TV's Future Hinges On DC Technology, Regulation Moves

[Commentary] If you want real insight on where the broadcast television industry is heading -- on its long-term viability -- you have to go to Washington. There, the Advanced Television Systems Committee is working on the next-generation TV system -- 3.0 -- that will, it is hoped, allow broadcasters to keep pace in the evolution of video quality and become a truly mobile medium.

There, too, the FCC is marching forward with its plans to reallocate a huge swatch of spectrum from broadcasting to wireless broadband through an incentive auction. The plans involve a repacking or a reorganization of the TV band that could severely hobble broadcasting if not done right. For broadcasters, the latest news from the two Washington venues is not good.