While ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are fighting to have Locast shut down, the free streaming service run by nonprofit Sports Fan Coalition has no intention of slowing down.
Since the lawsuit started in July, Locast has continued to expand, bringing their service to Atlanta and Phoenix in mid-October, then Seattle at the end of the month.
“November tends to be the rainiest month of the year in Seattle, so local weather reports mean more to commuters, families, and business travelers right now. Here’s a forecast for our friends in Seattle: expect more rain, but better access to your local news, weather, and other critical information on Locast,” said David Goodfriend in the announcement about the expansion to the Pacific Northwest.
The statement makes a good point that Goodfriend shared again in a YouTube video with Roland Martin. In the video, Goodfriend begins by explaining why the networks filed the lawsuit in July and how Locast is fighting back. He goes on to say that Locast was formed as a way to bring local channels to viewers at no cost so that everyone could have access to important news and weather updates, along with entertainment.
This brought up another question. Locast is currently in major cities like DC, New York, and San Francisco. Sioux Falls and Rapid City look out of place on the list of markets. Goodfriend was asked whether the free service will expand to continue bringing content to smaller cities and rural areas around the country, rather than concentrating on major metropolitan areas.
Goodfriend says he’s proud of the two markets in South Dakota. “They came to me and said we’d really like to have your service in our market, and we worked with them. They provided the roof space for us to put an antenna. They went around and raised money so we could buy the servers to come to town,” suggesting that if other small markets have interest and resources, they could gain Locast access in the future as well.
“Broadband availability is greater than broadcast over the air reach. You are more likely to have broadband in those communities than you are to get an over the air broadcast signal.” That access to broadband will allow Locast to keep expanding into smaller markets, he explains, going on to say that Locast will continue re-investing revenue to bring the service to more areas.
Watch the full video with Roland Martin and David Goodfriend here.
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help.
Did you know we have a YouTube Channel? Every week we have a live Cord Cutting Q&A, and weekly Cord Cutting recap shows exclusively on our YouTube Channel!