Broadcast Television is by definition broadcast to all who can receive it. Just because cable companies pay to rebroadcast it to their customers doesn't change the primary fact. You do not have to pay to watch broadcast TV. It is not a violation of copyright to do so.
Quite right.
So. Given that, what are your options to watch that free Broadcast TV when the reception where you live happens to be poor? and by 'free' I specifically mean without a dime of your cash being given to the TV station.
Get a better antenna. Or sign up for a service that does have rebroadcast agreements with the local TV stations. Most satellite providers will do this.
If your position is that there is no way for a company to charge for something in order to somehow provide you with broadcast TV without paying a TV station, then what is to stop the TV stations from transmitting the most craptastic signal that they can possibly get away with so that it isn't really possible for anyone to receive a decent signal via antenna? Why then they'd be able to monetize those airwaves in more profitable endeavors. Talk about win-win for the TV stations.
Not everyone has cable TV, and the ability to get OTA broadcasts is probably part of their agreements with sponsors.
Plus, this *does* happen with UHF and really awful FM radio stations. Low power, poor broadcast quality... They also happen to have the worst advertising on the public airwaves because no one can get the signal.
(I only know this because there was a paranoid conspiracy theory radio show I'd listen to on the way to work for the lulz, I'd periodically check in on them during the day. Same with UHF TV.)