The entire US congressional delegation from New Mexico has signed on to a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski detailing the importance of local broadcast television to their constituents and urge that the service emerge intact for the upcoming incentive auctions.
The delegation noted that 54M Americans rely on over-the-air broadcasts, and said that 600K of that group reside in their state. Further, more than 200 television translators are in used to bring television to the vast, sparsely-populated areas of New Mexico.
They wrote, “Some of those who rely on broadcast television cannot afford cable or satellite television services. Others may not have access to high speed internet services at home. This makes broadcast television all the more useful to many New Mexicans, especially during inclement weather events, wildfires, and other emergencies. Thus, we do not underestimate the enduring value of free broadcast television, one of our first ‘wireless’ technologies, even as new mobile broadband services become more and more essential.”
Signing on to the letter were:
Senate:
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Martin Heinreich (D-NM)
House:
Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
Stevan Pearce (R-NM)
Michelle Lugan Grisham (D-NM)
Don’t know where to go for this information. Is the translator on San Antonio mountain still in service? We have not been able to get reception for more than a week.
Comments are closed.