dslreports logo
 story category
Aereo Launches 'Protect My Antenna' Site Ahead of Court Date

Hoping to generate a little public and press support ahead of the company's life or death Supreme Court fight versus broadcasters later this month, Aereo has launched a new website called ProtectMyAntenna.org that attempts to educate the public on what their battle is all about. Aereo has previously stated that the company has no backup plan should broadcasters win, forcing the broadband TV streaming operation to close down completely.

"What is at stake in this case is much bigger than Aereo," said Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia in an e-mail to the press and public.

"We believe that consumers are entitled to use a modern, cloud-based, version of an antenna and DVR and that consumers should not be constrained to 1950’s era technology to watch free-to-air broadcast television. The broadcasters’ positions in this case, if sustained, would impair cloud innovation and threaten the myriad benefits to individuals, companies, and the economy at large of the advances in cloud computing and cloud storage."

The website also links to all the amicus briefs filed by other companies in support of Aereo, as well as all of Aereo's filings with the Supreme Court. The fight officially begins before the high court on April 22.
view:
topics flat nest 

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

1 recommendation

morbo

Member

Aereo should win

I will be shocked if Aereo loses. They exist and should continue to exist due to how the law is written. I will be a future customer.
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer

Premium Member

Re: Aereo should win

While I will not be a customer, I agree that legally it looks like they should win. There is a lot of people that think Aereo shouldn't win (and that is a fair position) but that is a different discussion than 'Are they operating under the law'.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: Aereo should win

They will win, regardless of the legal case against them, as the four affirmed lefties will always vote against private property rights, and they will be joined by several of the alleged conservatives who have misplaced ire for their cable service. I won't be surprised to see Thomas standing alone.

I don't support them, their technical trick isn't any more legit than other rube-goldberg approaches before them, and it isn't the proper approach to solve the issue of program delivery.

But as we don't see our "leaders" negotiating or legislating to update us from 1992 and 1996, Aereo may be this generation's Betamax, and a favorable ruling may very well become the catalyst for radical change.
pandora
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Outland

pandora

Premium Member

Re: Aereo should win

said by elray:

They will win, regardless of the legal case against them, as the four affirmed lefties will always vote against private property rights, and they will be joined by several of the alleged conservatives who have misplaced ire for their cable service. I won't be surprised to see Thomas standing alone.

The current administration has filed a brief opposing Aereo. If we assume President Obama is a liberal, and opposes Aereo, how do you rationalize liberals on the Supreme Court behaving opposite to those in the Executive?

You can read the government brief here - »www.scribd.com/doc/21037 ··· edStates

The Obama administration conclusion regarding Aereo follows

The judgment of the court of appeals should be reversed.

Respectfully submitted.
Jacqueline C. Charlesworth
General Counsel

The Solicitor General and the Principal Deputy Solicitor General are recused in this case.

I do not know if this is a liberal or conservative issue, but am surprised to think you believe liberals in power support Aereo. Personally I believe those in power support others in power, thus Republicans and Democrats, conservative and liberal, likely do not support Aereo.

Hope and change was nonsense. It got a guy elected, but it's the same story, increasing government power, decreasing civil rights. Doesn't matter left or right who is in power.

Pyrrhic
@comcast.net

Pyrrhic to elray

Anon

to elray
If Aereo wins it will be a Pyrrhic victory because the OTA broadcasters will shut down and move to cable only delivery. They will have a legal win, but no business to run.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: Aereo should win

Indeed, that is one possible scenario - but it wouldn't be the disaster that you suggest. A significant percentage of the OTA viewers would relent and pay, and just as we saw free HDTV converters ... funded by our tax dollars, who is to say the networks might not get themselves free carriage for non-paying satellite customers as part of the deal to liquidate the spectrum?
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer to Pyrrhic

Premium Member

to Pyrrhic
said by Pyrrhic :

If Aereo wins it will be a Pyrrhic victory because the OTA broadcasters will shut down and move to cable only delivery.

Why would the shareholders allow them to throw away a revenue stream out of spite? Their greed makes them very predictable... they won't. They can talk all the shit they want but in the end, it would be a bad business decision.

If they are childish enough to actually do it then I say good riddance.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: Aereo should win

said by CXM_Splicer:

Why would the shareholders allow them to throw away a revenue stream out of spite? Their greed makes them very predictable... they won't. They can talk all the shit they want but in the end, it would be a bad business decision.

If they are childish enough to actually do it then I say good riddance.

It is neither spiteful nor childish, it is simply business, and the shareholders will approve, and in the end, they will net more revenue.

I don't want to see OTA go away, but the fact is it is dying, the result of the epic fail that was the DTV conversion. You can't go to a single showroom here and find a set that will tune every local station, despite having an aerial on top the building aimed at the one mountaintop where all of the transmitters are sited.
pandora
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Outland

pandora to Pyrrhic

Premium Member

to Pyrrhic
The Aereo brief indicates 90% of broadcasters revenue is from advertising, only 10% from cable and satellite fees. Shutting down OTA would be fiscal suicide.

If a broadcaster shuts down valuable spectrum, shareholders will revolt, and if the signal went dark, for the first time in many years, spectrum would be available for new broadcasters. How is this a bad thing?
axiomatic
join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX

1 recommendation

axiomatic

Member

I am a customer...

I am a customer and if for some fluke reason Aereo loses in court I will be really saddened. It's a great product and is a pioneer in forward thinking. They should not be punished for their ingenuity.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: I am a customer...

said by axiomatic:

They should not be punished for their ingenuity.

Not for that, but they really should have considered the copyright law issues before they started making money off someone else's work product. That's what this is really about and it goes far deeper than an antenna gimmick.
axiomatic
join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX

axiomatic

Member

Re: I am a customer...

said by RadioDoc:

Not for that, but they really should have considered the copyright law issues before they started making money off someone else's work product. That's what this is really about and it goes far deeper than an antenna gimmick.

We'll see in court I guess. I for one think they have done nothing wrong other than successfully navigate the letter of the law and are exploiting a crack in the wording that is not covered. Sure change the law if you like, but the hole is there and kudos to Aereo for making money off of it.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Either way, Aereo loses.

If they win cable co's or others will mimic them to death (and then watch as local broadcast ceases)
or the court says "NO!" and they shut down.

Can't see a definitive win for them

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Re: Either way, Aereo loses.

said by tshirt:

If they win cable co's or others will mimic them to death (and then watch as local broadcast ceases)

The consequences of this happening are small.

CBS has claimed they would do the same as Aereo. The problem is consumers won't pay what CBS will charge for just CBS content. They may pay for CBS content and all company channels. The price won't be competitive and it will include unskippable ads, etc.

Local broadcast will not cease as the local affiliate stations will sue them into oblivion.

If local broadcast does cease, the license and the airwaves will revert to public ownership. Maybe we will use this to pay down the debt.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Either way, Aereo loses.

said by morbo:

Local broadcast will not cease as the local affiliate stations will sue them into oblivion.

Sue who? very few local stations are network owned most are affilites with rebroadcast contracts--not rights, so if they can't pay for content they don't get it.
said by morbo:

If local broadcast does cease, the license and the airwaves will revert to public ownership. Maybe we will use this to pay down the debt.

which in most areas leaves Aereo with no content to rebroadcast.
even where there are owned stations they may choose to go all infomercial and make the valuable network shows Cable only

better a few dollars back then nothing from aereo
These effects don't all have to be instant to doom Aereo chances to survive.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to morbo

Member

to morbo
"Local broadcast will not cease as the local affiliate stations will sue them into oblivion."

Most local affiliates in small markets barely keep their heads above water as it is. They don't have the deep pockets needed to sue them into oblivion If Aereo wins it could have a devastating effect on them as what revenue the get from their carry agreements will disappear. Comcast, DirectTV, Dish and others are watching this case very closely and if Aereo wins you will see them license or sell their technology to one or all of the above.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Re: Either way, Aereo loses.

This is a perfect class action case.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Either way, Aereo loses.

said by morbo:

This is a perfect class action case.

Class action for what? how do you define the class? what injury and what remedy?
A $1 off the first month of cable?
pandora
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Outland

pandora to tshirt

Premium Member

to tshirt
I'm reading the briefs, unfortunately Aereo decided to only list favorable briefs filed on it's website. Other briefs can be found elsewhere easily enough.

Overall I hope Aereo wins.

Ken_H
join:2004-03-15
Ann Arbor, MI
Netgear RAX15
ARRIS S33

Ken_H

Member

Aereo is a pay TV service.

This isn't about if Aereo should be able to offer this service or not, it's all about one thing - Should Aereo be able to charge customers for offering this service without compensating local Digital TV stations for taking their signal and reselling it?

Federal law has long established that pay TV resellers, like cable and satellite services, must compensate local Digital TV broadcasters for retransmitting their signal. Aereo is no different. If they charge consumers to view local Digital TV stations, they should have to pay to have access to them.

What should happen is that the Supreme Court will not let Aereo make money on a broadcast without paying for it. If not, you may well see broadcast networks go off the air and move exclusively to pay TV services, exactly like CBS President Leslie Moonves recently said they could do (see link below). Believe me, this is no bluff.

Q. How will it help consumers to have local Digital TV stations go off the air?
A. It won't.

»variety.com/2014/digital ··· 1129362/

Packeteers
Premium Member
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
Asus RT-AC3100
(Software) Asuswrt-Merlin

1 edit

1 recommendation

Packeteers

Premium Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

it IS a total bluff. CBS's top demographic are the poor and old OTA people that can't get Aereo because they are offline. it would be a public relations nightmare if CBS went off the air to blame Aereo right after the highest court in the land said it was legal for Aereo to continue. the best play for CBS after Aereo wins is to ignore Aereo completely - otherwise they only give Aereo more free marketing. rural OTA dependent people won't matter since they can't get decent broadband anyway, and they would look like sympathetic victims of CBS bluster in any anti-Aereo campaign.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx to Ken_H

Member

to Ken_H
I doubt that many, if any, cable systems still get the broadcast stations over the air. They have had direct feeds for years and pay compensation because they distribute one feed to many subscribers. When 9/11 happened and the NYC transmitters came down along with the WTC, local stations were still available on cable and were never interrupted even for and instant. They long ago had direct feeds. I had both a cable connected TV and OTA TV running simultaneously that day to watch what was going on and when the OTA signal went away, the cable connected TV continued to provide me with coverage.

The problem for the networks is that Aereo is complying with the law as it is currently written. They are giving an antenna to each subscriber to control and use, unlike the cable companies with the equivalent of a single antenna. Should the networks decide to pull their programming off the air, they have already been advised by the FCC that those valuable broadcast licenses they were given for free decades ago will be considered abandoned without no compensation to the networks. The FCC will then offer them up to anyone who wishes to bid for them. I doubt the networks would let such a valuable property slip out of their hands.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

said by n2jtx:

....by the FCC that those valuable broadcast licenses they were given for free decades ago

Those "valuable properties" have little value if they can't profit from them.
Unlike new York philly, DC most cities aren't network owned** and can't afford to go without the network exclusive programming so those market will go fast.
at the network owned stations in some markets might get some content but for stations that already only show a limited network show selection.
The FCC can stop the networks from not offering the show but the 9-11 package might be too expensive for the local. and at a certain point people ignore the rest of that channel
The former local CBS affiliate here is showing more and more infomercials during the day and has little local content to fall back on. »www.kirotv.com/
And the station that won the CBS contract service has little local connection/feel to it.

The abc and NBC affiates are paring down there many broadcast station and are concentrating on their secondary CABLE only channels already.

**just had the thought that Aereo's oddly scattered roll out is Specific to network owned areas
mpellegrini
join:2009-02-22
Tacoma, WA

mpellegrini

Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

Hmm. The KIRO TV we watch here in Tacoma is still a CBS affiliate. Perhaps Snohomish is on a different reality/timeline than Tacoma.

So what's it like AstroTurfing for Comcrap, by the way? Pay any good? They give you benefits? Freebie broadband?

Must be nice to be paid to spread bullshit...

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

You are right they returned to CBS in 1997 after leaving for a while, which makes their infomerials some saturday and sunday afternoons all the more pathetic.
said by mpellegrini:

So what's it like AstroTurfing for Comcrap,

I wouldn't know, but "the shill card" is a sign you have nothing on topic left to say
mpellegrini
join:2009-02-22
Tacoma, WA

mpellegrini

Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

said by tshirt:

I wouldn't know, but "the shill card" is a sign you have nothing on topic left to say

Oh, I have a lot left to say. It's just I don't have time. I have to work at a real job for a living, not sit typing, regurgitating my employer's canned views.

You most obviously ARE a shill. And that type of phony asshole has always pissed me off.

I DO have time to call bullshit...

Ken_H
join:2004-03-15
Ann Arbor, MI
Netgear RAX15
ARRIS S33

3 edits

Ken_H to n2jtx

Member

to n2jtx
Please note I edited my comment to remove references to the Supreme Court ruling on the technical aspects of the antenna system used by Aereo. Sorry for the misinformation.
said by n2jtx:

Should the networks decide to pull their programming off the air, they have already been advised by the FCC that those valuable broadcast licenses they were given for free decades ago will be considered abandoned without no compensation to the networks. The FCC will then offer them up to anyone who wishes to bid for them. I doubt the networks would let such a valuable property slip out of their hands.

The only reason the FCC licenses have value is because the FCC insures broadcasters get compensated from those reselling their content, like they did with cable and satellite. If that were to stop the licenses become worthless, which would be the case if Aereo is judged to be a legal business. Of course the spectrum itself would be of value to wireless industry in general (AT&T, Verison, Sprint, T-Mobile would be jumping for joy), but broadcast TV would cease to exist. It would be very simple; you'd only be able to watch the former broadcast networks on a pay TV provider, and Aereo would have nothing to resell. End of story.

ieolus
Support The Clecs
join:2001-06-19
Danbury, CT

1 recommendation

ieolus

Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

I'm sorry, are you doubting how small an antenna can get? Have you seen the size of a smartphone? How large do you think the antenna is in one of those?

Ken_H
join:2004-03-15
Ann Arbor, MI

Ken_H

Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

You should do some homework before making comments like that. Cellular signals and Digital TV signals require completely different types and sizes of antennas.

ieolus
Support The Clecs
join:2001-06-19
Danbury, CT

ieolus

Member

Re: Aereo is a pay TV service.

Well, when you get your EE degree, you can tell me to do my homework on antennas, thanks.
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer to Ken_H

Premium Member

to Ken_H
Since most TV stations have moved to UHF the difference is not that far off. The antenna patents are available online (so much for 'the vaguest terms) . There was testimony about them in the first court case but it is not part of the legal question anymore.

If you think Aereo is reselling programming then why do you think Slingbox is allowed to do the same thing without paying retrans fees? Why is Cablevision allowed to receive programming and record it and rebroadcast it to their customers with their 'Remote DVR' for a fee? The broadcasters claim(ed) that was the same type of copyright infringement that Aereo is doing... so why the double standard?

•••
ptb42
join:2002-09-30
USA

1 recommendation

ptb42 to Ken_H

Member

to Ken_H
said by Ken_H:

Once the real way the technology works is exposed, meaning the dime size antennas are ganged into an array to provide reception for all users in that area, most industry observers believe that alone will be enough for the Supreme Court to uphold the stay preventing them from doing business.

If this technical issue hasn't already been "exposed" in a lower court, the Supreme Court is very unlikely to consider it. They rarely conduct any kind of discovery.

The Supreme Court focuses on the appeal, and the reasons an appeal was made. If an issue wasn't considered in a lower court, then it can't be grounds for an appeal.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc to n2jtx

to n2jtx
said by n2jtx:

Should the networks decide to pull their programming off the air, they have already been advised by the FCC that those valuable broadcast licenses they were given for free decades ago will be considered abandoned without no compensation to the networks.

Only a small minority of broadcast television stations are owned by the networks they carry, so this analysis is way off. And the FCC hasn't "advised" anyone about this...they simply do not do that. instead, the licensees (who pay dearly every year in "regulatory fees", so they aren't free either) will broadcast non-network programming. 'Giligan's Island' 24/7 anyone? The TV stations can hold out much longer than Aereo can.

But this is not a consumer choice battle. It is a copyright law case and will be decided on that basis. Aereo has a huge problem here.
ptb42
join:2002-09-30
USA

ptb42 to Ken_H

Member

to Ken_H
said by Ken_H:

Should Aereo be able to charge customers for offering this service without compensating local Digital TV stations for taking their signal and reselling it?

Aereo's business model is not taking a signal and reselling it. They are renting an antenna to a consumer (an actual individual antenna, not one shared by everyone simultaneously), and the consumer is choosing to use it to receive a particular broadcaster's signal.

This may seem to be splitting hairs, but that's exactly how the law is written: a single consumer using a single antenna is not required to compensate the transmitter of the signal. If you don't like the law, change the law -- rather than advocating a reinterpretation of it.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Aereo is [not] a pay TV service.

said by ptb42:

Aereo's business model is not taking a signal and reselling it. They are renting an antenna to a consumer (an actual individual antenna, not one shared by everyone simultaneously), and the consumer is choosing to use it to receive a particular broadcaster's signal.

What stops the networks from doing the Ted Turner Superstation option and offering the NY network feeds nationwide, the big 3 could call it HULU (or something remarkably similar and give you a package of live feeds and their libraries price it closer to $25-40 if most of the locals were gone.
Whether you pay the cable guy or the network, local broadcast and Aereo are endangered.

This is the way to change it to something not cheaper or consumer friendly.
ptb42
join:2002-09-30
USA

ptb42

Member

Re: Aereo is [not] a pay TV service.

The networks have to first break or expire their contracts with the broadcasters. Right now, I believe the broadcasters have exclusivity agreements for their reception area, although I'd be curious if those only cover OTA transmission, and perhaps MSO and satellite.

But, setting that aside: you have a good point. The networks could create their own subscription model, with the MSO or satellite operators as middlemen, or direct to the consumer via the 'Net.

However, they would have to offer a price that people are wiling to pay. $25-$40/year might be acceptable. $25-$40/month would rapidly eviscerate their business. Four decades ago, they were the only game in (most) towns. Today, technology advances have given consumers far more choices.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

1 recommendation

KrK to Ken_H

Premium Member

to Ken_H
No. They are not a reseller.

AnonMe
@comcastbusiness.net

AnonMe

Anon

Win, lose, change

Aereo should win as current law is written. However the supreme court in recent years has been more about applying law to protect those who have put them in that job.

Win or lose: local stations are still winning. They are getting their commercials out to local viewers, and that's what it's really about. In fact, one might argue that getting stations content back to thier more localized geographical area might be beneficial to advertisers.

Aereo wins: cable companies will then lobby to change laws to somehow oust Aereo. I don't see cable cos trying to compete with the same technology. Ultimately they know profitable live TV is at the beginning of the end of its life cycle (mostly, not entirely). Additionally, other start ups may attempt the same concept to compete after Aereo provides all the legal precedent that it's ok.

Aereo loses: cable companies keep business as usual. Then they turn around and remind the local broadcast that cable is their only option to get thier advertisers seen.

Unfortunately, I think Aereo is always going to have legal battles if they survive this round. Hope they survive to fight another day!
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Pointless move

Putting up a site like this is a pointless move. What do they expect people to do, call the Supreme Court and urge the justices to side with Aereo? Yes, people could call Congress if Aereo should lose and demand that the law be changed, but we all know the likelihood of that happening is somewhere between 0 and 0+0.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Re: Pointless move

Educating the public is important. Just look at the misinformation and industry shills that are out in force. It is amazing to watch. The biggest reason is to prevent congressional action after Aereo wins. Once broadcasters lose, they may decide to lobby to change the rules. I can't see them banding together to offer a competitive product to match Aereo. It will be like Hulu is today. A sad example of what could be.
Millenium
join:2013-10-30

2 edits

Millenium

Member

...

I'm excited for the court's decision.

Aereo: We're selling an antenna.
Broadcasters: You are selling our content.

Fact is, they are doing both. The two are inseparable. The question is, is it illegal for Aereo to sell broadcaster content? If so, I think they are going down.

Kinda like arguing you aren't selling narcotics, just the the bag containing the narcotics.

•••

JS
@lmco.com

JS

Anon

If networks could strengthen their OTA network signals, there wouldn't be a service like Aereo in the first place. Consumers are sick and tired of being force to pay for cable or satellite if they want to get local network stations. It's crazy that you're barely able to get OTA signals in the city...assuming you get any at all.

GOAEROEO
@optonline.net

GOAEROEO

Anon

they should sell a few channels with nothing on them then they could truly say they are selling the antenna connection and not the contact.

pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium Member
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA

1 recommendation

pokesph

Premium Member

I put up a remote antenna connected to a receiver on a big hill, gaining me 300% better OTA coverage of the normal broadcast networks and local stations, including out of market ones. Lets say I linked to that remote equipment via point-to-point radio or via a dsl/cable internet (or even a t1/3) connection.
Am I fully allowed to do this? I think so. (actually not much difference from an old-school MATV system you'd find in an cheap hotel or apartment complex)

How is what Aereo is doing any difference. From what I've read, they are just doing what I just described but they are saving me the costs of installing/maintaining the remote equip, the transport costs, and so on.

blah.. greed networks and mega-corp 'content' providers need to get a grip and fu.. err never mind.
tvoldtimer
join:2010-09-16
Shawnee, KS

tvoldtimer

Member

Re: what if..

This is not about greed so much as it is about the survival of a business. I have made a living from broadcasting for more than 40 years, today revenue is very thin. TV especially has gone from being a cash cow to a business that still makes money, but the margins are very thin now. Many people have lost their jobs due to headcount reduction because there is less money to be made these days in local television. It's not always about corporate greed, corporations are run by real people with real lives, and when the money spigot gets turned off real lives are affected.
frank124c
join:2003-12-04
Brooklyn, NY

frank124c

Member

I hope Aereo wins but if it doesn't I hope someone smart sets up a web site based in Costa Rica or Cuba or some other off shore location and re-transmits tv signals from that website. I believe the big tv corporations have violated their trust with the American people because before tv was "improved" I was able to receive many tv channels here in Brooklyn,now I can get only one and that one fades in and out. Now the only way I can watch tv is by using USTVNOW. Instead of using a VPN to get this site on my computer, I use Maxthon Cloud Browser that has a free built in VPN.
tvoldtimer
join:2010-09-16
Shawnee, KS

tvoldtimer

Member

Re: Aereo

"I believe the big tv corporations have violated their trust with the American people"
How did big tv corporations violate the trust of the American people? They simply followed the mandate imposed by Congress and administered by the FCC. The transition to digital TV cost the local TV stations millions of dollars each, and no one compensated them for the cost of the transition. That includes more than 10 years of maintaining 2 signals and 2 transmitters, new antennas, new towers and the cost of dismantling the old antennas and transmitters.