The end of free TV?

Last night I was watching a broadcast station and I saw a commerical about saving free public television. As it was late at night not write down the web site but it talked about how millions of people will no longer have access to news,emergency broadcasts and weather via TV. I am not aware of any pending legislation or anything to interfere with free Tv at this point. I know in 2009 it was talked about briefly not nothing came of it.
Of course so many rumors have come true in the last few years. It was rumored for many years before digital TV came about that analouge TV was ending. It was also rumored years a go that the incadescent light bulb will be banned and that is also coming true.
At this point I am scared that this will also become true. www.170millionamericans.org...; I ran across this we site that states millions of people rely on public boadcasts. I can not afford cable and I am on attenna. Over the past 3 years I have spent a total of $2000 for 3 HDTVs. One for my bedroom, a handheld one and one for the front room. I scrimped and saved for each TV. I only pay for netflix when I can afford it. If attenna TV goes away entirely my TV would be almost useless. I have maybe 20 DVDs but I don't like a lot of mainstream movies.
I am searching extensively for web sites or any information that may clear this up? They ended anlouge TV will they really take free tv? I really don't care about enterianment but more about information, news and weather. I love to watch science shows, documentaries and cooking shows. (even if some of them are a bit watered down for my taste.) I am sick of our new society where things costs more and more; free things are being taken away. I remember when all apartment complexes paid for your water and trash now that costs. Why in our capitialistic society is there always someone or some entity that wants to charge for something that should be free?

I hope this in the right area if not moderaters please move to the apporiate spot. It took me so long to type this so it went to the bottom of the list. If anyone knows the commerical I am talking about let me know. I am going to try to find it on you tube.

I saw this on my local tv as well. It may as well be a banner that says "Welcome to capitalism. We specialize in making free things expensive." But even more so look at the cause of the problem, greed. We're seeing a government in debt trying desperately to make some cash, and a spectrum auction is a quick dollar or two. Some would even say this is a sign of increasing government control through the use of money sucking corporations.

I hate to see our free tv disappear, but there's not much we can do about it. I've tried to talk to my congressional representatives for years about stuff and they don't care. Maybe some lobbyist can bribe a few of them to vote down the spectrum auction.

Interesting. First I have heard about this.

A quick search brings this up: thefutureoftv.org...

But the federal government is making decisions about how the airwaves are used, which could limit television's ability to innovate. It could also jeopardize the local news, emergency information and high quality programming on which hundreds of millions of Americans rely.

So, it seems, this may happen.

Wonder when they will start an air tax?

If everybody stopped watching TV, yeah everybody, the TV networks would have to give away free TV's to get people to watch

If everybody stopped watching TV, what power would the governments have?

If everybody stopped watching TV, what power would the news networks have?

If everybody stopped watching TV, what power would the companies have?

well i watch history and natgeo and all of the cool nature channels. i guess it costs money to make these shows so i wouldn't mind paying for them, also tv aren't the only sources for news and weather, but yea free tv was nice while it lasted.

news.cnet.com...
As I do some more research I found an article here. I am still trying to figure this out and if this true how do we fight this. I know when we get voilent weather I turn on the TV to hear the meteorlogist it is the only thing that keeps me calm. I can't imagine going through a storm such as the one in Gladstone,Mo April 2008 without TV broadcasts.

reply to post by vjr1113


Between gas prices, rent increases, food prices rising and electricity tripling over the past 3 years I can not afford anymore bills. I have cut down on my cell bill by putting $25 on it every 3 months. I am on some public assitance and trying to get off of it. I doubt that if they start charging for free TV it will be $5 more like $20 or something.
It seems like a way to keep the poor public in the dark. I don't need 10 channels but I would like one weather channel, PBS, and one channel that has news/emergency information thats all I need. I don't have a radio that is good enough to replace TV. During a tornado it would be a lot harder to figure out emegereny info on a radio.

Free tv will never go away. As a matter of fact, satellite/cable will probably get much cheaper.

The government needs to communicate with you. They need to sell their message. Heck, they're giving away cell phones and intrawebz access.

The problem isn't too little tv, it's going to be too much tv.

Interesting. First I have heard about this.

It's kinda weird to think how basic TV and radio are free but virtually nothing else in life is.

reply to post by moskva666


The first time I ever heard of analouge Tv going away and switching over to digital was on ATS years a go. I think here on ATS we tend to pay attention and know things before they happen.I hope that this is wrong but like I said before so many rumours become true. I also heard of bandwidth caps for the internet on ATS and now I have a bandwidth cap of 150 GB. I think they are trying to squash all competition but cable. I think we should have our choice of what service we want whether it be over the air broadcast,cable/satellitie,Netflix or HULU.

The end of free TV?

There is no such thing as free TV...period.

Is your time worth anything? Currently the local networks force you to sit through 40 minutes of crappy commercials for 20 minutes of mediocre programming.

*(volume UP)*

CALL NOW!!!!! Order with your credit card in the next 5 minutes and we'll double the offer! Just pay separate shipping and handling...


FTA Satellite is an option that few are aware of. You will not see it advertised on your local stations because they don't want you changing the channel.

reply to post by dreamseeker


Download the torrents for your fave shows.

reply to post by mnmcandiez


Thats the problem with basing a society/economy on money nothing is really free. We pay taxes, we pay for water, housing, food etc. In a society based on money; money always comes before a human being. I can see our society slowly turning into a third world country over time as more free things are taken away and cheap things become out of reach for the poor/average person. I can see more deaths from storms happening and more division between the rich/poor.

reply to post by SprocketUK


I only watch over the air for weather, news and emergency broadcasts mainly. When I can I pay $8 for netflix. I am ok with having acess to 3 channels or so 24/7. I can't really download a torrent for a live broadcast about a tornado on the ground.

reply to post by lernmore


I agree there is not a lot of high quality programming. I spend more of my time on the internet than TV, That is why it is important that money free TV continue because I can't spend money on something I rarely watch. I like the way it is now and feel if it changes then I paid way too much for fancy usless decorations?
My time is very valuable and that is why I don't watch anything that does not appeal to me. I don't like american idol or glee so I don't watch those shows. I only watch what I believe is worth my time.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

They are also talking of radio going digital. I am not going to buy a new radio! I have one small radio that costs me $40 that plays cds too. I am sure a digital radio will be more. Enough really is enough here. I am all for free radio but I would rather have free tv because I like to see the tornados and what is happening live.
It seems they are attacking us from all around. Trying to take away free Tv, making radio go digital and then if radio goes digital they may start selling subscriptions for that. DO they really want a bunch of poor to die during bad weather or injuried? Apartments don't even have safe rooms for storms so if people only rely on NOAA weather radio there will only be maybe 5 minute warning.

TV... ooh that thing my parents have blaring at 110 db, Nah I don't watch TV usually.

If something is important enough, I hear about it, like I did Oslo.

I don't live around the TV or indeed watch much of scheduled programming, maybe a show or that, but that is rare.

I think a lot of people on ATS don't really watch a lot of TV. I know in my area they replaced a weather channel with a classics channel. While I think the classics are much better than the current TV shows I find the weather information more valuable. I guess the average person really does not think in practical terms?