Broadcast license

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum licence that grants the licensee the right to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes.

Licensing is typically performed by government agencies, providing a mechanism both for managing the limited resource of radio frequency spectrum and for implementing prevailing public policy, such as policies regarding concentration of media ownership.

Management of technical specifications, such as those implemented in broadcast television systems, is normally undertaken as a part of broadcast licensing in each country.

Contents 1 Economics 2 References 3 External Links 3.1 Regulators

[edit] Economics

Originally, broadcast licences were issued for only a nominal payment, but work by economist Ronald Coase developed a theory that broadcast licences in a spectrum that was limited had high economic value, which could and should be paid for on the open market. Increasingly, spectrum licences are offered via spectrum auctions.

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

[edit] Regulators

• Australian Communications and Media Authority http://www.acma.gov.au
• Radio Spectrum Management New Zealand http://www.rsm.govt.nz/
• Ofcom United Kingdom http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
• Federal Communications Commission United States http://www.fcc.gov/