Saturday, March 25, 2006
HD Radio-BROADCAST BULLIES LOBBY FOR DEFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
"They got broadcasters across the country to hammer like hell on the Congress and the FCC," says the ex-NABer.
Far more power, however, comes from the fact that the NAB represents owners of just about every large and small broadcast outlet in the country--and you can't get elected if you can't get on the air.
This reality, he says, is why NAB is "one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington--and one of the most arrogant."
The fight is a classic case of what economists call "regulatory capture" — when an industry that's regulated by a government agency attempts to use that very agency and those regulations to keep upstarts and competitors at bay. And it's almost always to the detriment of consumers.
"To be blunt, the NAB has power that is not commensurate with the persuasiveness of its arguments." The power comes in part from connections.
If you can't compete, get a bill to outlaw the competition. The NAB may yet win this battle.
Here are the links to "the rest of the story":
http://www.forbes.com/archive/forbes/2004/0906/134.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124610,00.html
Far more power, however, comes from the fact that the NAB represents owners of just about every large and small broadcast outlet in the country--and you can't get elected if you can't get on the air.
This reality, he says, is why NAB is "one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington--and one of the most arrogant."
The fight is a classic case of what economists call "regulatory capture" — when an industry that's regulated by a government agency attempts to use that very agency and those regulations to keep upstarts and competitors at bay. And it's almost always to the detriment of consumers.
"To be blunt, the NAB has power that is not commensurate with the persuasiveness of its arguments." The power comes in part from connections.
If you can't compete, get a bill to outlaw the competition. The NAB may yet win this battle.
Here are the links to "the rest of the story":
http://www.forbes.com/archive/forbes/2004/0906/134.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124610,00.html
