GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) said that it is “gratified” by the broad, multi-country appreciation of the importance of free over-the-air broadcasting.
In a statement issued in conjunction with this week's opening of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, NABA said that some 34 nations spanning all ITU regions and all continents have voiced support for maintaining the present UHF spectrum allocation for free-to-air television broadcast.
“Despite some pre-emptive efforts from the wireless industry to spin the facts, only a handful of countries actually support reallocation”, said NABA director-general Michael McEwen, in the statement. “In contrast, and despite relentless pressure from the wireless industry to reallocate ever-increasing amounts of spectrum for paid services, a much larger group of nations is opposed to such reallocation. This is in recognition of the importance of over-the-air television including its spectrum efficiency, its prospects of continued technological advancement, and its delivery of new services.”
NABA said that it remains “firmly committed” to addressing the preservation of the terrestrial and satellite broadcasting spectrum and protection of it from “interference”.
NABA is a non-profit association of public and private broadcasting organizations throughout North America committed to advancing the interests of broadcasters at home and internationally.
