A recent video from Lon Seidman of Lon.TV discusses the latest on broadcasters pushing for DRM on over the air TV.
[YouTube]
Summary
Broadcasters are currently pushing the FCC to allow encryption of ATSC 3.0 signals by citing a 2025 report on sports piracy, yet they have failed to provide any specific evidence of unencrypted over-the-air signals being stolen. The report largely highlights piracy involving encrypted satellite feeds, pay-per-view events, and sophisticated "CDN leeching" rather than antenna-based reception. This shift toward encryption appears to be a move to protect lucrative retransmission fees by forcing viewers away from free, easy-to-use hardware and toward proprietary $60 tuner boxes that currently lack support for popular platforms like Apple TV, Roku, or DVR functionality. As the FCC considers these industry claims, consumer advocates warn that allowing private entities this much control over public airwaves could eventually lead to strict limitations on recording and time-shifting once the requirement to simulcast in the older ATSC 1.0 standard expires.
Perspective
From our perspective, encryption flies in the face of the federal requirement for broadcast TV to serve the public interest. We remain opposed to the efforts to encrypt over the air television.
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