Spectrum Loan to Broadcasters

* The loan of spectrum to broadcasters for the transition to high-definition television is no “giveaway” (editorial, March 28). After a transition period, the spectrum will be returned to the government and auctioned off to help reduce the federal deficit.

Meanwhile the channels will be used in the public interest to smooth the transition for television viewers. The spectrum loan will allow each TV station to simultaneously broadcast both digital HDTV and its analog signals, so viewers can use their present receivers until they are ready to buy new digital sets. Incidentally, the loaner channels are already allocated to TV broadcasting and when those channels are returned to government, broadcasters will be using one-third less spectrum than they do now.

Although even the smallest TV station must invest million of dollars in digital equipment, broadcasters have promised to bring HDTV to more than half of America’s homes within 30 months. And, just because your editorial said broadcasters want to use part of their digital channels for cellular telephone or pager service doesn’t make it true. It isn’t; those services won’t work on the spectrum in question.

EDWARD O. FRITTS

President, National Assn.

of Broadcasters, Washington