Don’t Sell the Airwaves; Leasing Is the Way to Go

“Is Free TV Worth Saving in a 500-Channel World?” (news analysis, June 3) gave quite a chuckle. Viewers pay dearly for “free” TV -- in relentless advertisements. I counted 14 of them between 25-minute segments of interrupted movies. I pay $50 monthly to Adelphia and get almost nothing for the money. Isn’t it time for advertisers to start paying viewers?

Lee Ray

West Hollywood

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Your news analysis discussed the idea of selling the broadcast spectrum. The 1934 Communications Act claimed the airwaves for the people. The absolute height of foolishness would be to sell such a usable resource that never depletes. Any good business would lease this resource but never sell. Airwave leases could become the base income of the country and eliminate taxes. We must find a way to pay for government without strangling the people. Leasing the airwaves is a simple solution.

Ken Hart

Long Beach

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The media are lobbying the government to take away our free rooftop and rabbit-ears TV stations, and they say it is for our own good. Billions of dollars would go to the media giants, and they say it could help the schools. How many times have we heard that story?

A red flag is going up on this one. The government has changed or broken many rules for the benefit of big business. This is just another thing they will take away from the little people. There are a lot of poor people watching old TVs with rabbit ears, after putting in a long hard day, who can’t afford 500 cable channels.

Ted Pearson

Valencia

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Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, 10 preset buttons on my car radio dial were never enough for the wide choice of radio formats available then. Now that deregulation has reduced ownership to just a few players, two preset buttons are more than I need.

I am looking forward to this happening now in television so that I won’t have to spend any time watching TV, just as I no longer listen to L.A. radio.

Mark Temple

Huntington Beach