To Create Demand We Need More Local Content Like PEG

[Commentary] The aspect of the broadband stimulus that's getting almost no attention is the up to $250 million set aside to spur demand for broadband. People don't seem to be talking much about it despite the fact that increasing the market for broadband may have the most profound effect on spurring deployment by creating more customers. If you want people to go online you need to give them a reason to do so. If we want to reach the 50% or so of households without broadband access we can't get there by talking bitrate and bandwidth. We need compelling local content that they either can't get anywhere else or that it's at least more convenient to watch online. That content could be anything, from local sports to local government meetings to local music to local healthcare information and beyond. The idea is having content that's relevant to someone living in a particular geographic area, and then making that content available online on-demand. Because of this, it's Daily's belief that NTIA should seriously consider any proposals from PEG stations to use BTOP demand funds to facilitate the creation of more local content.