WQED’s fairy godmother has arrived, in the form of a Federal Communications Commission broadcast spectrum auction.
The public television station announced Thursday that it will reap $9.9 million from the sale of its broadcast frequency, enough to completely retire its long-term debt with a few million to spare.
In exchange for the payout, WQED will move to a lower broadcast frequency, likely in two to three years. The change will be almost entirely behind the scenes. The station will stay at Channel 13 on the broadcast spectrum and the move will not affect broadcast quality or availability, though over-the-air users may have to re-scan their televisions.
