when he got to dr. king, he said might you had a drink. but the jeff k presidential views them -- >> the jfk presidential museum. life is sunday starting at 1:00 p.m. part of american history tv. >> the president of the national association of broadcasters, gordon smith. an encore presentation of first ladies. a look at anna harrison, mrs. tyler. and later a discussion about intelligence gathering. span, created by the cable companies in 1979 rout to you as a public service by your television provider.

>> this week on "the communicators," gordon smith who is the president of national association of broadcasters. our guest reporter is paul kirby . senator smith, you started at nab nearly four years ago. how has it changed? keep on coming. they tend to be major issues affecting both the radio and television, but it clearly on the radio side the issue of performance rights and performance tax or however you describe at, and ongoing challenge. hopefully, the day will arrive and both the digital platform can't, with a model that actually grows music and works for both. right now, one has an unsustainable business model and the other works for radio.

on the other hand, we did to work -- we the to work also. thatu provide a rate simply destroys local radio, that is a bad inc.. we cannot stand by idly for that. a lot contractual negotiations are going on for our major members like clear channel are doing deals with labels and the market is starting to develop in that regards. on the television side, the other big issues are spectrum which is out of congress and into the hands of the fcc, retransmission consent must carry ownership restrictions. these are all things that are of enormous consequence. we are engaged in all of them. my biggest surprise is how many big issues keep coming. fcc, there at the

looks like there will be a new chairman. want to get your views on tom wheeler. >> we support confirmation of tom wheeler, i personally do not know him. i believe i met him on one occasion. what i know of him from people whose opinions i value, they hold him in high regard. he is both politically savvy and business experienced a he has run 2 previous organizations. he will have an idea of the job that nab has to do for our members. we respect -- we respect his resume. having served on the senate commerce committee, i can tell you he would not be confirmed until there is a republican to pair him with. that is the way it works every i cannot imagine that changing. , hopefully, before

christmas will have a fully staffed agency commission. >> it has been the senate auction. the fcc wants to hold it next year. they will concern rush things and not look into things carefully enough? >> it might sound cliché, we have said from the beginning let's do it right and not just right now. that really have a lot to meaning to us. we have great sympathy for the fact this is a complicated process that they are going through. what we have asked of the fcc commissioner is more transparency, more engagement. it might be conventional wisdom that broadcasters would want to stop this. i think it is in our interest to accelerate this while still getting it right.

this has enormous consequence to the nation that there is a dedicated and healthy broadcast dedicated to broadcasting if we are serious about preserving video on a large scale that is free and local. these things are hugely important to people in the information age, people still care about the big screens and watching their sporting events and getting emergency information and staying up with the news bit it comes from broadcasting. in a very significant way. we gave up a lot of spectrum were from analog to digital. we are being asked for more. it is important to understand the broadband community has twice as much spectrum as we do. they want more of hours. wille most, this auction add to their holdings. it will require your roughly

moving 60% of television tower in this country. that is an enormous undertaking. you cannot underestimate the potential for disruption to the american people if this is not the done right. we ask for transparent and more engagement, we actually have some of the brightest minds in the physics of spectrum in america. and a lot of the problem we can help resolve if we were included at the ground level if it works all right it is not put out the has to go back and go back, with the result a lot of these things together with the coalition we have formed with the broadband community. there's a community of interest here to get it done as quickly as possible and right with the least amount of disruption. >> is that why nab said at a recent hearing, some described as a win-win for the broadcast

industry? at this point, you was seven for a win-win tie why is that? >> because spectrum is a finite. it, you doot have not have a crop. if you want to talk about corner peas, i know or something about that. we are talking about a significant public policy. should this nation have a dedicated process ban? -- and thenext answer is clearly, yes. a medium that does video like nobody else can. if you took all of our spectrum and tried to do all video through our been, there is not enough spectrum to do video one- to-one.

which again, it is live, local, free. it is important. on cannot do the super bowl a one-to-one basis. you have to have broadcast architecture. that is why we think it is important to do it right, not right now, but as soon as you can. >> from your former seat on the commerce committee and the head of nab, what about the use of government spectrum and utilizing some of that unused spectrum for commercial purposes? mean, the government has spectrum out there. it is used by the defense department. we would ask and get some of this to put into commercial use. the answer was always, jokingly, they've got guns. and they have to give it up and they do not want to give it up

in of our broadband friends. it takes the administration to tell the military to surrender some of it. there is an effort to get them to relinquish some of it. unless you think that would cloud the government, they went from analog to digital which created efficiency which enable the broadcasters already to return 108 megahertz of real .state, they went to digital that could be dedicated to commercial purposes as well. we think there's a lot the government can do to solve this problem for our broadband. >> the department has a proposal which would involve giving up most of one band. they would share with the 10, that is the 20

used for newsgathering. your reaction to that plan? >> we are open to consider whenever. about a year ago, the defense department said it was not possible to share with us. if something has changed, if they had done testing, let us tests. tests erie it -- that is important because that is well broadcasters use especially in emergencies. it allows president obama during the boston bombing when he was getting his news of the a cable, he was told get me a live broadcast feed. it was on that very ban he was able to watch what was going on in boston. again, when these ideas are floated, it doesn't work and to get into the details -- it is important to get into the details and suggestions put out there. if something has changed and they can share, let us see the

test that it can work now where cannot a year ago. >> looking at some the complaints about the proceedings are bit how is it not being transparent enough? with nab they were 15 times. how are they not being transparent enough? >> they said we will let you see what we are working with. what we could do with them if they won it to get our broadband colleagues together in a room, with the tell them what we think works and what does not. we are all in the same boat and getting this right. i think we could have a lot fewer starts and stops in this process. for example, one of the major things that has to happen

is the new agreements with canada and mexico and these are very complicated international relationships. airwaves do not know the difference between the u.s. and canada border. if the auction is going to be successful, this has to be resolved with canada or you would december -- disenfranchised. i do not and that is now, the fcc would want. let us be a part of that. let us know in the beginning and be part of the creation instead of responding to their best guesses at this point. >> gordon smith, we recently had the founder of aereo. we asked him up out -- to respond to people said they are stealing broadcast signals. here's what he had to say. >> at some point you have to

call it what it is how it is name calling. express and courts a perry and that it is a legal technology and it is consistent -- when federal courts expressed it is a legal technology and is consistent with the law, it is difficult for me to look at it as any other way that name- calling or mischaracterization. is paid for by the consumers. respond this way. not atrue that preliminary interaction i gives broadcasters. the ninth circuit, , --case called ariel keller killer, they held it was a

violation of copyright. it will have to be decided by the supreme court. the principal is in this. if you want to put out our stuff and charge somebody, that is a copyright issue. justey do not want -- they want to provide and not paid for it, they have a better case. ultimately, when you take somebody else's property and resell it, you old them for it. you should negotiate for it. -- you owe them for it. the courts will decide. in the markets will. as it becomes more mobile, it used to be ubiquitous, broadcaster in your living room. now it is premature and every device that you have. that is going to create a real problem and return on investment for arielle -- aereo.

that iser technology causing headaches is the dish hopper. broadcasters lost an injunction with their. it allows basically consumers to skip commercials. some folks said perhaps that broadcasters would have to you're into the retransmit and request -- retransmission request. where is that going? >> if it does not violate copyright, it probably most certainly do, it'd then becomes an issue of the hopper is just saying that broadcast content, not cable content. it is something of real concern to us, not for consumers. it is for them. it is for dish. i do not allow people to block out their advertisements, just hours. at the end of the day, all of my

members when it comes to doing content deals with the dish, they are going to have damages they can probably seek erie it -- seek. for the future, you better have different numbers. >> the nab has said in the past they do not know our testers that are willing to give up spectrum. there is a coalition of 70 broadcasters who said they are willing to consider it. do you know yet of any willing to consider or are the outliers? >> i think they are outliers. a are free to do this. wants to play,on then play. -- they are free to do this. we will and just accordingly. it is important to understand

how consequential it will be in the size of the broadcast ban. it is important to america. two a healthy broadcast industry. , our architecture cannot be replicated. >> the opponents said the recent video competition has had about 10 million people coming 11 million rather watch broadcast exclusively over the air compared to 100 million we use paste services -- paid services. it is not as critical as it was because fewer people are using over the air. that peoplest glad get our content however they want erie it -- however they want the there are three different areas -- three different ones. it was biased against us. has 11.

an independent, a related -- medium did ak study as said the number has climbed. that goes to exclusive use of television over the air. most homes have even a cable or a satellite in then several other tvs that are on antenna. let's say the number is 19.3%, who are those people? they tend to be the economically unprivileged and increasingly, the young who are either cutting the cord or never hooking up because they found with the combination of broadcast and internet, they have all of the television they can watch all of the time they have to watch television and that satisfies them.

it is not shrinking. it is growing. those constituencies of minorities, economically young,ivileged, rural, and elderly should not be excluded from the world of television just because of various statistics are out there. >> when you think about the future of television 5, 10, 18, 20 years, what do you see? >> is a very exciting future. i think it is multitasking with the digital made possible. one of the reasons why people are cutting the cord because unlike on cable, you can go to channel four and get four channels off of that areas there is tremendous new content coming that you can get only through over the air areas my goal is an issue of i am very interested in and concerned with am pushing my

membership to adopt, probably transmission so people can get broadcast that they are not built for under ipads or other devices. that is the future. one of my really exciting things i've seen recently in tokyo was hk. it is incredible tv visually. it is better than 3-d a do not need glasses. they all take spectrum and investment by broadcasters in which you would know of a new standard. your viewers may understand the difference between the standards , the rest of the world is on the omfd.

which has better efficiency and mobility and penetration for purposes of mobile. eventually, that is where broadcasters will end up erie it that will provide video anywhere on any device for all people. that is an exciting future. especially after relates to video, there is no substitute. >> are we going to continue to see retransmission fights or disagreements? quick i think you well. we hate it when there are any disputes because richard's mission is huge -- richard's mission -- retransmission is hugely important. through advertising model which is the historic model of television. and a growing stream is retransmission consent.

it will find its level like any marked. cable pays far more for its --tent than two broadcasters to broadcast. our content is the one that people watch the more. if you look at the top shows in any given week, 94 of them are broadcast content. it is worth something. it is important that we fight and win him retransmission consent. it is vital. fostergress wants us to of the things that we do to earn our licenses every day. you have to have a way to finance it. advertising and retransmission. >> senator mccain has reintroduced a lockhart -- a la carte cable.

>> at of respect for a cable friends. when i was on the commerce committee, i did not vote with senator mccain. i felt like eventually this was something that the market would take care of it seems to be doing that in the cable guys are coming up with more offering. if they go to heartedness, it pushes me against a wall -- if they go too hard at it, it pushes me against a wall. why not refund to your consumers? is the stuff that sells their subscriptions. >> we talked about tom wheeler earlier. wirelessead of a group. that hisa problem sympathies will not be with you as much because of experience and background and knowledge of the industry?

>> i suppose on the surface there is reason to be concerned erie it i am not concerned. here's a smart guy who understands the duty. he will respect that. i am told his wife used to work at nab. hopefully there is some residual allegiance to their -- there. i am not worried. if a man has succeed in business and has a pretty good understanding of politics and processes, he will no nab very well. hopefully, work with us in a way that makes him successful. >> would you expect with two new commissioners, gone, -- it may take longer, because they have to get up to speed with some the

details? >> i do not think necessarily that slows it down. commissioner clyburn is doing a wonderful job in the absence of a full commission. their staff below the eighth floor is working very hard on this. wheeler certainly have the gray matter. will be very able to get up to speed quickly. >> unvisited auction. you mentioned software. they are looking at new software that will up the coverage. and population area. it would determine which interference, harmful and not harmful. >> the software has to be done right. it will affect the repacking and

it will drive the success or failure of the auction whether people will participate or not. protecting. we start changing the contours of a broadcaster reach, you are changing the economics of that broadcast station. getting the software right is ground zero as for concern for us. if we are a part of the creation of that, along with our broadband colleagues, this is going to go a lot more quickly. put it together, put it out, it is long, it has to go back. this could take a long, long time. would you look back on the analog to digital transition, that did not affect all that much repacking. 60% of thempact the

broadcast stations in this country. a huge job. a big job. imported to get it right. pryort week, senator mark who was share of a subcommittee, we asked him about whether or not the 1996 telecom act needs to be updated and overhauled. reservations because it'll will open up a can of worms. from the nab point of view? >> i never voted for a perfect law. there was always compromise and trade-offs. there is nothing that cannot be made better. he is right, once you open up something, the old pandora's box, unattended cousin quizzes can come out -- unattended

consequences can come out. it does not mean there are not things that cannot be updated and fit with a dramatically changing telecom environment. smith isr gordon president and ceo of national association of broadcasters and paul kirby is a senior editor. this is "the communicators," on c-span. >> on the next washington journal, a discussion about the unrest in egypt. taxpayers for common sense of vice president stephen ellis talks about the national flood insurance program and how a new law is causing rates to climb. media aat, how social

be used to predict house selections. those guests plus your calls and e-mails life at 7:00 on c-span. as in the last few years, the political debate is worthless. they are not going to debate politics or what is the best way to solve the nation's problems. they're not going to provide evidence. they are going to label us morally -- guest. schapiro is our schapiro is our guest. civil rights leader john lewis. questions. december 1, philosophy professor.

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