And where do we go from here?
There is a bunch of stuff in this issue about the current obstacles facing the live event audio community regarding wireless communications, and if you are not really well-versed in what is going on and what is likely coming up, it may seem like we are talking out of an orifice that is usually reserved for expelling material other than speech.
Dan Daley looks at the issue from a straight biz perspective, while Steve La Cerra takes a peek at some developing technology on the intercom front that has the potential to clear up some space in the spectrum we all use. Finally, in the InfoComm coverage, you will read about a new system that, while currently confined to boardroom-type applications, takes an approach that is completely different from any other I have seen and could — if it works in the field — solve a lot of problems.
So we are not talking out of both sides of our mouth, it is just that the wireless landscape on both the technical and legal levels is changing almost daily. A handful of companies continue to lobby Congress and the FCC to protect — at least for a while — the spectrum we all use currently, and they are making some headway. The piece of legislation known as the Rush Bill has garnered a number of cosponsors from both sides of the political aisle, which is a pretty big achievement. But the odds are still against this bill, which would, among other things, set aside a portion of the spectrum specifically for wireless mics.
There are still things that can be done politically, but they are likely band-aid solutions, when we are really facing major surgery. What can be done is this: call, write and e-mail your congressional reps and ask them to cosponsor the Rush Bill (The Interference Protection for Existing Television Band Devices Act of 2007 — H.R. 1320). If you are one of our Nevada readers, you can have a real impact because Harry Reid — the Senate majority leader — is from Nevada, and he is one of the few people in D.C. with the power to keep active the legislation that will prevent this wireless space from becoming the exclusive property of the Microsofts, Yahoos and Googles of the world.
We are yanking back the covers a bit, but here is how it really works. Neither of Nevada’s two senators really cares much about this issue — one has been charged with fundraising for all Republicans for the upcoming election cycle, and the other runs the Senate. Our problem with wireless mics is not even on their radar. But enough pressure from enough people could get them to keep the bills sponsored by John Kerry and John Sununu — the ones that started this whole mess — off the floor for this session. And given the huge resources and almost obscene power wielded by those lined up against us, buying time is likely the best we can hope for.
E-mail Senator Reid at http://reid.senate.gov/contact/email_form.cfm, or call him in his Washington D.C. office at 202.224.3542 to let him know just how much this issue means to our industry.
At the same time, start looking at your gear acquisition priorities and budgets. A few years ago, everyone was looking to buy a line array. Right now, it seems like the hot item is a digital console. I have a feeling that in the next couple of years, as new technology emerges that will make our current tools obsolete, wireless will head to the top of that list.
E-mail Bill at bevans@fohonline.com.
