NAB Asks FCC to Slow-Track XM/WCS Deal

NAB has urged the FCC to sideline XM’s application to acquire WCS Wireless, saying that since the satcaster has not said what it would do with the spectrum, neither the FCC nor outsiders can tell whether the deal would serve the public interest.
XM has said it prefers to wait until CES in January to detail its plans.
“The application … raises a host of public interest concerns, including whether XM intends to use WCS spectrum in ways that could cause interference to other users and/or violate restrictions on its current authorizations,” NAB states in a filing with the commission.
The previously announced deal needs FCC approval. If okayed, NAB asks the agency to include a specific condition to protect terrestrial broadcasters.