As usual, the FCC will get its obligation to hold a monthly open meeting out of the way early as most of Washington tries to get out of town for the month of August. A cable item may be of interest to television broadcasters.
The meeting is scheduled for Friday, 8/3/12 at 10:30AM.
The cable item will update rules for the industry, and it is widely believed the requirement that systems pass along both analog and digital broadcast television signsls will go away. That will free up bandwidth for cable operators, but is coming over the objection of many in the broadcast community.
Here is the FCC’s summary of the agenda:
MEDIA BUREAU
TITLE: Cable Television Technical and Operational Requirements
SUMMARY: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks to modernize our cable television rules to facilitate the cable industry’s widespread transition from analog to digital transmission systems.
WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU
TITLE: Amendment of Part 101 of the Commission’s Rules to Facilitate the Use of Microwave for Wireless Backhaul and Other Uses and to Provide Additional Flexibility to Broadcast Auxiliary Service and Operational Fixed Microwave Licensees (WT Docket No. 10-153); Petition for Rulemaking filed by Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition to Amend Part 101 of the Commission’s Rules to Authorize 60 and 80 MHz Channels in Certain Bands for Broadband Communications (RM-11602)
SUMMARY: The Commission will consider a Second Report and Order, Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Second Notice of Inquiry, Order on Reconsideration, and Memorandum Opinion and Order that seeks to remove regulatory barriers to make better use of Fixed Service (FS) spectrum and provide additional flexibility to enable FS licensees to reduce operational costs and facilitate the use of wireless backhaul in rural areas.
