In the US cable systems are required by law to reserve a certain number of channels for so-called public-access and community programs. Think crazy old cat lady ranting and raving, or cronies of local politicians, usually the left-wing fringe, pushing whatever bizarre agenda they have, whether it is nimbyism, conspiracy theories or advocacy of positions so extreme they don’t find other outlets. I passed by the offices of one of San Francisco’s public access channels on Market Street, and they certainly seem quite posh.

Reusing those channels for Internet access would serve the ostensible purpose of those programs, public participation, far better than giving a bunch of lunatics a non-interactive, one-to-many broadcast soapbox.