Given the controversy, I expected today's FCC white-spaces vote to be delayed. But I have now been listening to smooth-jazz webcast hold music in the background for 3.5 hours.

A commission meeting that will address white spaces, as well as the Verizon-Alltel and Sprint-Clearwire mergers, was set to kick off at 11 A.M. Eastern, but was later pushed to 1:45 P.M. It is now 2:45 P.M. and ... nothing but smooth jazz.

So let's talk amongst ourselves. What are white spaces? When TV stations switch from analog to digital signals in February 2009, unused spectrum--A.K.A. white spaces--will emerge, and companies such as Microsoft and Google want to use it for mobile broadband. But broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), argue that such activity could disrupt TV signals.

The FCC is scheduled to vote today on a report from the agency's Office of Engineering Technology (OET) that gave conditional approval to the use of white-spaces devices. NAB, however, has demanded that the FCC open a public comment period on the report and delay today's vote.

Yesterday, the FCC deleted an agenda item for today's meeting on universal service and intercarrier compensation. This morning, it also voted privately to advance Verizon Wireless' purchase of 700 MHz spectrum in the open-source c-block.

No word, however, on whether white spaces is also on the chopping block. Broadcasting & Cable reports that the commission is expected to approve the rule, but that the delay is not because of backstage fights over the issue but last-minute edits to commissioner statements in order to adequately address all concerns.

FCC open commission meetings are no stranger to delays. When the agency was set to debate the 70-70 cable rule at 9:30am last year, that meeting did not kick off until nearly 12 hours later at 9:30 p.m. Something tells me there might be something else going on at that time, Mr. Chairman ...

Get more details on white spaces and what it means for you at pcmag.com.