WASHINGTON,
DC -- The
National Association of Broadcasters today issued a statement in response
to Google's claim that 13,000 petitions have been signed in support of
allowing the introduction of unlicensed wireless devices in the television
band.
Noting
that 113 million homes in the U.S. typically watch television more than
eight hours per day, NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton questioned
the relevancy of the Google funded petition drive.
"It's
worth asking whether 13,000 petitions are more important than retaining
interference protections for 113 million TV-watching homes," said
Wharton. "All the petition drives in the world cannot mask the fact
that Google's own allies have admitted that these devices don't work.
Absent proven interference protection, Google's gamble on the future of
television is not a risk Americans should be asked to take."
Joining
television broadcasters in expressing concern over the interference-causing
devices are sports leagues, Broadway theater groups, cable operators and
networks, wireless microphone manufacturers and religious groups.
A July
2007 FCC report concluded that sample prototype 'white space' devices
did not accurately detect broadcast signals and caused interference to
TV broadcasting and wireless microphones. That setback was followed by
a February
2008 power failure, in which a Microsoft representative admitted that
their prototype device "just stopped working."
In March, another
Microsoft device "unexpectedly
shut down," according to a Microsoft press release.
To date, 70 lawmakers have expressed concern over the use of unlicensed personal-portable devices in the broadcast spectrum, including:
|
Senator Mary
Landrieu (D-LA) Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) Rep. Henry E. Brown (R-SC) Rep. David Davis (R-TN) Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY) Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) Rep. Howard P. McKeon (R-CA) Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR) Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN) Rep. David Scott (D-GA) Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) Rep. Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC) Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) Rep. Melvin Watt (D-NC) |
Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) Rep. David Price (D-NC) Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) Rep. Ralph Hall (D-TX) Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-TX) Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) Rep. Nick Lampson (D-TX) Rep. John Carter (R-TX) Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) Rep. Dave Hobson (R-OH) Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) Rep. David Scott (D-GA) Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME) Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME) Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) |
About
NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association
for America's broadcasters. As the voice of more than 8,300 radio and
television stations, NAB advances their interests in legislative, regulatory
and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables
broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses
and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
###