FCC: Keep Over the Air TV (OTA) free and available.
The recent re-banding and auctioning of spectrum formerly reserved for broadcast TV has spurred the thoughts of many that the FCC might be anxious to sell off even more spectrum. Some have gone as far as to say that, with cable, satellite and Internet media available, there is no longer a need for OTA TV broadcasting. Nothing could be further from the truth.
OTA broadcasting provides a local focus from a broadcaster in a specific geographic region. That focus is not shared by cable and satellite operations.
There are also economic and social arguments to be made in favor of maintaining free OTA broadcasting. While most households have at least one television, not everyon can afford a subscription to cable or satellite content.
Free OTA broadcasting, serving the community interest, must be maintained.
Rick Santina
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11 comments
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Michael Whay commented
A person like myself living on the coastline, my weather changes fast and hurricane season is far too long. I have had multiple TV carriers, and Internet providers over the years. For safety I have always had an antenna and a weather radio. Since each Channel Radio or TV is responsible for signal transmission compared to the current providers Internet and TV alike only send one signal, when its out it completely out.
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Rob Ram
commented
I solely rely on over the air broadcast TV. I do not have cable; never had and never shall have cable. ATSC TV is fantastic. I get sharp HD video when available. I have invested in four HDTV sets starting back in 1999; paid over $5000 for the first HDTV and finally donated the set to a church. I love HDTV, but I do not care for a cell phone. I did at one time have a cell phone, but when AT&T screwed around with the change from TDMA to CDMA (or whatever), I vowed never to have a cell phone again. I have learned that the cell phone adds nothing to the quality of life. I do not want to screw around with “text messages”, pictures, internet or TV on the cell phone…etc. Enough is enough. I greatly appreciate simplicity over fool’s technology. Yet I have degrees in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mathematics. I love engineering.
Also remember that the spectrum belongs to the citizens. The spectrum does not belong to the FCC, Congress; the Telco’s or even the broadcasters. The citizens own the spectrum. The Telco’s bid the sky is the limit to win the auction. The costs of the auction are passed its customers. The customer is now forced into paying to access his/her own property. OUTRAGEOUS! There is NO government agency looking out for the interest of the citizens. It’s all about BIG corporate MONEY! The auction does not serve the citizens, OUT LAW the auction process. -
Chris Couch commented
Cable TV prices are going higer every day, that I dropped my cable tv, and keep my internet, and I boutght a digital HD converter to have the local channels, and if the weather gets bad especially in Oklahoma.
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Susan Winter
commented
It was bad enough when analog went away and many people could no longer get access to emergency information on an over the air tv (cliff effect or availability). This is now more ridiculous. Local TV channels need to be available to a simple portable TV that does not require any converters or additional power equipment. TV should be free and available not only for everyday viewing, but for emergencies.
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Paul Campbell
commented
There are alot of low income fammiles living in the us that just can not pay for subscription tv, I am one, Leave OTA free for the elderly & disabled & for who ever wants to do away with OTA free tv leave it be!!! & find something else to complain about.
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Sir Patrick McNabb
commented
I agree with The MoMan because our place in the country cant receive internet or cable and on top of that we get a crappy connection to the basic channels. Outside of that i think its the peoples rights to get this stuff to get updates on what is going on in their communtiy and weather updates. On the other hand DeAna does bring up a very good point with out watching tv or cable especially it is kind of like you are out of the loop with people at school and wouldnt fit in as well.
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DeAna Mirelli
commented
With out the ota some families couldn't watch any television at all! They could still get important emergency and weather updates from the radio, but could you imagine being a twelve year old that can't watch any television at home? You wouldn't know what your friends were talking about at school. If you don't have cable, you probably wont have internet...
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TheMoMan
commented
____ Remember the last mile, the customers out that last mile of wire. We would love to have better than 56k dial-up' However it isn't going to happen because of cost to get the signal here. We live just out side the service areas of three WiFiMax providers, remember just out side. I know that there is Sat, is that ever expensive especially for some one that is retired. Remember that BS called BPL, they did not even mention coming out here nope concentrate on the cities where the cost per mile is better.
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TheMoMan
commented
Out here in the boonies. There is no Cable, No DSL, and really poor Cell phone, so the FCC wants to shut off our only connection to the outside world, What would we do watch taped news casts from people in Cities?? Right now our OTATV antenna receives 28 channels does the FCC want that to go dark?? How would we get weather alerts??
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oiejfaewjfoiawgowgt4wtwrwe
commented
YA KNOW WHAT? I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF DTV! WHY GET FREE TV AND NOT PAY ANYTHING WHEN YOU CAN GET PAY TV AND BE SCREWED OUT OF OUR MONEY! I THINK THAT IT IS BETTER TO SCREW PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MONEY RATHER THAN KEEP FREE TV! DEATH TO FREE TV!
JUST KIDDING! KEEP FREE TV FOR THE REST OF US THAT DO NOT USE OR WANT CABLE/SATTELITE!
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oiejfaewjfoiawgowgt4wtwrwe
commented
YA KNOW WHAT? I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF DTV! WHY GET FREE TV AND NOT PAY ANYTHING WHEN YOU CAN GET PAY TV AND BE SCREWED OUT OF OUR MONEY! I THINK THAT IT IS BETTER TO SCREW PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MONEY RATHER THAN KEEP FREE TV! DEATH TO FREE TV!
JUST KIDDING! KEEP FREE TV FOR THE REST OF US THAT DO NOT USE OR WANT CABLE/SATTELITE!
