The Phantom of the Broadcast Spectrum Policy Opera

February 2012

Past Event

The Phantom of the Broadcast Spectrum Policy Opera

Past Event

Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters

February 22, 2012

February 2012

Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Read Transcript Read Transcript

Speakers:

Harold Furchtgott-Roth,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Economics of the Internet

Thomas Hazlett,

Professor of Law & Economics, George Mason University and Chief Economist of the FCC

One of the most valuable swaths of underdeveloped spectrum is currently allocated for television broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now has plans to reallocate parts of that spectrum for mobile broadband purposes and to auction the spectrum to the public. Congress last week passed legislation that would give the FCC the authority it needs to implement its specific plan.

The legislation has reignited the debate over broadcast spectrum and how to structure FCC auctions. Professor Thomas Hazlett discussed the value of getting more spectrum into the marketplace, the dangers of regulatory micro-management, and various means to move spectrum quickly from low value to higher value uses.

Questions can be submitted via Twitter: @HudsonInstitute with the hashtag #HudFCC.

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Postponed | Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future

Featured Speakers:

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Brandon Williams

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

Postponed | Deterring Russia and China: Securing America’s Nuclear Future

Join Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Brandon Williams for a discussion on the administration's priorities in strengthening the US nuclear enterprise.

Featured Speakers:

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs

Brandon Williams

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

The New India Conference

Featured Speakers:

Nisha Biswal

Kurt Campbell

Vijay Chauthaiwale

Dattatreya Hosabale

Hemang Jani

Kenneth Juster

Amb. Vinay Kwatra

Ram Madhav

Ashok Malik

Bethany Poulos Morrison

Richard Rossow

Joel Scanlon

Priyanka Chaturvedi

Moderators:

Lisa Curtis

Bill Drexel

Walter Russell Mead

Aparna Pande

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

The New India Conference

Hudson will convene leading policymakers, strategists, and scholars from India, the US, and their international partners to examine India’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its implications for global order, US-India relations, and the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

Featured Speakers:

Nisha Biswal

Kurt Campbell

Vijay Chauthaiwale

Dattatreya Hosabale

Hemang Jani

Kenneth Juster

Amb. Vinay Kwatra

Ram Madhav

Ashok Malik

Bethany Poulos Morrison

Richard Rossow

Joel Scanlon

Priyanka Chaturvedi

Moderators:

Lisa Curtis

Bill Drexel

Walter Russell Mead

Aparna Pande

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury

Featured Speaker:

Jared Cohen

Moderator:

Mike Gallagher

April 2026

In-Person Event | Hudson Institute

The Future of the Gulf: Commerce and Security in the Middle East After Operation Epic Fury

Join Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher for a fireside chat with Jared Cohen, president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs and co-head of the Goldman Sachs Global Institute, for a discussion on the future of the Persian Gulf.

Featured Speaker:

Jared Cohen

Moderator:

Mike Gallagher

Learn More

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Featured Speakers:

Ken Moriyasu

Congressman Jimmy Panetta

April 2026

In-Person Event | Invite Only

Updating US Trade Policy: A Discussion on the Strategic and Economic Importance of Central Asia with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

Please join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Michael Doran for a discussion on the region’s significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking its potential in an era of renewed great power competition.