KEEP US SAFE FROM HARM
Governor Brian Sandoval
WE MUST REMAIN VIGILANT
President Barack Obama
As each of us listened carefully to every word spoken by our President last night, we could not help but go down memory lane recalling our own personal and painful memories from September 11, 2001. For one brief moment in time last night -- we were once again a country united. His sobering warning did not go unnoticed: "We must remain vigilant both at home and abroad."
Soon after the President's address, Governor Brian Sandoval issued his response to the news of the death of Bin Laden. His words should remind those of us in the television and radio industry of our Governor's own personal commitment to Homeland Security. The Governor has assumed the chairmanship of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission. Despite all of the pressures he is facing during his first legislative session, he has devoted precious time in order to "keep us safe from harm."
AB 549 -- which passed out of the Assembly will soon face a hearing in the Senate Government Affairs Committee. We were asked by many folks, who worked very hard, to assemble legislation that would be positive and benefit Nevada -- both for the citizens and tourists. As "First Responders," it is important for all of us (as well as our viewing and listening audience) to understand that the core focus of the intent of AB 549 was the establishment of electronically based critical infrastructure repositories containing data that is protected by the same standards as the Federal Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII). If passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor, we will have the time to establish the structure that will provide the expertise and personnel necessary to manage the functions. Some of our stakeholders have clearly indicated that as we approach a new decade of terrorism we need an advanced, technological functional system. It appears that in the current laws in place, too much definition has caused unintended consequences. When we testify before the Senate, our goal will be to keep our word to the folks we offered support to. And working closely with Governor Sandoval and the legislature, to find the right compromise necessary to pass AB 549.
GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS
The following television and radio stations will be carrying tomorrow night's 6:00 PM statewide address by Governor Brian Sandoval.
TELEVISION:
KENV, KLAS, KLVX, KNVV, KOLO, KREN, KRNV, KSNV, KTNV, KTVN and KVVU,
RADIO:
CLEAR CHANNEL (Pod Cast), KDWN, KELK, KENV, KJFK (Tape Delay), KKFT, KKOH, KLAP, KRJC, KUNR, KUNV and KXNT AM / FM.
For further information please contact Adrienne Abbott at 775-750-5987.
NBA FILING
NBA FILES JOINT REPLY COMMENTS IN FCC'S TV SPECTRUM
REALLOCATION/AUCTION RULE MAKING PROCEEDING
The Nevada Broadcasters Association joined other State Broadcasters Associations in filing Joint Reply Comments in the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rule Making proceeding which is considering the reallocation of 120 MHz spectrum from the television industry to the wireless industry. We stated that while we were appreciative of Chairman Genachowski's remarks before the breakfast audience at the NAB Convention and his dialogue at the NAB Convention with the executives of a number of State Associations including Nevada, we continue to have very serious misgivings about the approach being taken by the Commission to remove even more of the spectrum that is used for free, local, over-the-air, commercial and noncommercial television broadcasting.
Together we expressed the view that the Commission's spectrum reclamation approach to solving any user congestion challenges that the wireless industry may face in the future rests on assumptions that have not been supported and cannot be supported at this time. We demonstrated that the DTV transition is new, ongoing and challenging, and the fruits of its public interest potential have yet to be fully realized. We also pointed out that the Commission's choice of TV spectrum for reclamation is not the necessary product of an independently conducted spectrum inventory audit.
Furthermore, we challenged as questionable the Commission's notion of "voluntary," in connection with its incentive auction proposal, in the absence of legally binding FCC assurances that no monetary or non-monetary adverse effect, condition or consequence will befall any station which has not agreed to participate in the auction. Finally, we argue that the Commission's "problem solving" approach as set forth in the NPRM is too regulatory and not sufficiently marketplace-driven.
For those reasons, we urged the FCC to hold the proceeding in abeyance until at least (i) a truly independent spectrum inventory has been commissioned and the results are made part of the record for public comments, (ii) the Office of Engineering and Technology's Allotment Optimization Model (("AOM") is made a part of the record for public comment, and (iii) the Commission has issued a legally binding commitment to the effect that no television station will be caused to suffer any adverse monetary or non-monetary effect, condition or consequence as a result of choosing not to turn in all or a portion of its spectrum via auction or otherwise.
The NBA Board of Directors met together with Chairman Genachowski and the leadership most involved in the Television Spectrum Reallocation / Auction at the FCC in Washington, D.C.
GALA DEDICATED TO TED QUILLIN
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: The 16th Annual NBA Hall of Fame Scholarship Gala will be held on Saturday evening, August 20, 2011. The event will once again be held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. Bob Fisher, NBA CEO announced at the Quillin family "Celebration of Life" held this past Saturday at Red Rock, that the 2011 event would be dedicated in memory of Ted Quillin, who died on April 20 at the age of 81. Ted, a 60 year legacy broadcaster was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2005.
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