Proposed Legislation To Sell Radio Frequencies Being Challenged

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Proposed legislation to sell off radio frequencies used for emergency communications by ham radio operators and the military is being challenged.

Under the measure, the government would turn over the old UHF-TV frequencies, which were abandoned in the switch to digital television signals, to emergency responders.

The Federal Communications Commission had planned to sell those frequencies at an auction.

Rep. Peter King (R) of New York, who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and prime sponsor, suggested taking other frequencies, specifically 420-440 megahertz, and selling them instead.

Allen Pitts is from American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur or ham radio operators. He says those frequencies already are in heavy use.

"It's being used for emergency communications by amateur radio people," Pitts said.

Pitts adds that they are not the only ones.

"The PAVE PAWS radars - the ones that look for the sea-skimming missiles are in effect on our coasts. Most of our satellites - both up and down links are 420-440," Pitts said.

Pitts says negotiations to remove the ham, military, and satellite radio frequencies from the bill already are in high gear.

Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio