NAB Launches Future Of TV Campaign

Web site to complement on-air ads starting Tuesday

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/4/2011 10:46:32 AM

The National Association of Broadcasters Tuesday (Jan. 4) launched TheFutureOfTV.org, the complement to its on-air campaign promoting the future of on-air broadcasting.

"The future of broadcast TV is bringing you breaking local news coverage in the palm of your hand. So, while you're sipping coffee on your morning commute, you're also getting headline news focused solely on your community," says the site.

The site (http://www.thefutureoftv.org/) both promotes a vision of the TV future that is mobile, local and over-the-air, and solicits input on what Web surfers' vision of that future is. The site includes links to a Facebook discussion board and a Twitter page.

That ad campaign, which began Tuesday as well, argues that TV is HD, 3D and mobile TV, "not regulation from Washington, D.C."

The 30-second spots are available in English and Spanish, as is the Web site.

The ad and Web site are being launched as the FCC is collecting input on how best to free up broadcast spectrum for wireless by reclaiming some from broadcasters via give-backs, channel sharing and more. For broadcasters giving up spectrum, it could be problematic to try to deliver on that NAB promise of 3D and HD given the bandwidth requirements.