[opendtv] Re: B&C: Democrats Seek to Eliminate UHF Discount
- From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:15:52 -0400
On Aug 23, 2017, at 2:00 PM, Manfredi, Albert E
<albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
This is ENTIRELY consistent Bert. It is called POLITICS.
If our Chairman Pai doesn't want to come across as inconsistent and
hypocritical, the best course of action would be to deregulate. Which means,
abolish the UHF discount AND abolish the national cap. But keep the local
caps, because most reasonable people can see that a monopoly on local news
and commentary outlets is not a good idea. It's not good form to be too
excessively stuck in your dogmatic formula-think.
I actually agree with you on this, as long as there are two news providers in a
market (not including broadcast networks and cable).
Unfortunately, as the article clearly stated, the FCC does not have the
authority to do this. Congress set the ownership cap, and any attempt to remove
it by the FCC would immediately be challenged in court.
Who cares? The vast majority of homes do not use antennas.
For now, it's about 20% and rising. Long term, sure. In any case, whatever
the OTA experience might be, this legacy issue about UHF reception continues
to create a thoroughly artificial bias, caused by regulation and nothing
else, on station ownership.
The number of homes that still use an antenna is not really the issue. The
issue is competition. FOTA broadcasters now attract at best 30% of the prime
time audience, far less during other day parts. Local news now attracts about
25 million viewers a week - significantly less than 30% of homes.
The reality is that there is no longer any need for regulation of TV
broadcasters. Let them bid for their spectrum at auction, and lets see how
many are willing to PAY to keep broadcasting...
According to these articles, that purely artificial bias, caused by
regulation and nothing else, today seems to be favoring a conservative
station group. So today's FCC likes to pretend that this purely artificial
bias, caused only be regulation and nothing else, somehow does not need to be
deregulated. In spite of the dogmatic mantra about deregulating of the prime
time audience everything. So, it matters.
OMG. Can you believe it?
For the first time in the 200+ year history of this country some politicians
and regulators are seeking to get around existing law and regulations...
Next thing you know well be hearing about "Sanctuary Cities..."
:-(
Regards
Craig
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