Many frequencies traditionally used by wireless microphones have become unavailable due to the re-purposing of the UHF TV band. Professional wireless microphone operators face unprecedented pressure to deliver flawless audio for the world’s most demanding productions – Super Bowls, political conventions, awards shows, breaking news, and other live broadcasts where failure is not an option. These events routinely require hundreds of wireless channels, far exceeding the capacity of remaining TV-band “white space.” To meet these escalating needs, the FCC has opened the 1435–1525 MHz band, long used for aeronautical mobile telemetry (AMT), to qualified FCC Part 74 licensees under a tightly coordinated, coexistence-driven framework.

This session explores how this shared-spectrum model works, why it matters, and what broadcast engineers need to know today. Access to the band is only granted after advance coordination with AFTRCC, which evaluates potential flight-test activity and may authorize up to 30 MHz of spectrum for exclusive use during the event. Operators receive a digital “electronic key” that unlocks compliant equipment to function only at approved times, locations, and frequencies. This safeguard ensures that critical AMT operations, where interference can have safety-of-life consequences, remain fully protected.

The presentation will detail licensing eligibility, application procedures, spectrum-allocation rules, and how productions with extraordinary channel counts may request special temporary authorizations (STAs) for additional bandwidth. It will also outline equipment-authorization requirements like integrated location and time awareness tied to an electronic key system that ensures protection of AMT systems, as well as emerging implementation models, including GPS. New Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) will be highlighted for their spectral-efficiency and coexistence advantages within this band.

Most importantly, attendees will learn how this system directly supports the operational realities of today’s broadcast environment. From complex intercom systems to in-ear monitors, interruptible fold-back systems, and performance mics, major productions rely on dense, interference-free wireless ecosystems. The 1435–1525 MHz framework enables these mission-critical workflows while ensuring peaceful coexistence with aviation users who also require absolute reliability.

This session equips broadcasters, A1s, RF coordinators, and engineering managers with the knowledge needed to navigate shared spectrum, maintain compliance, and confidently deliver flawless audio for the nation’s most visible events.