NAB President Smith: TV For All, Not Broadband For Some

National Association of Broadcasters President-CEO Gordon Smith took a shot at the Federal Communications Commission for trying to create an America of television haves and have-nots. In his opening speech at the association’s annual gathering in Las Vegas (NV) he said:

“Lately, some at the FCC have been so enamored with mobile broadband and Silicon Valley that the Commission’s policy choices have unwittingly put us on an unnecessary collision course toward two Americas — one where the video future is available to those who can afford to pay, and one where they cannot. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: There is no ‘higher and better use of spectrum’ than serving diverse audiences with free and local TV programming for all citizens. And if the FCC chooses to tip the scales on retransmission consent rules, upending the right for broadcasters to fairly negotiate for the value of their signals and, then, providing more advantages for big pay TV companies, they may guarantee that the content viewers most need, the content they most want and enjoy, well then that content will only be available to those who can afford it. Remember, a broadcast signal is always available with an antenna — and broadcast content is consistently the highest rated and the most watched on television. No one but local broadcasters provide this free, ubiquitous public service. It seems everyone wants what we have — our content and our spectrum — but nobody wants to do what we do — live and vital localism. These unique qualities of broadcast TV should be cherished by the FCC, rather than ensuring its availability only to the wealthy."