Perspectives from FSF Scholars October 12, 2020 Vol. 15, No. 53 Multicasts, ATSC 3.0 Turn Broadcasting Into a Multichannel Platform by Andrew Long * I. Introduction and Summary Consumers today enjoy a wealth of choices in the multichannel video programming distribution marketplace. This vibrantly competitive environment represents a dramatic departure from decades past, when claims as to the existence of bottlenecks were used to justify intrusive government intervention. One rising, and perhaps unexpected and largely unreported, source of multichannel competition is over-the-air broadcasting. Of course, dramatic changes in the media marketplace have been occurring for many years – and yet, due to its size, procedures, and inherent inertia, the "Communications Regulatory Complex" simply is unable to keep pace, especially in the face of considerable reflexive opposition by those who oppose any deregulatory changes. But with regard to broadcasting, cable, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), telco TV, and other media outlets, continued imposition of legacy regulatory restrictions of various types are in increasing tension with their First Amendment rights. Over the last ten years, the number of U.S. households that utilize an antenna to view their local television stations has increased by over a third, from nearly 11.8 million to 16 million. One explanation for that is the improved picture and audio quality that digital television (DTV) The Free State Foundation P.O. Box 60680, Potomac, MD 20859
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