[SBE] The Future of Broadcasting

[Gary]

The danger in thinking that we just need to wire everyone up is that 
when you do then the bureaucrats can control who can see what. Just 
look at how China and Iran control what their population can see. 
However, broadcast it into the air and they cant regulate it. The 
lesson we learn from say The Voice of America is that we can get the 
truth to people without any local Government's permission. Ditto 
terrestrial broadcasts here in the US. There is an underlying push to 
get certain broadcasters to "knuckle under". Ask Rush Limbaugh and Sean 
Hannity what they think about this current cast of characters in 
Washington and Talk Radio. If they (the bureaucrats) had their way they 
would force stations to program 'Air America" type programming even 
though it does not sell. Even though people rejected it. Sound like the 
current health care mess? "You betcha" as Sarah would say.

And it makes no sense, unless you see it as a means for bureaucrats to 
control what people see on their TVs, when the FCC says broadcasters 
should get out of the delivery business and just create content. What 
was the transition to digital all about in the first place?...I am 
beginning to think it was a clever way to have broadcasters give up 108 
MHz of spectrum by letting people think that HDTV is the future. That 
was Step 1...The "final solution" was then, in less than a year mind 
you my friends, to start floating the idea that we really do not need 
over the air TV at all. Nope, we can handle it via cable and 
fiber...Doesn't that make you wonder? It does me and it makes me wonder 
what these bureaucrats are up to. The old line; If it ain't broke don't 
fix it is very appropriate here with respect to the future of 
broadcasting.

Dr. Gary Brefini
Member SBE