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Hello friends,

Just like you, my folks subscribed to satellite television (DirecTV since 1/21/2009), and I like to deliver my editorial about the new satellite laws. Unfortuately but recently, Congress has passed H.R. 3570 (The Satellite Home Viewer Update and Reauthorization Act of 2009) by 394 For the bill, 11 against the bill, 29 Present/Not Voting. But the bill hasn't passed by the Senate yet. Why I'm against H.R. 3570, I think everybody should recieve DNS signals of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from New York City/Los Angeles (for those with DirecTV), and it shouldn't be restricted just to 'unserved' households and RV owners. I think the passing of the bill ticked off Americans. Here's how this current SHVERA law works.

If you can't recieve an over-the-air signal from a television station in your area, you'll have to apply for a waiver to get the east/west feeds of the four networks in standard-def, and one feed (east or west depending on time zone) in high def. Some stations will apply and some mostly deny the waivers. If you get your locals over-the-air or on satellite, you won't be getting the DNS feeds at all. That means you have No Choice but to get local-into-local service. That's how the current law works.

But there are some subscribers who's waivers being denied by the local staions, (like for example in Palm Springs, California I read one DirecTV subscriber being denied by their local CBS affiliate (KESQ-TV) from getting an HD feed of CBS West from Los Angeles because DirecTV doesn't offer his local CBS station in HD. But I've found out that the station is having disputes with US and Mexican goverment of getting an over-the-air signal of their local CBS station. That means the person won't access a CBS channel), But how would you feel if your favorite show is pre-empted or not cleared by the local station? (For example, my local ABC affiliate (WLOS in Asheville) pre-empted a Harry Potter movie for a Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest basketball game tonight). There fore there are some being denied the availibility to watch the ABC movie. People need alternatives besides local-into-local. But this new law is silly. I've wrote a letter to my congressman why he voted yea for the bill, but I haven't had a actual reply from him yet. But guess who don't want changes to the satellite law is the broadcasters like the NAB. They claim it would hurt "localism" and could it be protecting their revenues?

With the current law SHVERA extends til 2/28/10 (originally 12/31/09), I think SHVERA law ticked off Americans, thanks alot Congress and the NAB!!! . Remember when MLK fought for civil rights? He had a dream as well. Remember when Susan B. Anthony fought for women's voting rights? There were Patriotic and both gone but not forgotten.

If we could get newspapers from other cities (for example, The Greenville News in my hometown), why not TV stations? I think it's against federal law to provide out-of-market signals to their customers on satellite. I think this issue needs to be fixed, now!

Feel free to comment on my editorial, and be sure to sign my petition: Abolish The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act | Petition2Congress |

Thank you for your time

Spencer