TabletTV Joins TVFreedom

TabletTV has joined the TVfreedom.org coalition, which has been fighting cable efforts to revamp retrans and pushing for continued access to free TV.

TabletTV, a co-venture of Granite Television and Motive Television, launched recently with the goal of expanding that access for free to tablet users via a combination DTV antenna and DVR that combined with an app sets up tablets to receive free over-the-air DTV channels for a one-time fee of $89.95 for an app and the hardware. It debuted in beta test in San Francisco last month in conjunction with Granite’s KOFY-TV there.

"TabletTV is pleased to partner with TVfreedom.org to advocate for the interest of consumers and local broadcast TV stations across America," Luc Tomasino, chief marketing officer for TabletTV. "We believe that every wireless consumer in America has a right to watch the most popular network and local TV programming – live sports, news, entertainment - available on broadcast television when they want, where they want with no monthly bill." 

"New competitive entrants like TabletTV will help lead an evolution in new broadcast-centric video services that will dramatically alter the face of the U.S. communications ecosystem, and in particular, as it relates to the rapid and cost-efficient delivery of video content to the U.S. consumer over a variety of next-generation wireless platforms," said Robert Kenny ofTVfreedom.org in a statement.

Tablets are becoming the broadband access device of choice for a growing number of video viewers.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.