WLFI Channel 18 comes to DIRECTV on Friday

[jssat]

WLFI comes to DIRECTV this Friday

[jdspencer]

Let us know how that works out for you.

[Raymie]

Lemme guess...LIN TV had a nice lengthy talk?

Oddly, they aren't on Dish, but it's a nice incomplete market. (read: WLFI is the only network TV station there, and if LIN wants to cut costs, I could see them going to WISH semi-satellite)

[dishrich]

Oddly, they aren't on Dish, but it's a nice incomplete market. (read: WLFI is the only network TV station there, and if LIN wants to cut costs, I could see them going to WISH semi-satellite)

Yes, but the difference is, D* CAN legally bring in the REST of the networks from an adjacent market (obviously Indy) via significant viewed & then MAKE it a complete market. Most likely the Indy spot beam will nicely cover all of the Lafayette DMA, so it's not going to really take any extra bandwidth for D* to service another DMA, except for the 1 lone SD Lafayette station. E* CAN'T do any of this, due to them loosing their ability to carry distant & SV stations in a DMA.

D* does this very same thing in a couple other markets - one that comes to mind is Mankato, MN, that only has a primary CBS affiliate. D* brings the rest of the nets in from Min/SP.

[dishrich]

Just as I said - except obviously Lafayette will be in MPEG4 Ka ONLY, while the Indy's will be in both, as they are today:


The DIRECTV Group, Inc. - DIRECTV to Deliver Local HD Programming To Customers in Lafayette, Ind.

DIRECTV to Deliver Local HD Programming To Customers in Lafayette, Ind.
WHAT: DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's No. 1 satellite television service, will offer local HD programming to customers in the Lafayette, Ind., designated market area. The following broadcast networks will be available in HD: WLFI/CBS, WTHR/NBC, WXIN/FOX and WTTV/CW.
DIRECTV also commends Congressman Steve Buyer for his assistance with its launch of local channels for customers in the Lafayette market area.

DIRECTV will offer local HD broadcast channels in 125 cities, representing more than 89 percent of U.S. TV households. Including markets where DIRECTV also offers standard-definition local channels, Lafayette will be the 151st city in which consumers can enjoy their local programming via DIRECTV.

WHEN: Available Friday, May 15
HOW: To receive DIRECTV's local HD programming, customers must have an H20 or H21 HD receiver or an HR20 or HR21 DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR and a Ka/Ku band dish. For information on how to get DIRECTV HD consumers can visit DIRECTV.com.
CONTACT: DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer
rgmercer@directv.com
(310) 964-4683

They obviously don't have an agreement for WRTV-6 ABC yet, but I'm sure they most likely will soon...

[randyjb]

I live in Lafayette, IN and after reading the announcement in the paper and seeing it on WLFI TV I attempted to add my local channels to my DirecTV lineup. No go. I was told I was eligible and that they were available, but that the "computer wouldn't allow the change to be made." I am not the only one this has happened to. Apparently WLFI is aware of the issue as they told me as much in an email. No solutions yet. Has this lag time or inability to get the locals happened to others when their locals became available? Some portions of the DirecTV website say that there are no locals available in my zipcode, but other portions (namely the main local channel info page) do say they are available. I have all the correct receivers and dish.

Friday night after a system reset the local channels appeared.

Saturday morning they were in the grid but listed as "Channel not purchased." After another 1 or so hours on the phone with DirecTV yesterday, I was told they were unable to make the system add the channels and that my "issue" would be upgraded to a supervisor. Sometime late Saturday afternoon the channels reappeared and all seems well. For now.

[Fl_Gulfer]

Figures!!!! I live in 160 area..

[ComcastOgre]

dishrich, I believe you are wrong about Dish Network and Lafayette Indiana locals. Since the WRTV (ABC), WTHR (NBC), WXIN (FOX), WFYI (PBS), WIPB (PBS), WNDY (MyNet) AND WTTV (CW) are ALL significantly viewed from the Indy DMA, those would not qualify under distant network conditions according to the new Significantly Viewed legislation. Every single one of those stations (even WISH TV) is available everywhere in Lafayette and West Lafayette.

[dishrich]

dishrich, I believe you are wrong about Dish Network and Lafayette Indiana locals.

Sorry, but I think I'm right - SV was part of the distant network rules, which is why DISH lost the right to do EITHER one. As long as Lafayette & Indy are TWO separate DMA's, DISH CANNOT distribute ANY locals whatsoever outside it's immediate DMA - & it's only been like this for a couple+ years now.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-net...ml#post1637786

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-net...ed-locals.html

This is only a couple out of DOZENS of threads supporting my statement, but believe what you want to believe...

according to the new Significantly Viewed legislation.

Yea, but how do YOU know DISH will be allowed to do this again - until they are allowed to offer them, they can't.
And, until the status quo above changes, they STILL won't, sorry...

[Iceberg]

dishrich is right. Dish cannot sell ANY station that is not available in the DMA according to the FCC.

That is why areas with single station markets wont be on Dish any time soon. They can't add any other stations. I can think of 3 markets where DirecTV has locals and Dish doesn't because of this
-Mankato MN (CBS only...rest are from Minneapolis)
-Zanesville, OH (NBC...rest are from Columbus)
-Lafayette (above)

I think if Dish could do SV, they'd have almost every 1 & 2 station DMA out there at least in SD. The only station Dish can "import" is the National PBS for markets without one and that is due to a different agreement.