Every time I visit the State Fair, I see folks selling Dish Network, and I see folks selling DirecTV. It seems to me that this would be a great opportunity for someone to sell FTA.

Just imagine the crowds of fairgoers walking past a sign that said “$0 TV subscription fees – Forever!” Imagine a table with monitors showing recordings that cycled through many of the channels that are available on Ku-band. (Unless there were room for a dish with a line of sight for live demonstrations.) Imagine handout lists of available channels.

Then imagine boxed kits that would be available at a decent price, including a nice profit. They would include everything that a handy homeowner would need, plus the contact information of some local installers, just in case. Or maybe the seller is also an installer, soon to become a very busy installer.

Maybe it’s too late for you to get a state fair booth this year, but another place and time this would work is at upscale shopping malls during the holiday season. Sell the same package the same way from one of those middle-of-the-aisle kiosks. So many upscale shoppers are desperate for something fun that their recipients haven’t already bought for themselves. Some would love the gift of free TV that they can’t get anywhere else.

In either case, I think that any dealer who rented the space would soon have more business than he could handle. And maybe that’s why I never see an FTA booth at the State Fair.