Brad on Broadcast

If last Friday’s post didn’t get you to question your career selection, this one might. According to research by YouGov for Deloitte, almost 90 percent of TV viewers always fast-forward through advertisements. more

Broadcast and television network executives may be left scratching their heads after the publication of two recent reports about televisions and viewers. The reports show that while the median age for American TV viewers is increasing, people have more TV sets in their homes than ever before. Before you try to get your head around those facts, add this one: Only 42 percent of Americans consider the television set a “necessity.” Let’s look closer at the data behind these confusing facts. more

Turns out there may really be (almost) such a thing as a flux capacitor. For those of you under 30 years of age, I digress to explain the term flux capacitor. more

The FCC was told again to back off any heavy-handed approach to “voluntary” spectrum surrender. A proposed bill from Senator Rockefeller, D-WV, S.3756, includes language that would prevent Genachowski’s crew from forcing TV stations to relinquish spectrum.

Virtually all of the bill is focused on creating a structure to build and fund a nationwide public safety broadband network. In the bill, users would be provided an additional 10MHz of spectrum along with $11 billion, or more, in funding. more

In reading some FCC news, I ran across several articles describing the commission’s continued (mis)use of the Universal Service Fund (USF). I’ve written before about this taxpayer fiasco.

I pay a total of $13.00 in taxes on a base telephone line rate of $19.00, or 68 percent! That amount includes the USF tax and a host of other “charges” the feds, the state and the city government have decided I need to pay. My fear is that Genachowski’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) will include even higher taxes to support expanded telecommunication services. more