The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is currently challenging a report issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that is aimed at opening up vacant TV airwaves for unlicensed use.

Introduced by FCC chairman Kevin Martin, the plan will allow presently unused TV airwaves, which are also called white spaces, to be made available to unlicensed use next February.

The report that was released revealed there were no major interference issues with television sets and wireless microphones that could result from opening up the airwaves for future devices. Consequently, FCC officials are scheduled to vote on rules for the white spaces on November 4.

Nevertheless, station owners, alongside television networks have expressed their concerns with regards to the interference matter by filing an emergency request to the FCC on Friday, in an attempt to determine the latter to postpone the voting. The aforementioned request was made on behalf on the NAB, the Association of Maximum Service Television and the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox TV networks.

The broadcasters reasoned that the FCC engineers had misinterpreted the data they gathered, Dennis Wharton, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Broadcasters, stating that the future gadgets would definitely hinder clear television reception.

Robert Kenney, an FCC spokesman, informed that the Commission was reviewing the broadcasters’ request that asks for 45 days during which they are to respond to the report, as well as for another 25 days for the FCC to formulate and make public replies to those comments. The postponement would entail that the votes would be cast under a different FCC chairman, since Kevin Martin is due to step down when a new United States president is elected on November 4.