In the early days of radio in the U.S. there was very little control over who could use the various frequencies available to both commercial and amateur providers. Both were mixed in together in an interesting if chaotic hodge-podge.

Subsequent regulations separated out frequencies to be used for commercial and amateur broadcasts, with amateurs relegated to the electromagnetic boondocks of low frequencies that limited their use and audiences.

According to MediaChannel.org and major outlets cable and telecoms companies in the U.S. appear to be pushing to put up fee-based controls to segregate commercial content channels from the Web’s stew of amateur authors, with schemes to charge both suppliers and consumers for different tiers of access.

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Paid Web Next? Internet As A Common Carrier Or Cable And Telcos To Spin New Commercial Internet?