Antennas Direct, TVFreedom Hand Out Antennas In D.C.

According to TVFreedom, Antennas Direct handed out 1,000 digital TV antennas at D.C.'s Eastern Market in a little over an hour as Antennas Direct launched its latest antenna giveaway. It was a first-come, first-served giveaway.

The event was co-sponsored by Antennas Direct and LG Electronics USA and was highest-profile stop in the launch of a 25-city Broadcast TV Liberation Tour.

“Today was an empowering day for TV viewers in Washington, D.C.," said TVFreedom spokesman Robert Kenny in a statement. "The power and reach of free, local broadcast television was on full display."

TVFreedom split the cost of the antennas with Antennas Direct.

LG handed out a 42-inch HDTV, won by Prince George's county history teacher Andre Miller.

TVFreedom was launched by broadcasters to push back on cable's push for retrans reforms and to advocate for the value of free TV.

Antennas Direct is a veteran at giving away antennas to promote cord cutting and, in turn, drive a bigger market for its antennas.

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.