I love this idea - a non-profit that broadcasts over-the-air TV on the Internet for those who can't get clean signals with an antenna. And using a quirk in American rules about non-profits, Locast don't have to pay for the use of the signals - and neither do those who sign up. The whole thing is like OTA TV - it's free.

I know some Canadians use U.STVNow, which is designed to allow American servicemen and women to watch their home country TV from anywhere in the world, but you only get 5 channels for free - and none of them in HD. The rest are all pay and so is their DVR service.   

Of course, Locast isn't available everywhere in the States (only 13 cities so far) and it's completely blacked out in Canada. But the idea of allowing free TV to stay free via a different transmission method is great. It's sort of like having a repeater - the kind that are currently being shut down in Ontario for a host of local stations - only on the web. 

I know we'll never get it here, with Rogers, Bell and Corus much more interested in forcing you to pay for those services via either cable or satellite.

But that would be a welcome addition to this country's ability to watch free TV. While it's still free.

I don't have a VPN, but if anyone does and tries it out, I'd love to know if it worked for you. 

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