I don't know what they're up to, but there will never be a lack of need for local programming without a standard TV antenna, at least not in the Los Angeles area. Here, all the canyon homes north of downtown, Hollywood, and Santa Monica run downhill from a mountain (ok, hill) range that more or less points at the transmitters. That is, these locations are not only in canyons, but the canyons are at right angles to the signal orientation, making reception often quite difficult. This is why cable caught on so quickly to begin with!