A coalition of a dozen media companies, led by Chicago-based Tribune Co., is investing in iBlast Networks, a national network that will collect broadcasters’ digital television spectrum to deliver broadband services to consumers via computers. Terms were not disclosed. Tapping into the digital spectrum space of 143 local stations owned by the 12 broadcast TV groups, Los Angeles-based iBlast said it will use a dedicated portion of the spectrum to deliver digital services, including music, video, games and software. IBlast said it is testing the system now and expects to begin service in early 2001. Digital television effectively divides one broadcast channel into several that can deliver information. The iBlast system will broadcast those signals, to be picked up by personal computers.
