Day: September 2, 2021

Locast, a nonprofit service that used a loophole in copyright law to stream local TV channels on the cheap, delivered a blow to cord cutters this week by abruptly suspending its operations. Locast had argued that it was allowed to stream local channels to viewers via its own antennas, using a provision of copyright law that lets nonprofit groups retransmit broadcast signals. The major TV networks—ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox—disagreed, and sued the group nearly two years ago. On Wednesday, a federal judge in New York sided with the networks,…

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As streaming becomes more and more popular among cord cutters, these services are starting to carry live local  TV channels just like Cable TV always has. Streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling and AT&T TV Now usually have free trials and a month-to-month contracts. Many of these streams can be easily watched on a smartphone, Fire TV, Roku, or Smart TV device. So if a TV antenna will not work for your situation, consider subscribing to one of the streaming services below if they meet your channel and budget needs.

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Locast has announced that it is suspending its TV streaming service starting today, following a court ruling earlier this week in a lawsuit from ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, which jointly sued the nonprofit service shortly after it launched. “As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately,” an email to Locast users sent out this morning reads.…

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Update, 9/2/2021: Locast said it is shutting down its TV service, at least for now, in response to its loss in court. “We are suspending operations, effective immediately,” Locast said in a message on its homepage. “As a nonprofit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately.” Original Story, 9/1/2021: The major broadcast networks have won a big copyright ruling…

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In a blow to millions of people who rely on local television broadcasts, a federal court ruled yesterday that the nonprofit TV-streaming service Locast is not protected by an exception to copyright created by Congress to ensure that every American has access to their local stations. Locast is evaluating the ruling and considering its next steps. The ruling, by a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, does the opposite of what Congress intended: it threatens people’s access to local news and vital information…

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