Blog Shows Wheeler Critical of Broadcasting

One well-placed industry source said that, judging from Wheeler’s personal history as the former head lobbyist for both the cable TV industry (NCTA) and the wireless industry (CTIA) in Washington — and the entries on his blog page — broadcasters have reason for some anxiety that he’s likely the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

A quick review of the more than 50 entries on Wheeler’s blog suggests that Wheeler wholeheartedly buys the wireless industry’s argument that many broadcasters are wasting their spectrum. “When only 10% of households rely exclusively on over-the-air signals (for TV reception) and digital technology can cram most market’s existing signals into a single license allocation, the question gets asked whether there might be a higher and better use for those airwaves,” Wheeler wrote in a Nov. 4, 2009, blog entry. “Broadcast spectrum is being kept out of the hands of rapid-paced innovators, while those who hold the spectrum appear to be taking their time embracing the opportunities digital presents,” he wrote on Jan. 11, 2011