60001548803.txt Dear Mr. Tom Wheeler and The FCC, I would like to express my comments on M.B. Dockeet 16-42 and the #UnlockTheBox rules. I'm glad the FCC did the right thing last month by breaking the barriers of antiquated set top box rules that you're forced to rent from your cable or satellite providers. I heard the average rental for set top boxes is about $231 a year I think. Currently, we live in a moderate to bad TV reception area for over-the-air TV signals despite getting three adjacent markets (one in-state like Columbia, SC and two out-of-state like Augusta, GA and Charlotte, NC) and I'm in the Greenville, SC market as well. I agree with commenter David Beach from Johnstown, CO that the FCC is promoting diversity as well. Back to over-the-air TV with antenna, I have my current outdoor long range antenna with mast 10' feet and lack of line-of-sight and I can't get WLOS 13 (my local ABC station in Asheville, NC which is in Greenville, SC DMA) most of the time, which is 98 miles from my house while I don't have trouble getting WYFF 4 (NBC), WSPA 7 (CBS), sometimes WGGS 16 (Religious Indie), WHNS 21 (FOX), WNTV 29 (South Carolina ETV/PBS), sometimes WUNF 33 (UNC-TV/PBS), WNEH 38 (South Carolina ETV/PBS), WMYA 40 (MNT), sometimes WRET 49 (South Carolna ETV/PBS), and WYCW 62 (The CW). The majority of the TV towers located in the Greenville, SC DMA are located about 70-98 miles from my house in Greenwood, SC. I get locals from adjacent Augusta, GA (unfortunately out-of-state market) WJBF 6 (ABC), WRDW 12 (CBS), sometimes WCES 20 (GBP/PBS), WAGT 26 (NBC), WAGT 26.2 (The CW), and sometimes WFXG 54 (FOX) about 50-60 miles from my house. From the Columbia, SC area I get over-the-air on limited hours WIS 10 (NBC), WLTX 19 (CBS), WOLO 25 (ABC), WRLK 35 (South Carolina ETV/PBS), sometimes WACH 57 (FOX) and WKTC 63 (The CW/MNT) which are about 77 miles from my house. From Charlotte, NC (unfortunately another out-of-state market) I mainly get WBTV 3 (CBS), WCNC 36 (NBC), and WJZY 46 (FOX O&O) which are about 100 miles from my house while WSOC 9 (ABC) and WCCB 18 (The CW) are about 110 miles and Tropo Conditions. My parents subscribe to DIRECTV since January 2009 before the controversial DTV transition took place. Previously we've been with DISH Network from July 2004-January 2009 and we left because they want us to charge lots of money to upgrade to HD, so we switch to DIRECTV. It was months after I've bought my first HDTV set a 19" inch in late 2008. Currently our DIRECTV bill is $145 a month (as of 2016) and we need to get bills lower and more choices. You can blame ESPN for being the most expensive cable TV network as of today about almost $10 per subscriber. Also Retransmission Consent is another topic and contoversial issue that needs reform real bad, and I'm tired of local channel blackouts. I've never experienced a local channel blackout on DIRECTV fortunately. Before we switched to DBS, we had cable from Northland Cable (now Northland Page 1 60001548803.txt Communications) aka Greenwood, SC's sole cable provider which unfortunately lacking top-rated cable networks like AMC, Pop (formerly TVGN), WGN America, NFL Network, CMT, MSNBC, and others. Recently Northland Cable had been in a retransmission dispute with Viacom and AMC Networks (despite not carrying the main AMC network) in the first of the year. Years ago they had dropped Disney Channel, ABC Family (now Freeform), and GSN. The latter three returned to their lineup recently. They do carry out-of-market NBC station WIS-TV from Columbia, SC in its entirety (despite not significantly viewed and not blackout because of silly exclusivity rules). Northland Cable's lineup has very poor choice. Greenwood, SC is in the Greenville, SC DMA which unfortunately tells irrelevant North Carolina and Georgia local news besides in-state South Carolina ones. I want to know what's happening in SC, not NC or GA. I also agree with commenter Linda Diamond from Trumbull, CT about in-state localism and the Nielsen's DMA system being broken. She's in the New York City DMA (despite living in Connecticut) and she mentioned that she's bordering next to the in-state New Haven, CT DMA in 5 miles which tells Conneticut local news. Similar sitaution according to Camden, NC resident Robert Duncan's comments, he's in the Norfolk, VA DMA unfortunately.

Since I'm in Greenville, SC DMA, the stations in my market tell irrelevant North Carolina and Georgia news besides in-state South Carolina local news, the out-of-market in-state TV stations from Columbia, SC and Charleston, SC DMAs tells 100% in-state relevant South Carolina news. I don't want to know what's happening in NC or GA, I don't live there, I live in SC. Let us watch in-state news from South Carolina TV stations in and out of market and please eliminate the dreadful exclusivity rules too, sorry NAB. Currently we have NO CHOICE but to watch the local channels where the DMA we live in, and it's Un-American. Our NBC station WYFF 4 in Greenville, SC preempts Kathie Lee and Hoda's 4th Hour of NBC's Today Show in the mornings while WIS-TV in Columbia, SC and WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC does carry Today Show's 4th hour live at 10am. I did watched the out-of-market in-state newscasts from Charleston, SC online many times. But it's NOT THE SAME as watching it on TV because you don't get network/syndicated programs, just local news. Instead of real commercial breaks on internet simulcasts of TV station newscasts, you'll see the dreadful screen with a TV station logo and the words "We'll Be Right Back!" is that the NAB's idea? Just wondering. Higher bills forced subscribers to do the trend of Cord Cutters recently and it's not going away any time soon. People have devices like AmazonFireTV Stick (we have two of those) and subscribe to Netflix (I'm a fan of Degrassi and been a Netflix subscriber after the Canadian imports controversial cancellation by TeenNick last year, and the show wasn't the same after Miriam McDonald left in 2010. She's now a Real Estate Agent in Toronto, Canada. I'm a big Miriam McDonald Page 2 60001548803.txt fan and Drake fan too) and getting free apps like Shout Factory app (which has old episodes of The Dick Cavett Show), YouTube, Pandora and others. I love innovation and 21st century fads. Recently Amazon and Comcast team up to provide Cable TV service on Over-The-Top devices I think and that's a good sign. We need others like Time Warner Cable, Cox, and Charter to come along with the plan. I'm glad that DIRECTV will soon have DIRECTV Now in the Fall. We need to get local broadcast TV stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, The CW) to broadcast on over-the-top devices like AmazonFireTV Stick and finally break the barriers. My stepfather works at FijiFilm and my mom is now on SSI fixed-income due to declining health, same story for me too since I have autism and OCD. I've heard the controversial outcome from the Supreme Court on June 25, 2014 when Broadcasters shut down Aereo in 6-3 decision and impacted the Cord Cutting revolution, similar to rival FilmOnX at one of the circut courts. The NAB is known for stifling innovation, and I hate it when the NAB get away by doing this. I think the NAB hates freedom of choice and free market, they're just Un-American period! Cable TV and broadcasters current business model is 100% broken, Nielsen's DMA system is 100% broken too. Plus the FCC's program exclusivity rules (network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity) is 100% broken as well. Retransmission Consent needs to be eliminated as well, it's 100% broken too. Why do people have to pay for free over-the-air TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc.) on Cable and Satellite providers while it's truly free with antenna? That don't make any sense at all. Eliminate those rules from the rule books please?

The FCC is doing the right thing and it's a winner for consumers, while the NAB and the Cable Monopolies are the losers in this battle. We need to end the high prices of Cable TV and satellite bills, make it affordable once again. Greed is 100% bad as the Bible say "Money is the root of all evil" and it can't bring love and happiness either. We do need freedom of choice and free market. Let us watch out-of-market locals from in-state like South Carolina (like Charleston and Columbia for example) on the providers offering Cable TV and Satellite on Over-The-Top devices and let folks buy their own boxes instead of forced to rent them from cable companies and DBS providers too. The Cable Monopolies are not Free Market, nor Freedom of Choice, period. I disagree with Pearland, TX resident Gary Shrum's comments about set top boxes not decreased in costs. I also disagree with Morristown, NJ resident Audrey Achille Napoleon's comments dissenting the issue. And I disagree with with Witheld, NJ resident Benjamin R. Kreuther's majority of the comments. Also, disagree with Felix Sanchez of NHFA about reconsider the proposal. Sorry Felix.

Let Freedom Ring and let cable and satellite subscribers have freedom of choice to Page 3 60001548803.txt choose what Cable TV Networks available, and let them watch their desired in-state relevant local channels that's interest them and other programming. I don't like the Nielsen's DMA boundaries either. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought to end segreation in our country in the 1960s, he succeeded. Susan B. Anthony fought to end discimination against females when it comes to voting, she succeeded. Unfortunately both them are gone, and they were True Patriots. We need 21st century rules for today's marketplace, not rules from the 1950s and 1960s. I do support M.B. 16-42 and innovation as well. I support the FCC's plan to Unlock The Box...Unlock the cable/satellite set top box. Greenwood, SC needs cable competiton from Comcast, TWC, Cox, or Charter besides DIRECTV and DISH Network. Americans want choices on set top boxes and DVRs, you made a great move. The Cable Monopolies must end for good.

Thanks for your time Mr. Wheeler.

Sincerely,

Spencer Karter Greenwood, South Carolina

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