A Portland, Ore. TV station has a way for its viewers to save money: Install a rooftop antenna and cut the cable/telco/satellite cord.
"Viewers sticking with antennas can find themselves with more broadcast stations and in some cases, a more clear picture minus a monthly cable or satellite bill," Ed Teachout, a member of the KGW-TV staff posted on the station's Web site.
The monthly recurring fees will be saved, but the upfront costs could be as much as $250 for a top of the line rooftop antenna (plus installation, we're guessing) the article concedes. And there's of course the one other caveat: "Before you rush out and buy an antenna, make sure you can receive a good television signal where you live."
Broadcasters are fervently pushing the importance of their over-the-air spectrum for both off-air digital TV and future mobile digital TV (Mobile DTV) use as the FCC, in turn, looks at that spectrum as something to reclaim and re-use for wireless broadband as part of its national broadband plan.
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