[SBE] The spectrum grab is not new

[Rolin Lintag]

Just from my limited understanding, the rationale for the frequency grab are:

1)     Anachronism of the broadcasters' wireless spectrum usage

2)     The use is not spectrum efficient

3)     Newcomer (broadband IP) will benefit the public MORE than OTA broadcasters will

As long as broadcasters prove otherwise, then the spectrum grab will be difficult to justify.

I think if broadcasters can continue to show the following, then the reason for the spectrum grab will ONLY be politically motivated than anything else;

1)     Fitness for use - the broadcasters' ubiquity and localism at the same time are fit for public service like emergency alerts and local notifications as in news and public affairs. Network affiliation keeps the blood running but localism is our bone marrow. Mobile phone systems have shown in the past to be inadequate to fill this need. Even when boomers are gone, OTA remains as a reliable source of public service info during a calamity. Broadcasters need to keep it that way and even do better.

2)     Spectrum efficiency - Aggressively fill up the DTV .2 and .3 channels even with all SD. Business models should already be in place to make this happen since it can be a steady source of additional income. If all stations are filled up like an OTA "CATV", and people have more "channels" to watch as FREE TV, then there will be more cable cutters, hence more support for OTA.

3)     Other opportunistic data should be tapped to the max, either for OTA or Mobile TV.

I particularly look up to the NAB and the SBE to facilitate business and technical strategies to allow us to dig like ticks in our spectrum foxholes. I just watched Matrix Revolutions again last night for the nth time and I can almost hear Captain Mifune's inspiring pep talk to the corps - 'If it is our time to die, it is our time. But if we...." :)


Message: 1
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2012 14:43:51 +0000
From: Gary Stewart <gstewart at ctvn.org<mailto:gstewart at ctvn.org>>
Subject: [SBE] The spectrum grab is not new
To: 'sbe member discussion mail list' <sbe at sbe.org<mailto:sbe at sbe.org>>
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Looks like the gov't has been planning to get rid of broadcasting for a long time.  That doesn't mean we have to let them do it.


?                                 Former FCC chief Hundt on board of firm advising FCC on auctions<http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dAmMCAsMegeqwktQfCtGgIfCABxs?format=standard>
Reed Hundt, the former Federal Communications Commission chief who said regulators "decided in 1994 that the Internet should be the common medium in the United States and broadcast should not be," is involved with a company that will be advising the FCC on upcoming TV spectrum auctions. Hundt is a board member of software firm Auctionomics, one of three companies selected for an advisory role. TVTechnology.com<http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/dAmMCAsMegeqwktQfCtGgIfCABxs?format=standard> (3/28)



And then I saw somewhere in today's news where someone was pointing out that if we are forced to find spectrum to share with another broadcaster we could be competing with their mobile services for that space.



Gary Stewart

Engineering Dept.

Cornerstone TV

412-824-3930


Romualdo "Rolin" Lintag
Chief Engineer
Victory Television Network
KVTN-DT 25.1 Little Rock, AR
KVTH-DT 26.1 Hot Springs, AR
KVTJ-DT 48.1 Jonesboro, AR
www.vtntv.com

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