[opendtv] Re: Re.: FCC: Upgrading Media Rules to Better Serve Consumers in Toda
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2015 13:47:04 -0400
On Aug 17, 2015, at 2:52 PM, Daniel Grimes <dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Personally, I disagree. I believe, ideally, that OTA should only be
independently and locally owned and operated. They can be aligned with an
affiliate, a larger corporation, for resources like programming but not
corporately owned.
I know this is very impractical in today's business environment, but I
strongly believe smaller caps should have been held for the protection of
multiple freedoms and responsibilities that a corporation might not have an
interest in holding. Not that a corporation won't hold the interest (indeed
there are still a few corporations that hold to ideals first), just that with
the basis of how a corporation works, especially a publicly traded one, those
values are difficult to maintain.
I know this is an ideological stance, and that conflicting ideologies might
argue against, but allowing all OTA broadcasters to be owned by publicly
traded and/or large corporations will ruin (has ruined?) the original
function of the local broadcast.
Good thing I don't own a station, huh!?
Fear not Dan. I see no desire at the FCC or Congress to eliminate the ownership
caps.
The more important question is whether the FCC and Congress would like to cap
the number of broadcast TV stations...
At zero.
Next year's spectrum reverse auction will tell us a lot about the future of
broadcast TV.
Some broadcasters will take the money and run.
Some will agree to spectrum sharing - ironically this may lead us back to SDTV,
as that is all that will be required to share a channel.
And some will stay the course, particularly in larger markets.
One must question why anyone other than the broadcast networks would like a
national footprint. That is easily accomplished by creating a linear channel
for the MVPDs or an OTT service, if you have them content to fill a channel.
And the broadcast networks could cut the cord to their affiliates and go direct
to the MVPDs or to consumers as CBS is toying with - for now CBS is working to
protect affiliates with CBS All Access.
So we wait to see how long the politicians will protect local broadcasting
before the remaining spectrum is worth too much to ignore.
Regards
Craig
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