October 11, 2011 – In a response to an editorial in the Times of Trenton written by The Coalition For Free TV and Broadband, the president and CEO of the CTIA, Steve Largent, accuses low power television stations (LPTV) as being “squatters.”
Rod Payne who operates a church based station responded, “I am not a squatter. I am a public service oriented broadcaster that uses the air-waves entrusted to our station(s) to provide broadcast opportunities to greatly underserved groups of the American public. The fact that like many in this industry, I do not generate enormous revenue, but instead provide information, encouragement and dialogue that is being over-looked in a misguided attempt to generate a minuscule amount of revenue for this nation. Allow us and countless others in our industry, to use the spectrum that has been entrusted to us in new ways and we will provide much of the populace with communication avenues the wireless industry can only dream of.”
The Coalition for Free TV and Broadband finds it funny that Mr. Largent would use the word, “squatters,” especially since two recent reports from Citigroup and Deutsche Bank have shown that the true “squatters” are the wireless companies.
The chairman of the Coalition, Irwin Podhajser said, “The wireless companies’ inability to work together and roll out advanced networks has led to the false “wireless crunch”. Now instead of getting their house in order, they want to crush the little guys and put them out of business all for a small amount of spectrum.”
Lee Miller, communications director for the Coalition added, “Additionally, Mr. Largent talks about the money that will be raised for the Federal Treasury if the wireless companies get their way. As broadcasters, we have a plan as well that will create jobs, raise revenue to pay down the debt, create competition, offer broadband solutions to more of the country and best of all, won’t put over 2000 local television stations out of business.”
About the Coalition
The Coalition For Free TV and Broadband is a group of television broadcasters, concerned organizations, and individual citizens and has formed to ensure the survival of free television and to offer solutions to the nation for better, cheaper wireless broadband utilizing the broadcast industry.
More information is available at www.FreeTVandBroadband.org
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