CEA President Gary Shapiro’s blog post slamming broadcasters...

CEA President Gary Shapiro’s blog post slamming broadcasters (http://bit.ly/1tpgoIb) for “squatting” on spectrum and opposing innovation is a “silly and misguided missive” akin to a child’s spilling his chocolate milk for attention, said NAB Executive Vice President Strategic Planning Rick Kaplan on the NAB’s blog (http://bit.ly/1jLoA3P). Kaplan rejected Shapiro’s contention that the NAB is fighting the auction and steering broadcasters away from participating in it. “Indeed, he does not, and cannot, point to a single instance where NAB has attempted to delay the auction,” Kaplan said. The broadcast response to the auction, blackouts and the ongoing lawsuit against Aereo are indications that broadcasters aren’t considering the public interest, said Shapiro’s blog post. “Broadcasters have by action and word abandoned their commitment to provide free content to the local public they are supposed to serve,” said Shapiro. Stations applying for license renewal should have to show they operate in the public interest before receiving approval, he said. “If CEA really cared about the public interest, it would lean on its wireless carrier and device members to take the simple step of unlocking the FM chips already in their phones,” Kaplan said. The NAB post is an attempt to “correct the record,” Kaplan said, though he also worried it would encourage further attacks on broadcasters. “NAB has an unofficial internal rule that we only respond to Mr. Shapiro’s comments once for every three or four of his outbursts,” said Kaplan’s post.