DTV Transition & Media Reform

COMMENTS OF THE NATIONAL HISPANIC MEDIA COALITION THE NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION HAWAII CONSUMERS PROMETHEUS RADIO PROJECT MEDIA ALLIANCE THE BENTON FOUNDATION U.S. PIRG

Media Access Project, on behalf of The National Hispanic Media Coalition, The New America Foundation, Hawaii Consumers, Prometheus Radio Project, Media Alliance, the Benton Foundation and U.S. PIRG (collectively “NHMC, et al.”) respectfully submit these comments. NHMC, et al. support the Commission’s preliminary conclusion to apply the existing public… more

COMMENTS OF NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION (WISPA) ACORN ACTIVE MEDIA FOUNDATION COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS’ NETWORK CHAMPAIGN URBANA COMMUNITY WIRELESS NETWORK (CUWiN) THE ETHOS GROUP FREENETWORKS.ORG

Introduction & Summary

For close to a generation, telecom policy analysts have argued that the TV broadcast band was extremely inefficiently utilized and that parts of it should be reallocated for more efficient uses. In… more

In early 2006, the Wireless Future Program at the New America Foundation, an independent think tank, launched a new initiative to advance its work on public interest spectrum policy by strengthening connections with -- and service to -- diverse public constituencies. NAF enlisted CIMA: Center for International Media Action to convene a group to advise its Wireless Future Program from the perspective of communities that have a vested stake in the debate, but whose interests are not well represented by… more

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In February 2006, Congress passed an early 2009 "hard deadline" for the nation’s transition from analog to digital television (DTV) transmission. The bill reallocates more than $40 billion of TV broadcast spectrum for auction to wireless broadband services and to public safety. It also earmarks spectrum revenues to finance a converter box subsidy for all low- and middle-income consumers who rely on over-the-air TV -- a plan originally proposed by New America. With a hard deadline and consumer subsidy now… more

This paper was submitted to the American Political Science Association 2006  Annual Meeting.

It’s a common observation that crises such as wars, recessions, stock market meltdowns, ethics scandals, and natural catastrophes often drive the public policymaking process. A crisis reveals a problem and then a public consensus emerges that policymakers must do something about it. The policy debate then centers on the best means to solve the problem.

Interest groups well understand the political logic of such crisis moments. Accordingly,… more

Distributed transmission system (DTS) broadcast prospects are helped by the Metropolitan TV Alliance's request to test the technology in N.Y.C., said Merrill Weiss, a consultant who has works with DTS. "Certainly, that adds credibility to what we've been doing elsewhere," Weiss said. DTS allows TV broadcasters to use multiple, smaller towers transmitting in a cell-like grid identical signals to provide over-the-air TV coverage to receivers underserved by a traditional high-power tall broadcast tower. N.Y. broadcasters lost their perch atop the… more

In February 2006, Congress passed an early 2009 "hard deadline" for the nation’s transition from analog to digital television (DTV) transmission. The bill reallocates more than $40 billion of TV broadcast spectrum for auction to wireless broadband services and to public safety. It also earmarks spectrum revenues to finance a converter box subsidy for all low- and middle-income consumers who rely on over-the-air TV -- a plan originally proposed by New America. With a hard deadline and consumer subsidy now… more

There are vacant channels between broadcast television stations in every media market. This spectrum can be used by unlicensed devices without interfering with television viewing.

An unlicensed allocation of these bands would be the most productive way to use this spectrum. Unlicensed spectrum is a proven way to generate technical and commercial innovation; promotes healthy diversity in markets and regulatory models; and complements the licensed allocation in the nearby 700 MHz band.

A broad cross-section of society would benefit, including… more

What all community wireless networks—commercial (WISP), municipal and community nonprofit—have in common is the unlicensed spectrum they use to transmit signals. Opening more low-frequency spectrum – such as the unused TV channels – is therefore the “rocket fuel” needed to facilitate and scale up community wireless networks, as well as home and business WiFi networks. Unlicensed, or open spectrum, refers to segments of the airwaves that have not been licensed by the government for exclusive use by one company or… more