Scarcity of Spectrum: Its Meanings and Applications in the U.S., the U.K., the Former West Germany, and Japan

Scarcity of Spectrum: Its Meanings and Applications in the U.S., the U.K., the Former West Germany, and Japan

「稀有頻道」(Scarcity of Spectrum)概念是很多國家廣電法規的理論基礎。基於電波頻道稀有的原則，國際電訊聯盟(International Telecommunication Union)要求其所有會員國的廣電業者必須申請電台執照，並在指定的頻率播音。然而，隨著有線電視、衛星電視等傳播科技的到來，有專家學者指出，稀有頻道理論在今天已不適用，因為閱聽人可從不同媒體得到各種資訊，廣電頻道是否稀有因此變得不再重要。然而，也有學者辯稱頻道仍然稀有，因為以電波特性而言，壓縮頻寬科技固然可增加使用的頻道，但是無線廣播電視的頻道仍然有限。傳播科技是否真的解決了頻道稀有的問題？本文特以美、英、西德、日本四國廣電媒體發展的經驗，探討「稀有頻道」理論在今日的涵義。

The 'scarcity of spectrum' concept is a fundamental rationale for the broadcast regulations of many countries. It assumes that without regulation many people would want to broadcast on the same frequencies. Chaos would result. To avoid interference, the International Telecommunications Union asks that all member states require broadcasters to be government licensed. However, with the emergence of cable and satellite television, critics argue that scarcity of spectrum no longer exists. Audiences can have unlimited entertainment and information options without disruption to the spectrum. Therefore, a key question arises: Is it true that the new communications technologies make the scarcity concept outdated? This paper discusses four countries' experiences with this issue. Generally speaking, scarcity of spectrum is not an issue in Japan. It has been an issue in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the former West Germany, but the three countries now believe new communications technologies may be discrediting the scarcity rationale. The following is a discussion of how the United States, the United Kingdom, the former West Germany, and Japan perceive this concept today.