DISH NETWORK® ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF LOCAL HD MARKETS

[boomer981]

There are always people that have it worse and these people need taken care of. I feel bad for indy people, but you guys live in a condensed area where recieving hd locals OTA is an option.

Actually, I can't receive them OTA, and I live just 10 miles outside Indianapolis, albeit in a hilly area. I've tried numerous antennas with no luck.

The frustrating thing to me is the logic behind it. Indy was uplinked in 2006, and I've been told "soon" since then. And when I see MUCH smaller markets getting HD locals, but Indy not getting them, the business logic just escapes me. Seems to me you'd want to get larger markets (i.e., more customers) going as quickly as possible.

But that's just me...and I have never been known for my patience.

 

[Laddyboy]

Actually, I can't receive them OTA, and I live just 10 miles outside Indianapolis, albeit in a hilly area. I've tried numerous antennas with no luck.

The frustrating thing to me is the logic behind it. Indy was uplinked in 2006, and I've been told "soon" since then. And when I see MUCH smaller markets getting HD locals, but Indy not getting them, the business logic just escapes me. Seems to me you'd want to get larger markets (i.e., more customers) going as quickly as possible.

But that's just me...and I have never been known for my patience.

For whatever reason it seems they decided the Indy locals couldn't go on an eastern arc satellite or 110/119 (lack of beam, lack of space, who knows) so you had to wait like a lot of us for a new 129 satellite to be launched and put to use. As to the order in which E* is adding markets, I really have no idea whatsoever. They do seem to be spreading out the additions among different beams instead of loading every market in one spot beam at once. There is likely a reason for what they are doing but I don't know what it is.

 

[NickRogers]

Actually, until the Indy HD channels actually show up, Indianapolis is still the largest DMA without HD locals...so be patient...your turn is coming "soon"!!!...

Columbus Ohio can't be much smaller.

 

[mrlaugh]

I never saw that Reno was on the list until I saw the uplink report, and now we get everything but PBS, so after having dish since August I finally signed up for local channels, I never could get NBC or ABC over the air here, and CBS and FOX are spotty at best.

 

[wkomorow]

....and yet the HD locals they do provide still don't cover the whole area they should because of the spotbeams. For example the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA area. (click the link to learn more)

Not just a Dish situation. DirectTV's beam for the Albany area does not hit southeast Berkshire county, so those people can not get their Albany locals.

 

[Roxor]

What's the deal? How can Indy with a metro population of 1 million plus, not have local HD channels? It's time for Dish to explain this situation.

Indianapolis HD locals were first uplinked, but not available, in May of 2006 and then taken down in November of 2006 with no explanation. Over the past year or so the Indianapolis HD locals have been promised as coming soon. My guess it has to do with Dish not wanting to pay what the channels were asking. BTW, Direct has had them for quiet awhile, as does Comcast. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I just hope it's not a couple years from now.

 

[Roxor]

Columbus Ohio can't be much smaller.

Indianapolis is like the 25th largest TV market in the US. Columbus is much, much smaller. The only thing they have in common is that they are both state capitals.

 

[Bobby H]

I am a little suspicious that Dish Network and DirecTV have deliberately tried not to overlap each other in terms of both SD and HD local channels service -partly out of interest of duplicating efforts in case a merger between D* and E* was ever approved. Chances of such a thing happening have grown more and more unlikely, so E* has lately been adding some markets (such as Colorado Springs) that have been better served by D*.

The Indianapolis and Tucson markets have been mentioned repeatedly in this thread. DirecTV covers both of those markets in terms of HD locals service. E* is dragging its feet on offering comparable service in either place.

DirecTV has never offered any kind of local channels service in my viewing market (Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK). Dish Network is the only alternative, and has offered SD locals for several years. E* now offers 3 of the 4 major network local affiliates in HD.

 

[Fiveft20in]

Indianapolis is like the 25th largest TV market in the US. Columbus is much, much smaller. The only thing they have in common is that they are both state capitals.

That's a little overstated. According to tvb.org, Indianapolis is DMA #25 with 1,114,970 TV households. Columbis is DMA #32 with 925,840 TV households, or 83% of the size of Indianapolis.

Slightly smaller, yes. Much, much smaller, no.

 

[BrownHound]

Why doenst dish release a schedule for march for Local HD release. there are still alot of markets that are March 2009.

are they just drawing DMAs out of a hat???? I just dont understand why everyone is kept in the dark on this.

 

[DK6732]

I never saw that Reno was on the list until I saw the uplink report, and now we get everything but PBS, so after having dish since August I finally signed up for local channels, I never could get NBC or ABC over the air here, and CBS and FOX are spotty at best.

I was in the same boat. I almost got it perfect with OTA, but ABC and NBC would come in and out alot, with FOX being spotty, and CBS along with PBS being the only constant feeds. I am so glad they finally turned them on. DirecTV had Reno turned on for over a year or so.

 

[Sadoun]

Indianapolis is like the 25th largest TV market in the US. Columbus is much, much smaller. The only thing they have in common is that they are both state capitals.

But Columbus is much much more beautiful.

Just a few of the beautiful things we have in Columbus, OHIO:

10.Short North & the Gallery Hop
9.Ohio Theatre
8.The Palace Theatre
7.Innis Gardens
6.The Motorcycle Hall of Fame
5.COSI
4.Easton Town Center
3.The Columbus ZOO
2. Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria (replica)
1. The OHIO State University (OSU)

 

[mntwister]

This was posted today on the Echostar News Monitor:

HD local launches this month: Albany GA, Bakersfield (without something...), Corpus Christi, Duluth, Erie, Eugene, Fargo, Indy, Lafayette, Monterey CA. Coming soon: Baton Rouge, Butte MT, Cheyenne (!), Chico-Redding CA, Columbus OH, Columbus-Tupelo MS, Fort Smith AR, Ft Wayne IN, Gainesville, Grand Junction, Great Falls, Idaho Falls, Johnstown, La Crosse, Laredo TX, Medford, Meridian MS, Minot, Missoula, Panama City, Roanoke, Rockford IL, Sherman-Ada, Sioux Falls, Tucson (yay Charles!), Twin Falls, Wausau, Youngtown.

I am very excited as I am in the Duluth, Minnesota market. There are other Duluths so I really hope they meant Minnesota. Does anyone have any more information on this?

 

[BrownHound]

Great...... Roanoke has gone from March, 2009 to the dreaded "coming soon"!!!

What a bunch of BS.

What really gets me is the lack of information they give the CSRs.... I was told 3 times they would be on the first of second week of March. One CSR even put "GREAT NEWS!!!" when the did the customer service chat. I cant tell if they are misled by Dish and give bad information, or if they just tell you what you want to hear so you will leave them alone.

 

[digiblur]

Why doenst dish release a schedule for march for Local HD release. there are still alot of markets that are March 2009.

are they just drawing DMAs out of a hat???? I just dont understand why everyone is kept in the dark on this.

No, they don't draw them out of a hat. It depends on when all the pieces go into place.... retransmission agreements, reliable signal from the station to the POP, fiber backhaul from the market to the regional uplink center that feeds that spotbeam, encoder at uplink center in place and feeding the transmitter on the uplink dish...then the testing comes in to place. Lots of pieces to come together and they don't control them all. The markets that happen the quickest get put up.

 

[Vic_Mackey]

Springfield, Mass. SD & HD would be nice.

 

[ncramer]

No, they don't draw them out of a hat. It depends on when all the pieces go into place.... retransmission agreements, reliable signal from the station to the POP, fiber backhaul from the market to the regional uplink center that feeds that spotbeam, encoder at uplink center in place and feeding the transmitter on the uplink dish...then the testing comes in to place. Lots of pieces to come together and they don't control them all. The markets that happen the quickest get put up.

I am in the Roanoke, VA market and we were SUPPOSED to get locals in HD this month according to the last charlie chat before the one last night. I found out (from the head engineer at the station) that Dish has not even contacted our local CBS affiliate about an HD carriage agreement. Coincidentally, on last nights charlie chat, Roanoke was not listed any longer in the list of March adds. We are now in the infamous "soon" category. How can they make announcements like that - that they would add Roanoke HD locals in March - before even attempting to get an agreement with local affiliates. I guess i shouldn't be surprised, but after expecting my channels to be lit up this month and then finding out they wouldn't be and Dish hasn't even made an attempt to get them up really pisses me off.

 

[JEFFinINDY]

+1


Although I'm used to Indy getting snubbed because of being a "small market" when referring to sports, I refuse to believe that Indiana's largest city; the nation's 14th largest city; the Midwest's 3rd largest city; and the 2nd most populous state capitol, has had to wait longer than Greenville, NC, Jackson, MS, Juneau, AK and Spokane, WA had to for local HD!!!

I mean no disrespect to fine citizens of those cities and states, but seriously...

That's why DirecTV and UVerse are cleaning up around here. Seriously - I don't know anyone who's into HD who has Dish here in Indy, but tons of my friends have D* and U* (and of course Comcast).

 

[BrownHound]

I emailed my displeasure to the ceo email about this...

I am in the Roanoke, VA market and we were SUPPOSED to get locals in HD this month according to the last charlie chat before the one last night. I found out (from the head engineer at the station) that Dish has not even contacted our local CBS affiliate about an HD carriage agreement. Coincidentally, on last nights charlie chat, Roanoke was not listed any longer in the list of March adds. We are now in the infamous "soon" category. How can they make announcements like that - that they would add Roanoke HD locals in March - before even attempting to get an agreement with local affiliates. I guess i shouldn't be surprised, but after expecting my channels to be lit up this month and then finding out they wouldn't be and Dish hasn't even made an attempt to get them up really pisses me off.

Not only was it listed in that last charlie chat as March of 2009, but I actually had CSRs tell me that they would be up the first (then second) week of March. Three different service reps told me the exact same thing.

Whatever happend to under-promise and over deliver. When people tell me something, I believe them, and to go back on that is horrible service.

 

[digiblur]

I am in the Roanoke, VA market and we were SUPPOSED to get locals in HD this month according to the last charlie chat before the one last night. I found out (from the head engineer at the station) that Dish has not even contacted our local CBS affiliate about an HD carriage agreement. Coincidentally, on last nights charlie chat, Roanoke was not listed any longer in the list of March adds. We are now in the infamous "soon" category. How can they make announcements like that - that they would add Roanoke HD locals in March - before even attempting to get an agreement with local affiliates. I guess i shouldn't be surprised, but after expecting my channels to be lit up this month and then finding out they wouldn't be and Dish hasn't even made an attempt to get them up really pisses me off.

Unless it is an independently owned station then the people that work at the station might not hear anything as Dish will negotiate with the owner of the station, not the station itself.

But that doesn't always hold true.... I know a CE at a local independent FOX station and he said he didn't hear a thing about Dish carrying them except from me. And this was a week before Dish lit up their channel in HD.