Spectrum v. CBS (A Modest Proposal)! Wireless DISH?

But CBS seems to be taking it a bit further than mostamp160 CBS is still no matter what Les says a amp8220broadcasteramp8221amp160 A amp8220broadcasteramp8221 with public service obligations related to the companyamp8217s owned and operated amp8220broadcast stationsamp8221 use of the public spectrumamp160 For those Millennials who might not yet have heard the spectrum assigned to authorized amp8220broadcast stationsamp8221 is as a result of the Communications Act of 1934 nevertheless owned by the United States of America and is regulated by the Federal Confusion Commission which to avoid more confusion assigns specific parts of the spectrum to individual amp8220broadcast stationsamp8221amp160 Yep it does seem a bit like talking in circlesSo if CBS is no longer a amp8220broadcasteramp8221 but instead a amp8220programmeramp8221 what use does it have for all that valuable spectrum that belongs to all US citizensWhat should CBS doamp160 Or perhaps better said amp8220What should the FCC do about CBSamp8217 no longer needed spectrumWell how about taking it back for the countryamp8217s useJust thinkamp160 If all the broadcasters were to declare themselves a la CBS no longer broadcasters the country could solve a whole lot of budget woes by taking that broadcast spectrum back and selling to wireless carriers in the already scheduled auctionamp160 Think of it as a sort of reclaiming that better used as wireless spectrum via the nasty aspect of precedent forces the amp8220broadcastersamp8221 who want to continue amp8220broadcastingamp8221 over the air to amp8220repackamp8221 and not waste so much spectrumamp160 Remember ainamp8217t theirs to begin withDonamp8217t laughamp160 The legal justification is there too and the precedent is the move from analog to digital So hey Tom Wheeler go get amp8216emComcast missed out on Time Warner Cable TWCamp160 French telecomcable operator Altice politely inquired at Columbus Circle after surprising everyone except Jerry Kent by buying a majority interest in Suddenlinkamp160 But TWC decided Tom Rutledgeamp8217s polite and friendly offer on behalf of Charter and one or another Liberty entity ready and willing to help out and cheer from the notsosidelinesamp160 Charter also added Bright House which has enjoyed close ties with TWC for some time leaving Altice sort of looking aroundamp160 But as Altice founder and head Patrick Drahi noted he didnamp8217t pursue TWC because it was amp8220too soonamp8221 and because Altice doesnamp8217t yet have management depth amp8230 but as he told Reuters amp8220 if I buy five small operators I can be as big as Time Warner CablequotSo we have a suggestion for Monsieur Drahi and his American representatives Get to know Rick Fickle and the National Cable TV CoOp If the Altice folks do so theyamp8217ll have a short cut to identifying the right amp8220five small operatorsamp8221amp160amp160amp160amp160amp160amp160amp160amp160After all Cable One is about to be cut loose from parent Graham Holdingsamp160 Might be a nice time to visit Lenexa Kansas before making some offersamp160 After all Cox is far from a likely seller and Cablevision with a strong competitor would prefer the more local scale of teaming up with TWC Via Charteramp160 Wait and seeamp160 After all theyamp8217re calling their megaplay Spectrum and WiFi is on the agenda as well as a settopintheskyDISH divulgesamp160 Well so it was scheduled at press time amp8230 years ago as we first watched DISH and Mr Ergen joust with LightSquared and others we suggested the idea of merging so to speak satellite download with wireless twoway broadband plusamp160 My bet is thatamp8217s what heamp8217ll talk aboutIn Other Items of InterestMore proof spectrum is wastedamp160 How about another broadcaster blacking out a cable op over retrans feesamp160 Latest is Granite and Mediacom sparring over the hidden tax on cable subsamp160 Itamp8217s not like Mediacom is too aggressive after all theyamp8217ve got a long term Viacom dealHow important are sports to the bundleamp160 Good questionamp160 Clearleapamp160has some of the answer that can be found in a recent survey the company conductedamp160 Good reading go here via Multichannel News and then get a copyWhen news is not news The latest American Customer Satisfaction Index survey puts cable at the bottom Cable and ISPs scored a 63 amp8230 last among 43 industriesThe next chapter of my book in progress The Revolutionary Evolution of the Media will show up next weekThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Media Village management or associated bloggersamp160amp160amp160

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Spectrum v. CBS (A Modest Proposal)! Wireless DISH?

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Paul S. Maxwell

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