there is a prometheus position paper (in draft form--anarchists...) available here:
http://prometheusradio.org/spectrum_...mmunicate.html
that argues against the need for existing regulation of station frequency allocations on the grounds that (a) they were developed in an outmoded technological regime (b) that they are already bypassed by any number of new technologies (wi-fi being the edge phenomenon) (c) existing regulations unduly favor corporate entities and by extension corporate control of the airwaves==against this, the paper argues that (1) that the airwaves are a common good (2) that community radio should be able to broadcast without fcc intervention because:
as a political issue, diversity of media outlets=>diversity of information streams->good for democracy
as a matter of power, diversity of media outlets=> diversity of control, putting communities on something like an equivalent footing with the corporate entities that currently control--and i mean control--information. if the older arguments about interference/spillover no longer obtain (pace digital recievers as much as new transmitter technologies) and if the airwaves are redefined as a common good, then it would follow that existing fcc control over licensing--and by extension over who gets to broadcast--are outmoded, unnecessary and worse contribute to an authoritarian style of information control.
i dont see the problem with this paper, it's arguments, etc.
as for tv: i do not understand why anyone views television as an information source. it could be one--but in the states, with its commercial orientation, it isnt--it is an advertising delivery system. "information" about the world functions primarily to deliver a demographic to advertisers. children's content delivers children as a demographic to advertisers.
as for pbs: it is a sad shell of its former self--thanks republicans (the watershed moment came under the reagan regime, with the far right accusing pbs/npr of being biased to the left--which is crazy, but whatever--using this as a wedge, the reaganauts threatened to yank funding unless reactionary views were given more equal footing--and so things have since been. but not everything is grim--pov is still a good thing because it airs independent documentaries--and many npr outlets stream bbc news, which is far better than anything put out anywhere here in the land of advertisement delivery systems.
i dont think people deserve this, btw.
i dont think what people either want or deserve is a variable even---the american system of broadcasting is geared entirely around selling shit. this follows from the ludicrous assumptions concerning capitalist markets and quality of information--and american television is a good demonstration of the flaws in these assumptions. they are legion.