New coalition seeks to protect broadcast TV

A coalition of industry, broadcasters and diversity organizations announced the formation of a coalition on Tuesday designed to protect the future of broadcast television.

The Future of TV Coalition was facilitated by the National Association of Broadcasters and will engage in lobbying and direct advocacy in hopes of ensuring the future of free television at a time when consumers are increasingly embracing the Internet and pay-TV as sources of video content.

"The Coalition supports the evolution of broadcast television and its integration with other technologies and across many platforms," reads the mission statement of the coalition, which includes Bounce TV, The Center for Asian American Media, Open Mobile Video Coalition, and Vme Media.

"Our members work together to advance public policy initiatives that allow broadcasters to continue to rigorously innovate and invest to better serve consumers."

A spokesman said Bounce TV co-founder and former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young has already met with Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) and more meetings are planned, with many other organizations and companies expressing interest in joining the coalition since the announcement of its launch.

The group argues the future of broadcast TV is bright thanks to innovations enabled by the switch from analog to digital television including high-definition, digital multicast channels and mobile DTV. A system to allow smartphone users to watch local TV from their devices is expected to launch in the near future as well.

"Broadcasters are just now unveiling the new innovative services made possible by the DTV transition, which has enabled the promotion of more community voices on local television," NAB president Gordon Smith said.

"The members of this coalition understand the importance and benefit of preserving this expansion of consumer choice on television."

The public's growing appetite for mobile means more spectrum must be made available for wireless carriers, with many stakeholders pointing to the sizable chunk of the airwaves held by broadcasters as a potential source. 

The deficit reduction supercommittee is under pressure to authorize spectrum auctions as part of any debt deal, but the broadcasters are firmly against any auctions that aren't completely voluntary.

They note the demand for bandwidth is driven primarily by streaming online video, which they say would be more effectively transmitted via the broadcast network, which is designed to reach a large number of users.

Some supercommittee members have also suggested the government should reliquish some of its spectrum as part of any deal.