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  • From: Thomas Beckett <thomas AT tbeckett.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Re: Jon Stewart on Crossfire
  • Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 10:57:04 -0400

Edward Wesolowski wrote:
Tom: This has always struck me as tricky and peculiar. Traditionally the U.S. government has been adverse to control of such things as the "public" airways. They get into it, but the point of departure has traditionally been the govment shouldn't run stuff like television, like the BBC does. But instead of government control of the public RF spectrum, television and radio channels have been controlled by private, licensee companies.

The spectrum is a natural resource. Its use transcends political boundaries, so the federal government regulates it. The FCC doles out the right to use the spectrum to various commercial, nonprofit, educational and government concerns, but with few exceptions isn't really concerned with producing content. /Regulating/ content is another matter entirely. Just ask Janet Jackson's breast or Howard Stern's mouth.

The whole point of government regulation of spectrum arises from the notion that spectrum is a /limited/ resource. You can't have everyone broadcasting at any frequency they want because of the potential for interference. Because it is a limited resource, holding a license for a given slice of spectrum confers the licensee with a significant degree of monopoly power. This monopoly power carries a lot of economic strength. With consolidation of the broadcasting industry, that economic power is enormous and translates into political power as well.

Technology has advanced to the point that RF devices can detect and avoid interference through various mechanisms (that I'm not sophisticated enough to understand). There are good arguments for the adoption of an "Open Spectrum" policy. I suspect that some governmental ground rules for Open Spectrum would still be necessary (e.g., you have to use interference avoidant technology). I also suspect that the government will not back away from regulating content so easily, either. Even so, Open Spectrum might still be better than the current regime.

Enough rambling for now. Interesting issues.

Fight the power!

TaB




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