FOLLOW UP: Broadway League Comments on FCC Airwave Ruling & Impact on Broadway Performances

As BWW reported earlier in the week, The Federal Communications Commission voted this week on the rules for next year's auction of airwaves, a hot topic among mobile providers such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. A restructuring of airwaves is done by the Commission each year to accommodate the growth in smartphones and mobile devices.

The ruling has the potential to have a significant impact on the Great White Way, as regulators chose to assign less desirable frequencies to cordless microphone users, including Broadway stage actors. This can ultimately lead to undesirable static and interference during live performances. In 2010, cordless microphone use was switched over to the airwave spectrum, forcing Broadway theater owners to purchase new microphones that would be compatible with the new frequencies. At a price tag of over $1,000 each, the cost became a huge expense for such shows as "The Lion King," and "Wicked", which require between 80 and 100 wireless microphones for their productions.

Tom Ferrugia, Director of Government Relations for The Broadway League shared the following comments on yesterday's ruling with BroadwayWorld:

"After reviewing the general framework of the decision, we remain optimistic that the FCC has taken all reasonable measures to reduce the negative impact on venues presenting Broadway and Touring Broadway shows, however we must wait and evaluate the forthcoming Orders and Rules before commenting on how the theaters will be affected."

Highlights from the FCC's press release include:

Permit more robust and efficient operation of fixed and personal/portable white space
devices in television broadcast bands without increasing the risk of interference to
broadcast services

Provide technical parameters for fixed and personal/portable white space devices to
operate in the 600 MHz band, including the duplex gap and guard bands, and channel 37
on a shared non-interference basis with medical telemetry and radio astronomy

Permit sharing of spectrum between white space devices and unlicensed microphones in
the 600 MHz band.

Photo: Joan Marcus