Dan, I think you're not reading my entire reply. If a nationwide network owns its own transmission facilities, rather than rely on affiliates, this (a) doesn't preclude small local stations from competing, using the freed up analog spectrum and FCC local ownership caps, and (b) doesn't significantly reduce the points of view you get over the air anyway. You will be watching ER and NBC News whether NBC has an O&O or an affiliate in your market. Most of what the affiliates air is either network programming or shows in syndication, right? There are, on the other hand, more directly applicable safeguards against monolithic points of view. To introduce diversity to every market, I'd look at the existing dual network and local ownership caps established by the FCC. Also relevant here is that with OTA networks, many networks can coexist in any given location. You don't need to "separate content from carriage" to achieve diversity, as you might have to do with cable. With many networks coexisting, the diversity available to each market is limited only by the amount of spectrum dedicated to TV and radio, and basic business realities. Furthermore, the nationwide network with enlightened self-interest will know to introduce some local news and events in the different regions where they operate. And the network that does this to the level people really want is the one that will get the most viewership. This site: http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/reviewrules.html explains the various ownsership rules. The local and dual network ownership rules, I think, are well written to promote diversity within *any* given TV market. The rules promote diverse nationwide nets and also diverse local, small scale nets (assuming they can survive). ---FCC Local and Dual Network Ownership Rules--- Local TV Multiple Ownership Rule (1964) The local TV ownership rule allows an entity to own two television stations in the same DMA provided: (1) at least one of the stations is not ranked among the four highest-ranked stations in the DMA; and (2) at least eight independently-owned commercial or non-commercial broadcast television stations would remain in the DMA after the proposed combination. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. challenged the Commission's local TV ownership rule in court. In 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit remanded the rule to the FCC for further consideration. Dual Television Network Rule (1946) The dual network rule originally prohibited any entity from maintaining more than a single radio network. A few years later, the rule was extended to television networks. Today, the dual network rule prohibits a merger between or among these four television networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. ------------------------------------------------ I don't see where allowing a (nationwide) conglom to own its own nationwide OTA transmission facilities does anything to reduce the points of view any individual citizen gets to sample. Those who want to ensure that diverse points of view are aired should look at the most effective mechanisms to achieve their goal. 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.