficulty for stations attempting to justify investing in transitioning to digital. Such a reallocation would leave fewer channels for television broadcasts and could make it difficult for low-power stations to find an available channel that does not interfere with other stations. FCC's order noted these concerns when adopting the 2015 deadline, rather than a previously proposed deadline of 2012, but it is currently unknown whether the uncertainty posed by the spectrum reallocation will be resolved prior to 2015. FCC's order adopted other measures, such as establishing a process for Class A stations to transfer their status to their new digital channels. Previously, without such a process, some stations delayed completing their transition to digital and others lost their Class A status after they transitioned to digital and ceased analog operation. According to FCC officials, such stations can apply to regain Class A status; however, stations may be unaware of this option as it is not explicit in the order. Low-power television stations were established to reach underserved communities; FCC has noted that the stations can positively affect FCC's goals of localism and diversity. However, FCC has not collected data to evaluate the extent to which these stations fulfill unmet community needs or contribute to meeting FCC's policy goals. Specifically, FCC does not collect programming data, is limited in its ability to identify stations that are not broadcasting, and has not evaluated low-power stations' impact in assessments of the information needs of communities. Lacking such information, FCC does not know the public benefit of stations and is limited in its ability to weigh the effects of its decisions on low-power television stations against the increasing need for spectrum for broadband services. Furthermore, although FCC proposed allowing additional stations to apply for Class A status as a means to preserve community programming, it has not issued an order and may need legislative guidance to determine the future of Class A status. FCC should (1) explore options for assessing the impact of low-power stations on the communities served and on FCC's goals, and (2) work with Congress as necessary to determine what the long-term role of Class A stations should be, whether additional stations should be permitted to apply for Class A status, and what criteria stations must meet to qualify for such status. FCC stated it is taking actions to address GAO's recommendations, and provided technical comments that were incorporated as appropriate.