Cliff Stearns: “you might title my 5 minutes this afternoon ``The Spectrum Giveaway is a Misnomer.'' The spectrum issue has generated a…”

“you might title my 5 minutes this afternoon ``The Spectrum Giveaway is a Misnomer.'' The spectrum issue has generated a lot of misinformation, and as a member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection, I feel obliged to clear up the confusion. Some pundits and politicians have the notion that providing broadcasters access to the digital spectrum represents a massive giveaway. They are not understanding the point. But first let us talk about what the spectrum is. It is broadcast airwaves, a series of frequencies for transmitting signals. The spectrum had no impact on human life until Mr. Farnsworth developed broadcast television. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that there is a statue of Mr. Farnsworth in Statuary Hall here in the Capitol. Almost literally, something was made from nothing. Over the years, the media have invested billions of dollars to put the previously idle analog spectrum to productive use. As a Nation, we have benefited from these broadcasts through weather alerts, political debates and coverage of the first Moon walk. With the advent of high definition technologies, the broadcasters need access to a new spectrum, the digital spectrum. Again, the broadcasters will invest billions of dollars to deliver free TV over these frequencies. Individual stations will also have to convert at a cost of up to $20 million each.”