The Cost to Broadcasters if Airways were Not Free

[erpowers]

Can anyone tell me how much it would cost broadcasters if they had to pay for their access to the public airways? In addition, can anyone tell me where to find this information?

[truedelphi]

1. This would be difficult to ascertain. Since they are a resource that

Has always been leased very cheaply (I don't think that the individual TV stations are FREE, but are very cheap) it would be hard to determine a value.

You might call your local Senators' offices and ask them to research who sponsored the 1996 Telecommunications Act, signed by Pres. Bill Clinton, which was the latest giveaway of the People's Airwaves.

Then contact whoever it was who sponsored that legislation in The House and the Senate.

Then ask those Congress critters for copies of that Legislation, and also any House and Senate minutes or records. Then ask the opponents of those bills for their thougths on the matter.

[Greyhound]

2. Hundred of millions, perhaps billions. A license to print money and all they have

to do is to pretend to serve the community, usually in the form of running PSAs in the middle of the night and carrying something called news.

[Greyhound]

5. To clarify, While FCC auctions since 1994 have attracted more than $36 billion in bids

from wireless phone companies, broadcasters and other incumbent licensees continue to use the spectrum rent-free.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/take_back_the_airwaves/">From Amy Goodman; "The public owns the airwaves that are being used by the big corporate broadcasters. The broadcasters, like NBC, ABC and CBS, have an obligation to use those airwaves “in the public interest, convenience and necessity.” These profitable corporations take these public airwaves for free, then peddle them for exorbitant advertising rates."

[guitar man]

3. access to the airwaves is hardly free

In television, just to initially license a full power station is quite costly, then between the monthly fees paid to the FCC to maintain the license, the air time required to be given away every week for free public affairs programming etc. etc., operating a broadcast facility gets to be an expensive proposition real quick.

And that's not even taking into consideration $25-35k a month for electricity. equipment upgrades and maintenence, wages, salaries and yada yada yada.

a lot of information can be found in the Public Files of your local television stations.

[onenote]

4. this will give you a rough idea

http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_summary&id=64