Roanoke CBS-HD

[JRiz]

Any news on when we'll be getting CBS in HD in Roanoke? It wasn't lit up with the other 3 when they launched last month.

[Laddyboy]

Any news on when we'll be getting CBS in HD in Roanoke? It wasn't lit up with the other 3 when they launched last month.

Not sure, but I think it might be part of the Schurz Communications family. At one time there was a dispute between E* and Schurz. E* usually negotiates with the station group and not the local station. There are others around here that will likely know something for sure.

[chikagobnd]

I'm not sure what the ownership situation is, but from what another member posted the other week, according to management at WDBJ, E* never contacted WDBJ in regards to an agreement to carry WDBJ in HD. Apparently, they had already worked out new carriage agreements with the other locals and did not do the same with WDBJ...management said it would have been illegal for E* to proceed with airing the station until they had a new agreement. That's the last of what I've heard.

[Laddyboy]

I'm not sure what the ownership situation is, but from what another member posted the other week, according to management at WDBJ, E* never contacted WDBJ in regards to an agreement to carry WDBJ in HD. Apparently, they had already worked out new carriage agreements with the other locals and did not do the same with WDBJ...management said it would have been illegal for E* to proceed with airing the station until they had a new agreement. That's the last of what I've heard.

If they are part of a station group, they won't be contacted as E* usually only negotiates for all stations in a group at one time. It could be the group contract is not yet up for negotiation or that the station wasn't ready for HD when it was negotiated or something else. Wiki says the station is owned by Schurz. If that's the case, you need to probably contact Schurz .

[darekd]

This was posted a week ago on WDBJ7 site:

High Definition Information for Dish Customers
WDBJ7 is working with Dish Network to enable Dish to transmit WDBJ7's high definition programming. We expect that Dish will begin carrying WDBJ7 in high definition by June 17.


http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=10472525

[Laddyboy]

This was posted a week ago on WDBJ7 site:

High Definition Information for Dish Customers
WDBJ7 is working with Dish Network to enable Dish to transmit WDBJ7's high definition programming. We expect that Dish will begin carrying WDBJ7 in high definition by June 17.


High Definition Information for Dish Customers - WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville |

There ya go, probably just waiting for equipment or fiber to get in place.

[ncramer]

So I have been told by people that know a lot more than I do about this situation, it has nothing to do with equipment or fiber or anything technical in nature. It simply was an issue of WDBJ not having a signed retransmit agreement with Dish for the HD signal. Apparently when a carriage agreement was signed originally there were no provisions included for HD when/if that happened. I guess Dish covered that base with WSLS, WFXR and WSET. This is all strictly a matter of an agreement being reached and signed by both parties. I also heard WDBJ made efforts to contact Dish about getting this taken care of before they launched the rest of our local HD channels and the people at Dish did not return phone calls to WDBJ. If anyone is upset about the delay, don't blame WDBJ. Dish dropped the ball.

[Laddyboy]

So I have been told by people that know a lot more than I do about this situation, it has nothing to do with equipment or fiber or anything technical in nature. It simply was an issue of WDBJ not having a signed retransmit agreement with Dish for the HD signal. Apparently when a carriage agreement was signed originally there were no provisions included for HD when/if that happened. I guess Dish covered that base with WSLS, WFXR and WSET. This is all strictly a matter of an agreement being reached and signed by both parties. I also heard WDBJ made efforts to contact Dish about getting this taken care of before they launched the rest of our local HD channels and the people at Dish did not return phone calls to WDBJ. If anyone is upset about the delay, don't blame WDBJ. Dish dropped the ball.

Once again you need to contact Schurz to explain the delay. Their HD locals in Springfield, MO, and other places like Quincy, South Bend, and Anchorage were not up either. E* doesn't negotiate with individual stations when they are part of a group like Schurz. That's why all the Freedom Comm and Fisher Comm station are off or will be going off E*.

[ncramer]

Once again you need to contact Schurz to explain the delay. Their HD locals in Springfield, MO, and other places like Quincy, South Bend, and Anchorage were not up either. E* doesn't negotiate with individual stations when they are part of a group like Schurz. That's why all the Freedom Comm and Fisher Comm station are off or will be going off E*.

I passed along info gathered from statements made by WDBJ's engineer and GM. Mentioned nothing about corporate BS on Schurz end. Sounds like an agreement has been worked out though, so that's really all i care about.

[Jerryinvirginia]

Bottom line....whether WDBJ7 was holding out for a better agreement or Dish was remiss in the paperwork, the addition of the HD service puts Dish customers in the Roanoke DMA ahead of Direct. This is the same circumstance that happened when SD locals were launched. Direct was #2 then and is #2 now. If the software problem had been identified earlier, the question that started this thread would already be history.