STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re: Innovation in the Broadcast Television Bands: Allocations, Channel Sharing and 
Improvements to VHF, ET Docket No. 10-235, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
I strongly support efforts to encourage more efficient use of all spectrum including 
broadcast spectrum.  So if certain broadcasters are under-utilizing the spectrum we have licensed to 
them, and for those who are willing to do so on a voluntary basis, I am supportive of any recovery 
mechanism that would best benefit the public interest.  Additionally, I endorse actions that give all 
of our licensees more flexibility, which will allow for more innovation and competition that will 
ultimately benefit consumers.
We also have, however, a significant obligation to protect the important public benefits that 
over-the-air broadcast TV provides for our Nation.  As we progress through this, and other 
proceedings related to the National Broadband Plan’s recommendation for reallocating 120 MHz of 
broadcast spectrum for broadband services, we should carefully study the possible impact that 
removing broadcast spectrum could have on all consumers in local communities.  
But I cannot stress enough that we must pay careful attention to those who are most 
vulnerable to the loss of broadcast television.  We learned during the DTV transition that a large 
number of Americans, such as seniors and the very poor continue to rely on broadcast TV to stay 
informed.  Those communities that heavily depend on broadcast programming should not have to 
sacrifice those benefits in order for our Nation to attain wireless broadband services.  I encourage 
our staff to work closely with broadcasters and consumer advocates, so that we arrive at a long-term 
solution that properly balances both of these important interests.