(Posted elsewhere with regard to the US Supreme Court's recent Aereo ruling against the public interest in support of Big Media's campaign to force pay television on the public.)
I think the Supreme Court helped Big Media in its ongoing battle to eliminate free television, and to destroy creativity by making the manipulation of audience habits a priority over providing useful information and quality entertainment. Despite FCC propaganda, digital television took away access to broadcast television to possibly up to 80% of the rural US population, and claims that perfect placement of a 30-foot amplified antenna can provide reception doesn't help disabled people like me who cannot afford pay television, and only needed a loop antenna to get reception prior to the forced change. I'm angry that this low-cost option of a rental antenna has been taken away.
I think we need to require all broadcasters to stream their content online, or provide free local cable service to all homes that can no longer receive broadcast television. The only alternative I can see would be new legislation to override this foolish and dangerous ruling by the US Supreme Court, specifically encouraging the growth of the rental television antenna industry. I also think a legislative response would be appropriate to punish monopolistic organizations such as CBS, which threatened to stop broadcasting if the Aereo case was resolved in favor of the public.
Big Media's gradual destruction of free access to information is a danger to democracy. Aereo and similar companies could have served to protect the public from their excesses, but now it has become the responsibility of our legislature to shut down the media behemoth.
The control it exerts over the entertainment industry by demanding high viewership by specific demographic groups has destroyed quality content, and this trend of Government support of this dangerous monopoly must be stopped.
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