October 24th, 2011 
joel 
When we last polled our P&T readers, we asked about your online video usage. A plurality said that they never watch local news video online, while over a third would occasionally do so. Just under a third would watch full newscasts or live video streams if offered.
There is much talk in the trade press about the looming spectrum crisis, with wireless broadband operators such as AT&T and Verizon screaming for more bandwidth, especially in the UHF “beachfront property” bands where signals can penetrate buildings better and have less dropout. That just happens to be where for the past 60 years your local television stations operate, and they are not giving up their “seed corn” without a fight.
The National Broadband Plan has called for an additional 500 MHz to be allocated to the wireless operators, a big chunk of which would come out of broadcasters’ spectrum “behind.” This proposal is coming after the spectrum that TV stations abandoned with the digital TV conversion.
So which side are you on; does the need for spectrum to operate smartphones and tablets and whatever next-generation technology is out there trump the outdated free TV model? Or is the highly-efficient, locally-responsive, and free one-to-many model of TV stations an inherent right of citizens in a representative democracy?
Where do you fall in the spectrum war?
- With the TV stations: keep free TV available in all markets (72%, 21 Votes)
- With the wireless operators: we need more spectrum to keep up with consumer demand (14%, 4 Votes)
- I don't have a horse in this race (14%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 29
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Deep Background for November 2011
Here’s a tribute for the newspaper carriers.
These sleep-deprived adults from all over our area awaken at 2 AM and drive their ink-stained vehicles to one of the district distribution centers for the Erie Times-News. There they will do by hand what machines used to do just a few months ago; assemble each newspaper they will deliver, merging the pre-printed features sections and ad inserts with the fresh news sections that just arrived from a two-hour trip from Butler. From there they will load 200, 300, or more papers in their vehicles and begin their run. The papers still have to be delivered by 6:00 no matter the weather, even with all the extra labor, and even if the truck is delayed.
But the Wednesday after Election Day, that 6:00 delivery deadline won’t be met, because the newsroom is staying up late to publish the election returns. Late to Butler means late to your front step and news stand. But don’t blame your carrier.
We sound off on all things media in this open forum through your comments, e-mails and tweets @pressandtower.
Embrace the chaos!