>>> the broadcast you're watching tonight is on an over-the-air television network that is supposed to arrive at your home for free if you have an antenna to bring in the signal. two big over-the-air networks are making the initial threats they'd rather come off the air and go on cable alone instead if a new technology is allowed to go through that would take their signal and charge you for it sending it directly to your device through the internet. our report on all of this tonight from nbc's john yang . >> reporter: it wasn't that long ago that families would gather around the television to watch big events. shared national experiences. >> they've got the flag up now. you can see the stars and stripes . >> not guilty of the crime of murder. >> reporter: now viewing has gone from this to this. nielsen researchers say more than 5 million american homes don't have a tv set but that doesn't mean they don't watch t...