Survival of Internet depends on digital TV

May 20, 2009

For broadcast television stations, it is a tough time to be out there hitting the pavement trying to bring in new advertisers. There are a lot of changes going on in our industry and it is tough to look beyond the next sales call when today's budget shortfall is still looming. Television is not "about the moment" or the hit show or Live Plus 3 ratingsit is something else. Television surrounds us and gives context to our world, an important medium that provides insight into our lives and how we communicate. It is a fundamental building block in our lives.

Broadcasters are just stewards of the spectrum, coming together to transform television from analog to digital. It goes beyond discussions of advertising, time shifting or competition from the Internet: Television is our nation's collective conscious of all our people. How we transform the television spectrum and everything that "going digital" unlocks will have a long lasting impact on our nation and our children. Our purpose is not to tweak the commercial pod, but rather to understand and fully utilize the digital spectrum...