This was a Facebook comment that I had made in response to another reader thinking that I was advocating abandoning PEG (Public Education Government) channels on traditional cable TV systems and replacing with LPFM stations.
I am not against PEG channels, I support them.. My point was that the cable company in Phoenix was able to gain sweetheart deals in their franchises to reduce PEG channels to just those of the government variety. Gone, is the true public access channel. I had brought up less market share for traditional franchised cable as (1) a justification for the cable companies demand more of their spectrum back to add more channels to their lineup and (2) cities are less likely to invest as much as they have in their government channels especially giving the situation our cash strapped municipal governments are now facing. Cable companies need to realize by keeping these channels on the air, they can add more channels to their lineup with minimal per-sub costs.
Providing space for non-commercial educational entities should be an obligation for any multi-channel spectrum user, even if that spectrum is riding a cable on a pole. Both satellite TV and satellite radio are required to reserve a portion of their spectrum for non-commercial educational (NCE) use. 20% of the FM broadcast spectrum is reserved for NCE radio stations. There is a considerable share of TV channels on the table of allotments that are set aside for NCE. Competition from other MVPDs are not an excuse for the incumbent franchised cable companies to drop PEGs. I also feel that the competitive MVPDs that require franchise (e.g. Qwest Choice TV, VZ FiOS, ATT U-Verse, etc.) should also set aside spectrum for public and other NCE use.
I was not equating expanding LPFM as a replacement for a cable company's obligation to provide PEG, I was offering the concept of increased LPFM availability as another channel of communication, especially for the segment of the public who can not afford to subscribe to cable, who live in situations where cable or satellite TV is not available and for those who can not afford broadband services to watch PEG channels over the internet (if the government is streaming). The recent loss of KUSF in San Francisco is a prime example of the loss of a true community resource in favor of a format that is more commercial viable.
Spectrum opportunities for citizens to be heard are closing up we need to assure that those opportunities remain available but at the same time, we need to expand the diversity of the channel of communication giving more people the opportunity to hear the message.
