Powell to broadcasters: 'Evolve or die'

LAS VEGAS--Broadcasters could be made obsolete, if they don't adapt to consumers' needs in the face of emerging technologies.

That's the message Federal Communication Commission Chairman Michael Powell sent Tuesday during a keynote speech at the National Association of Broadcasters conference here.

"Broadcasting is the original mass media. On the other end, there's a rise of a digital generation that has access to highly individualized and customized news and information," Powell told an audience at the annual NAB conference.

"Where does broadcasting go as a business? Adapt, evolve or die."

Powell's comments reflect the tension for free, over-the-air broadcasters, as they struggle to compete amid a rise of for-pay cable and satellite services and new digital media offerings via the Internet, video-on-demand, and wireless and gaming technologies.


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