> Broadcast TV after the digital rollout was so bad many people just stopped watching TV.

That is the first time I've heard that. Everything I've heard has been positive - people amazed that others aren't doing it. Are there any numbers on user satisfaction?

I used it myself once or twice and it worked simply with antennas that were relatively cheap (<$50 iirc). Maybe there was a problem in Minneapolis?

> The people who live close enough to the broadcasts to pick it up have easy access to cable TV.

Cable is expensive for many people and broadcast is free, of course. (Also, Broadcast is more private, for now.)