Dan wrote: > Are there a lot of unused channels in the top markets, > available for the asking? If not, then buying spectrum > at auction is an alternative to buying an existing > broadcaster. If there is no room, I would agree that buying spectrum at auction could be an alternative for a broadcaster, although ATSC receivers won't be set up for those frequencies much longer, I would imagine? The way I see it, there are going to be 50 TV channels available in all after analog switchoff, where now there are 68. So that's a loss of 18 channels. But on the other hand, tabboo restrictions previously limited useful analog channels in any given location to less than half of what they could have been otherwise, or well under 34 (I'm including the non-local channels). This is because the UHF tabboos were so strict. Whereas all things equal, now 50 should become available. As of now, DTT stations are merely simulcasts of existing analog stations. So you should be gaining more than you're losing, after analog switchoff. Room for new broadcasters. And, of course, that's just talking about 6 MHz bands. Not actual program streams. New channels could be run by "mini-utilities," for instance, much like our local MHz Networks independent here. Also, I doubt that the FCC would be permitted to put any spare TV spectrum channels up for sale at auction, as Bob suggested. Bert ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways: - Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at FreeLists.org - By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word unsubscribe in the subject line.