[opendtv] Re: Broadcasters, Cable Spar over Retrans

  • From: "John Shutt" <shuttj@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2011 09:51:27 -0400

Free Ride?  I don't think so.
Oh, we may not explicitly pay for our spectrum use, but we pay in other ways with required hours of Children's Programming, EAS/DEAS, limits on commercials, limits on explicit content, required public service, and a myriad of other regulations and requirements in order to keep and renew a broadcast license.
In addition, we have hand to spend literally millions over the past decade in order to continue to use our "free ride" spectrum in order to comply with the transition to digital broadcasting. This is over and above what would have otherwise spent in basic plant maintenance.
And if we do make additional revenues with our spectrum, we have to pay a percentage to the Feds, so the only "free ride" spectrum is the spectrum used to deliver a "free ride" signal to our viewers. 

John
----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Birkmaier" <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
There is nothing unfair about it. Broadcasters have had a free ride in the spectrum for six decades or more. It is ludicrous that they should now receive a second revenue stream, when many broadcasters ALREADY make profit margins that are among the highest of any business in the U.S. 




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