CEA'S Shapiro: Broadcasters Have Terrified Hill With Power To Demonize Legislators

Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro appears on C-SPAN's The Communicators this week. He continues to push for reclaiming broadcast spectrum for wireless broadband, saying broadcasters had "terrified" Congress with their power to demonize legislators over the airwaves.

Shapiro said the push by the FCC and administration for more spectrum is the exact right thing to do given the coming spectrum crunch and given that broadcasters are using their "borrowed" spectrum to reach less than 10% of American homes, and can deliver their signals via cable and satellite, and with the help of electronics companies' help, locally over the Internet. What about another new delivery system for broadcasters -- mobile DTV -- which requires spectrum and creates opportunities for consumer electronics companies supplying the receivers? Shapiro said mobile TV is possible. He pointed out that Qualcomm tried it "and it didn't work out." He conceded it had worked in other cultures "where people are more used to watching TV on the go," but he said the more likely on-the-go video service would be over the Internet. But Shapiro also argued that broadcasters haven't really gotten behind the service or promoted it, but if they do he thinks it is supportable with the kind of spectrum slicing and dicing he advocates.