Pre-FCC Self-regulation

 Estate auctions have become one of the unexpected joys about living in rural Pennsylvania.  Never much of a collector, in my nearly thirty years at Penn State, I have acquired lots of old technology, including radios, telephones, and early personal computers.

Yesterday, I acquired correspondence on letterhead for a an organization aiming to promote and "regulate" the emerging radio technology in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. I am not sure just what the members sought to achieve and how they did it, because there was a Federal Radio Commission preceding formation of the FCC in 1934.

Adventures in OTAR (Over the Air Television Reception)

 Recently, I upgraded the outdoor antenna I use to receive broadcast television signals.

Having fringe reception runs the risk of signal disruption at any time, but the financial rewards are significant. Comcast's basic cable tier, starts at $30 a month, plus a mandatory set top box.  On top of this extortionate rate, the company adds fees and taxes raising the annual cost to more than $500.

Impressive.

It appears that cable companies have confronted the reality of customer churn and opted to squeeze every last cent out of  subscribers disinclined to economize, install their own antennas, and opt for streaming of both live, linear channels and video on demand content.

There's a high price to pay for loyalty.