Los Angeles TV stations KLCS and KJLA will conduct an interesting experiment in the next few months: they will try to merge their digital broadcasts onto a single TV channel.

The two stations are working with wireless industry group CTIA to investigate the feasibility of sharing TV airwaves, which could potentially clear up spectrum for commercial mobile broadband services. Why is this important? The Federal Communications Commission’s broadcast incentive auction is a little more than a year on the horizon. And the aim of that auction is to identify vast chunks of the 600 MHz TV airwaves that could be used by carriers for 4G and by the tech industry for unlicensed broadband.

To accomplish that, the FCC and the mobile industry need the cooperation of the broadcasters. If they don’t agree to part ways with their spectrum than there’s not going to be much of an auction…