Broadcasters Intervene to Support ARRL in BPL Court Appeal

The Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have filed a joint motion for leave to intervene in support of the ARRL in its court appeal of the Federal Communications Commission's Broadband over Power Line (BPL) rules.

The motion to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is dated November 9 and states: "MSTV and NAB believe that the regulations under review are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, and will adversely impact their members by, among other things, permitting unlicensed users of radio spectrum to interfere with licensed uses of the spectrum."

MSTV and NAB are entitled to intervene as a matter of right, so the Court is expected to grant the motion. As expected, some BPL proponents are seeking to intervene on the side of the FCC.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, welcomed the support of MSTV and NAB. "It is gratifying that these two prestigious broadcasting organizations recognize the danger posed to all FCC licensees by the FCC's flawed BPL rules. It's good to have them on our side."

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