Blog #20

U.S Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., in commenting on a broadcast related issue before the Court in January 2012 said, '...Broadcast TV is living on borrowed time. It is not going to be long before it goes the way of vinyl records and eight-track tapes.'

A Troubled Future

For Over-the-Air TV

The majority of people in the United States no longer receive their TV signals from an over-the-air antenna, but by cable, satellite, and the Internet. This means that in contrast to earlier times a large part of the RF (wireless) spectrum is being reserved for fewer and fewer people.

At the same time the newer audio, video, and data technologies are being crammed into the limited (and often less desirable) RF spectrum space they've been assigned.

This government PDF chart provides a look at the hopelessly crowded RF spectrum and the large blocks reserved for VHF and UHF television. The crowded spectrum space means, among other things, that police, fire and homeland security communications can be compromised.

Meanwhile, more and more people around the world are turning to the Internet for TV programming. More people in the U.S. would too, except that, overall, we have one of the slowest Internet services among major nations.

In March 2010, the Federal Communications Commission proposed an ambitious 10-year plan that would establish high-speed Internet as the country’s dominant communication network.

The chart below shows the variation in Internet access among the states.
Homes with Internet by State

Since Internet access is becoming increasingly important to personal and vocational success, one of the FCC's goals is to reduce the disparity between the states and races.

Percent of U.S. Households by
Race with No Internet Access in 2010

Asian 19%
White 27%
Back 45%
Hispanic 47%

The proposed FCC plan envisions a fully web-connected world with broadband, providing split-second access to everything from health care information and research to online classrooms. The plan acknowledges that the high-speed exchange of information is key to staying competitive in the world.

According to F.C.C. chairman Julius Genachowski, “Broadband will be the indispensable platform to assure American competitiveness, ongoing job creation and innovation, and will affect nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives at home, at work, and in their communities,”

But over-the-air broadcasters and major telecom companies (both of which have major political influence in Washington) are mobilizing against it.

Maybe it comes down to whether the political influence behind maintaining corporate profits will trump greater interests of the people and the nation?

-Ron Whittaker.

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