The End Of Free TV? Broadcasters Quietly Plot An Exit From Over-The-Air Television

ProximityLocal
Written By Tim Hanlon

TopSphere Media / @zvessels55 via Unsplash

This week’s legal petition by HC2 Broadcasting Holdings Inc., the largest owner of low-power television (LPTV) stations in the United States, to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) marks a troubling moment for the future of broadcast television. By seeking approval to transition LPTV stations from traditional television broadcasting to datacasting using the 5G broadcast standard, HC2 is, in effect, signaling that the traditional concept of over-the-air television programming may be on its last legs. If this shift is approved, it could set a precedent that fundamentally alters—if not dismantles—the role of broadcast TV as we know it.

HC2's proposal advocates for the adoption of 5G broadcast technology, enabling LPTV stations to transmit data directly to 5G-enabled devices within their service areas. This approach leverages the one-to-many efficiency of broadcast operations but shifts away from television programming altogether. Instead, HC2 envisions applications ranging from enhanced event coverage in crowded venues to serving as intermediaries for direct-to-device satellite connectivity and bolstering wireless emergency alert systems. While these innovations have technological merit, they also signal a stark departure from television’s long-standing mission of providing free, over-the-air entertainment and news to the public.

This move aligns with broader industry trends, particularly the development of the ATSC 3.0 standard, also known as NextGen TV. ATSC 3.0 combines traditional over-the-air broadcasting with IP-based services, allowing for features such as personalized advertising, advanced emergency alerts, and even encrypted, subscription-based content. Crucially, it also supports datacasting services, raising concerns that television broadcasters are quietly shifting their priorities away from serving viewers and toward monetizing spectrum as a premium data pipeline. If this trend accelerates, over-the-air TV as a free public service could erode in favor of a model that benefits corporate stakeholders while leaving consumers with fewer choices.

The implications of this shift are deeply concerning. Traditionally, television stations have operated as trusted sources of information and entertainment, delivering scheduled programming that serves broad audiences. The shift toward datacasting represents a stark transformation—one that reduces broadcasters to mere data providers rather than stewards of public-interest television. This is not just a shift in technology: It is a shift in purpose, one that threatens to render traditional television obsolete in favor of serving telecommunications and digital media interests.

Further, HC2’s request to the FCC includes a proposal to allow LPTV stations to devote their entire 6 MHz spectrum allocation to datacasting, eliminating any requirement to provide a free-to-air television signal. If approved, this could set a dangerous precedent, effectively sanctioning the dismantling of broadcast television as a public service. The loss of free broadcast signals would disproportionately impact rural and low-income communities, where access to high-speed broadband is still limited and over-the-air TV remains a crucial lifeline for news, emergency alerts, and entertainment.

The transition to datacasting may also upend the regulatory framework governing broadcasters, opening the door for stations to sidestep existing obligations in favor of a more commercially lucrative, subscription-based model. If more station owners follow HC2’s lead, the days of freely accessible broadcast television could be numbered, replaced by an environment where what was once a public service becomes another commodity controlled by private interests.

At its core, HC2’s petition represents an admission by broadcasters that the future of television is no longer about delivering content to viewers but about repurposing spectrum for data services. This is an alarming shift—one that policymakers, industry leaders, and the public must carefully scrutinize. The loss of over-the-air television would not only be a loss of entertainment options but also a severe blow to media accessibility, local news coverage, and the public’s ability to receive vital information without cost barriers.

Unless regulators intervene to preserve broadcast television’s fundamental role in society, we may soon look back at HC2’s petition as the moment when the fate of free, over-the-air TV was sealed. The public, which has long relied on broadcast television as an essential service, deserves a more transparent discussion about what is truly at stake in this transition. Otherwise, the demise of traditional television may arrive not with a dramatic announcement, but with a quiet, unnoticed shift that leaves consumers paying the price for an industry that has abandoned them.

Tim Hanlon

Tim Hanlon is the Founder & CEO of the Chicago-based Vertere Group, LLC – a boutique strategic consulting and advisory firm focused on helping today’s most forward-leaning media companies, brands, entrepreneurs, and investors benefit from rapidly changing technological advances in marketing, media and consumer communications.

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