Latest articles by Frank Beacham
Privacy is Lost in the Age of Social Media
People are giving away their privacy online more than ever before. Sadly, they don’t seem to know or care about it.
To Avoid Oblivion, Cable Looks for Web Solution
Cable companies are scrambling to find ways to give paying subscribers access to their programming on the Web.
Wilmington—Spin From The Other Side
A closer look at what happened in Wilmington only confirms what's been known for years: Simply knowing the DTV transition will occur doesn't fix the antenna and reception problems certain to follow.
Good Night, and Good Luck
Few new television ventures leave me speechless, but this one did.
A War for Control Of the Internet
Internet for Everyone is a new organization with a single premise: all Americans should have access to fast, open, and affordable Internet service. Unfortunately, that’s not the case today.
CNN Introduces 'All-Platform' Journalists
CNN has turned "one-man bands" into "all-platform" journalists, and announced an "expansion" of newsgathering with such people in 10 American cities.
Mobile Technology Collides With Policy
One of the clear trends in this first decade of the 21st century is the rapid move toward mobile telephony and wireless computing.
NBC Shifts New York O&O to All News
This is a move to hyperlocalism—one designed to re-invent the major NBC stations before they are absorbed into the 500-channel abyss of pay television channels.
Ah, Back to Antennas Again!
Does anyone actually believe that hordes of Americans will climb onto their rooftops—just as in the 1950s—to install an antenna in order to receive their local DTV stations?
Question for Broadcasters: What Do We Get for Our Spectrum?
With the demise of analog television fast approaching, over-the-air broadcasters have made a lot of noise lately in favor of educating America's television viewers about the digital transition.
The Expensive Afterlife of Digital Movies
Surprise, surprise! Now after the shift to digital filmmaking is almost complete, we discover that archiving film for the future is more expensive than expected.
NBC, Microsoft Raise The ‘Broadcast Flag’
In a remarkable case of viewer “gotcha,” NBC and Microsoft were recently caught red-handed playing footloose with the broadcast flag.
Making Podcasts More Personal
Podcasting arrived out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of the "expert" prognosticators.
Antenna Myths: Who's Really Watching Free TV?
Reports from Capitol Hill say the toughest unresolved issue in legislating a hard deadline for the end of analog TV is what to do about the "disenfranchised."
Finally, FCC May Turn to Real 'Indecency'
It's hard to imagine a greater "indecency" on broadcast television than faking the news or tricking viewers into believing commercials are genuine informational programs.
Where's the Big DTV Sound?
During a dinner at the recent AES show in New York City, I listened as a highly respected audio expert ridiculed the sad state of television sound.
