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PBS Announces Support of FCC’s National Broadband Plan

Mar 16, 2010  •  Post A Comment

Despite the fact that a number of commercial broadcasters have some serious reservations about the Federal Communication Commission’s new National Broadband Plan, the main organization for non-commercial broacasters, PBS, has given the plan a ringing endorsement.

In a statement PBS said, in part, "The National Broadband Plan, released today, will make a significant contribution to ensuring a diverse, digital media landscape in which the needs of local communities and, in particular, children are well served. It addresses critical needs in our country for universal access to information and a more engaged citizenry. One of the core principles of the plan has also guided PBS: the innovative use of broadband to improve lives, including educating our nation’s children, improving civic engagement and developing communities.

…."The transformational change in public media that PBS and its member stations have begun will require significant resources. As the plan recognizes, the continued development of a robust digital public media ecosystem would be enhanced by the creation of sustainable funding sources dedicated to this important work.

"PBS commends the FCC’s hard work on this plan, and we look forward to working with the FCC and Congress as we move forward."

21 Comments

  1. Are the folks from PBS nuts? Are they on crazy pills or just smokin’ a lot of dope watching old Mr. Roger’s reruns.
    Here’s my opinion…
    This is sickening! For about 10 years broadcasters have jumped through hoops and converted to the new digital system.. have spent millions of dollars+ and added services.. have built the infrastructure for “TV of the future”, and now our government decides it wants our spectrum?!!! Why at it, why not take away all steel and plastic from car manufacturers? How about taking away water from all the food growers?
    What are TV broadcasters without their spectrum but a cable channel (which, by the way, can be modulated with a $1,000 cable modulator and not a $5,000,000+ transmitter system). Our government IS OFF THE DEEP END and is become nothing less than the politicians of former Communist Russia. The government has already taken back channels 59 thru 83 over the years, and now they are looking at taking back the rest? Bull crap!
    The amount of spectrum they say is needed for broadband internet is so short sighted. They say there will be 100,000,000 homes at 100 mbps for this proposed new service, but in just a few years 100 mbps is going to be the equivalent of “dial-up” in terms of speed. It wasn’t that long ago that have 56k was incredible, but now the amount of data we’re pulling (like down-loading a pirated movie) would take hours upon hours to download the old standard. And they’re thinking 100 mbps is going to be enough?! Whose spectrum do they intend to swipe when that isn’t enough???
    We wired this nation for phones with 99% of Americans now having it. Let’s look at where we have nearly 100% coverage and determine how we can run high speed data over power lines. Or let’s wire to every house with fiber (look at Verizon FIoS or AT&T.) The speed of fiber has yet to fully be tapped, and certainly not going to be “crushed” by atmospheric conditions and any other interference (as another national RF network will certainly do). And when are we going to finally decide that all this RF might just be the cause of the continuously increasing cancer rate. Think about that! Who DON’T you know that isn’t getting cancer now! So let’s flood every single U.S. house with yet MORE transmitters. This is freakin’ NUTS!
    Hey.. U.S. government:.. concern yourself with a national water supply full of toxins and poisons.. .and an increasing lack of water. Hey… we have a freakin war with a county that “has weapons of mass destruction” that NEVER did materialize (surprise!) Maybe… just maybe.. our politicians should think about how to get the heck out of THAT mess! What about the homeless in America ? Wanna give them wireless broadband over the former TV spectrum? Hey.. here’s a NOVEL IDEA… figure out how to help those people?!! And what about unemployment????? How about figuring out a way to get people back to work (instead of eliminating another industry – TV). This is what seriously ticks me off. Our politicians are NOT focusing on REAL PROBLEMS and REAL CONCERNS. They are looking ways to screw things up further instead of fixing REAL human issues.
    The government is talking about people that aren’t even using the internet and saying “if we build it… they will come”. Hey… here’s an idea. If they don’t want it.. don’t need it.. aren’t asking for it.. then KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF IT!!! Here’s news for you (gov’t)… about 95% of the U.S. population never used the public library. Didn’t see you going door to door with a set of encyclopedias for every American or a library card. LET the people decide!
    Hey politicians!!! STOP listening to wealthy companies wanting to “do something for Americans” (in other words.. “looking for another way to make money”) and START LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU!!! I haven’t seen protests or huge masses saying “give us wireless internet”… yet somehow you feel this needs to happen. WAKE THE H*LL UP! When/if you continue to push the people of this country enough… and continue to think YOU (as politicians) know what’s best for US without actually listening to US… then you WILL find a situation that really needs your attention… and that is civil unrest!
    I, for one (but not alone), am SICK of this stuff!
    STOP pissing around with TV and instead focus half that effort on our pollution, our economy, our ecology, our “war problems”, our hungry, our homeless. Any of THESE items seem to be a cause worth fighting for? Or is the REAL ISSUE and problem that we need wireless 100 mbps across our nation??!!

  2. I think it’s time broadcasters took a stand and lobbied the public to end PUBLIC FUNDING of PBS programming that NOBODY WANTS OR WATCHES. In a battle for TV’s life, we should immediately sacrifice this albatross the nation has carried for too many years.
    Trade Public TV for Public Broadband without anyone evr caring.

  3. Just because YOU don’t watch PBS doesn’t mean others do.
    PBS has a FAR larger audience than Fox News, for example.
    And I want my Congressman examining why OUR airwaves are being squandered by prepetuating a 1950s technological model, and a 1970s business model, on our scarce public airwaves.
    Leave your tea party crap at the truck stop.

  4. Bravo to you for speaking up Zuma!!
    I, and everyone I know, watches our local PBS channels. TV Junkie needs to go back to watching “Ow! My Balls” (if you don’t get this reference, go rent Mike Judge’s hilarious movie “Idiocracy,”) and leave the grown ups in charge of the television remote.
    Yes, I’m an “Elitist” in that I can read!

  5. I would like Congress to examine why OUR airwaves are being squandered by giving it to wireless companies so that idiots can stream You Tube videos and check their Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter accounts every minute of the day.
    Leave YOUR coffee party “crap” in your trailer where it belongs and keep your grubby paws off of OTA TV.

  6. PBS is the BEST Station-they have real, indepth News, Charlie Rose and Documentaries. Let commercial networks do reality TV for Jersey Shore for TV junkie. To add to that growing trend…
    No wonder some Americans like “TV junkie” are really Stupid, uneducated morons since they don’t get real information.
    Please check how Europeans are more educated because they watch a lot more relevant news programming, and they have very strong Public Broadcasting systems in every country- just watch BBC or Scandinavian countries: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, France, etc! Those great examples of gov supported PBS systems. Government should Give PBS more proper funding.

  7. I agree with your thought nevertheless theres a few things I would have added in there myself.

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