Congress likely to pass HD distant locals today!

[BFG]

If you have Analog LIL and those stations are not broadcasting a digital signal in your market, then yes you can get digital distants for those stations.

 

[Chezbrgr2]

BFG, thanks for the quick response, to clarify, these two stations are sending out a weak digital signal, but no HD, so where does that land me now?

 

[BFG]

If they have a digital signal then no dice, for now. Later on they will be implementing an unserved digital area model to determine digital white areas. But I'm not sure how well that's going to work. Because in the bill they also added a clause that states if satellite carries your market's analog LIL than you're not eligible for analog distants, it wasn't spelled out how it would work for digital distants, because no one carries them, so I think you'll still be able to get a waiver once they make the signal tests that say you can't receive the digital signal.

 

[RBBrittain]

I have re-read the bill again, just to be sure my first instincts are correct. If you're in a market where your satellite carrier is offering analog LIL, it does NOT matter whether you can receive digital OTA or not. There will be NO "digital white area" rule in LIL markets.

If you subscribe to analog LIL for a particular network, you will be able to get a digital distant local for that network, whether you can get digital OTA or not (much less HD), as long as (a) digital LIL isn't available from your carrier (and you will switch to digital LIL when it's available), and (b) except for Alaska & Hawaii, the distant station doesn't air its network programming before your local station (i.e., Mountain time zone is limited to Mountain/Pacific markets, Pacific time zone to Pacific markets only). Those who can't get analog LIL in their part of the market (for example, because you're outside the spotbeam) are safe; in fact, several modifications in the House bill were intended specifically for them. For Alaska & Hawaii, only (a) will apply, but D* and E* are required elsewhere in the bill to launch digital LIL in those states within 30 months.

Believe it or not, the NAB is almost as happy with this as D* and E*:

• Anyone that can get analog LIL *must* take it in order to get digital distant locals, so local stations still have access to satellite households. (And let's face it: Local news, weather and sports is still a big draw for most people; that's why analog LIL has been far more successful than anyone could have imagined in 1999.) This tie also makes distant locals more complementary to local stations than competitive.

• Since you generally won't be able to get a show via distant locals before it airs locally, by the NAB's thinking, HD is the *only* reason you'd watch the distant local.

• By avoiding a "digital white area" rule in LIL markets, it removes well over 90% of the potential for consumer complaints (which make the NAB look bad, as they did in the analog era) if the final FCC rule looks too much like the analog "grade-B" rule. (The NAB's biggest complaint all along was that a "digital white area" would recreate the same debacle, in their view, as when satellite first got distant locals.)

• And finally, it assures that digital distant locals WILL go away once digital LIL is available, so the NAB won't lose you forever.

The only way a Nexstar-like station (Nexstar owns my market's NBC affiliate) could wipe out HD distant locals in their market is if they get the satellite carrier to carry their non-HD digital signal in their digital LIL package. Since I don't see any "digital must-carry" language in this bill, I'm sure D* and E* would fight them. In that case, I suspect the analog signal would meet all must-carry requirements, even if they carry true HD signals from the other networks (as would likely happen in Little Rock, where the ABC and CBS affiliates are already in true HD, and I believe Fox as well).

Besides, by the time digital LIL makes it to Nexstar markets (Little Rock is one of their biggest, if not THE biggest), Nexstar will already be under major pressure from the networks, viewers, and possibly even the FCC to upgrade. Their excuse for not broadcasting in true HD is flimsy now, but will be even flimsier then, when so many of their viewers will have switched to HD.

 

[Darkwing Duck]

There is nothing in the bill (that I read) that would make Dish change their minds about the SuperStations (at least I don't think). However, unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be anything to make DirecTV change their mind about the SuperStations (or any WB! or UPN affiliate) which disappoints me to no end.

But isn't there language for Significantly Viewed stations in a neighboring market? So in theory couldn't DirecTV offer the UPN or WB affiliate one market over? Also wouldn't this allow DirecTV to provide neighboring locals like Cable does? (At least that's what I think and BFG agreed)

 

[RBBrittain]

But isn't there language for Significantly Viewed stations in a neighboring market? So in theory couldn't DirecTV offer the UPN or WB affiliate one market over? Also wouldn't this allow DirecTV to provide neighboring locals like Cable does? (At least that's what I think and BFG agreed)

Yes, the bill does include "signficantly viewed" language. That not only helps markets missing a UPN or WB affiliate, but also markets without a full complement of network stations, like Jonesboro, AR. That market only has an ABC affiliate, plus satellites of Little Rock PBS and religious stations; cable there carries most Little Rock and Memphis stations as well as the locals, and much of the market is within Memphis grade-B contours. Besides, several neighboring counties that can get the Jonesboro ABC signal are in the Little Rock, Memphis, or Paducah DMAs, so even if they launched LIL in Jonesboro tomorrow, "significantly viewed" is still needed for that station to cover its full market.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Yes, the bill does include "signficantly viewed" language. That not only helps markets missing a UPN or WB affiliate, but also markets without a full complement of network stations, like Jonesboro, AR. That market only has an ABC affiliate, plus satellites of Little Rock PBS and religious stations; cable there carries most Little Rock and Memphis stations as well as the locals, and much of the market is within Memphis grade-B contours. Besides, several neighboring counties that can get the Jonesboro ABC signal are in the Little Rock, Memphis, or Paducah DMAs, so even if they launched LIL in Jonesboro tomorrow, "significantly viewed" is still needed for that station to cover its full market.

Yes, however, that only helps DirecTV market a UPN or WB! in a market where there is a UPN or WB! affiliate that is considered "significantly viewed". While that might be so in some markets, my market already has a UPN affiliate (sorta) and a cable-only WB! affiliate. The state of Georgia only has one WB! affiliate and that's WATL in Atlanta, and while Atlanta's ABC affiliate is considered "significantly viewed" in my market, WATL is not carried by the cable company which means I'm still screwed when it comes to WB! on DirecTV. I'm sure there are other markets just like mine.

"Significantly viewed" does help out a lot of people though, and I'm glad it passed. My market has no CBS or ABC affiliate, and this will help out a lot of Dish Network customers subscribing to their locals, and DirecTV customers when they finally offer our locals.

~Alan

 

[Vermonter]

Experts; Many MANY thanks for the updates; however I still cannot resolve one question..what happens when one or more of your local affiliates sends the HD feed to cable but not OTA? Here in northern VT the towers are still 2 years out for NBC/CBS/ABC/FOX but WCAX (CBS) is feeding Adelphia HD...so the only way you can get any HD is cable. I think that does NOT count and I should be homefree..correct? And that is true because D* just added Burlington locals a few weeks ago off 72.5.

This is good 'cause ALL the locals strictly deny waivers as policy.

Thanks again!

 

[JohnL]

RV Exemptions

I didn't see any language in the Bill that outlines reauthorizing RV exemptions for RV owners.

Did anybody notice any language in the Bill for RV owners.

John

 

[dispatcher_21]

Ok, I dont get it. From reading this it appears that if I subscribe to my local analog LIL with E*, that I will be able to get distant digital/HD until E* gets carriage agrement with those locals for digital LIL?? This sounds like a win win situation since satellite providers have no bandwidth at this time to offer digital LIL. I see this as a really good thing, am I missing something here or is this actually going to be good for us??

 

[BFG]

Yeah that's what someone else pointed out as well and it doesn't make anysense at all... Is this saying that as long as satellite carries a stations Analog LIL they can give the customer digital distants? If that's the case i can't see where the stations would like that. How does that motivate satellite to carry local DTV stations?

 

[billhdtv]

Based on what is known, when will Dish Network Or Directv for that matter be able to offer Distant HD Networks. In my case I get ABC, CBS and NBC because I am in a grade b reception area (if thats the correct terminology)and I get Fox on waivers. So when can we expect to see HD nets on satellite?

Bill G

 

[Alan Gordon]

Based on what is known, when will Dish Network Or Directv for that matter be able to offer Distant HD Networks. In my case I get ABC, CBS and NBC because I am in a grade b reception area (if thats the correct terminology)and I get Fox on waivers. So when can we expect to see HD nets on satellite?

Scott posted this here on SatelliteGuys.us. Strange...


~Alan

 

[billhdtv]

What is this "wait for up to three years" crap to broadcast distant digital GRRRRRR

 

[BFG]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=35962

Let's promote this link instead

 

[Alan Gordon]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=35962

Let's promote this link instead

LOL!! I didn't see that post. I'll edit my original post.


~Alan

 

[Stargazer]

What if you are in a DMA that gets all the networks but your neighboring county is in another DMA and only has a station or two in its market but is watched a lot here? Most of the networks come from the county south of me but the other DMA where NBC is at is in the county north of me. I know that the cable company in the DMA in the county north of me has our DMA stations since they just have the one or two locals in their area which would be NBC and WB.

 

[Alan Gordon]

What if you are in a DMA that gets all the networks but your neighboring county is in another DMA and only has a station or two in its market but is watched a lot here? Most of the networks come from the county south of me but the other DMA where NBC is at is in the county north of me. I know that the cable company in the DMA in the county north of me has our DMA stations since they just have the one or two locals in their area which would be NBC and WB.

According to the bill (at least what I understood of it, if I'm wrong, please correct me), satellite companies have the opportunity to offer stations deemed "significantly viewed" on your cable system. If your local cable system offers a certain station, your satellite company should also be able to offer it to you. Of course, whether or not they will offer them is a different question as some "significantly viewed" stations might be on spot beams outside of your viewing area... not to mention SuperDishes or 72.5º LIL.

Dish Network offers three stations in my DMA, NBC, FOX, PBS (they do not offer the IND, UPN or the other PBS) on the 105 SuperDISH, and offers ABC and CBS from Atlanta for people. Only problem is that while maybe 50% (it may be a smaller number, or higher number... just a guess) can get WSB-TV (ABC) from Atlanta (which also happens to be a "Significantly Viewed" station on MediaCom cable here), very few people if anybody can get the CBS station from Atlanta. Where I live, you'd have to get waivers from two stations to get CBS. 8 miles down the road, you'd have to get waivers from three CBS affiliates to get it.... and none of them give out waivers. Now Dish Network could offer WSB-TV to everyone and WCTV (CBS) from the Tallahassee market (which I believe covers every body in this DMA) until Dish Network offers the Columbus, GA DMA which would give everybody (I assume) the ABC and CBS from there too. That's where "Significantly Viewed" REALLY helps people!

~Alan

 

[RBBrittain]

What if you are in a DMA that gets all the networks but your neighboring county is in another DMA and only has a station or two in its market but is watched a lot here? Most of the networks come from the county south of me but the other DMA where NBC is at is in the county north of me. I know that the cable company in the DMA in the county north of me has our DMA stations since they just have the one or two locals in their area which would be NBC and WB.

It depends on whether the cable companies in YOUR county are allowed to carry stations in both DMAs. If so, then more than likely the FCC has already designated the other DMA's stations as "significantly viewed" in your county, and thus satellite will now be able to carry them. (The FCC is required to post all existing "significantly viewed" designations publicly, preferably on its website, very shortly--I think it's within 60 days of enactment.) If not, then the FCC will be allowed to make a separate "significantly viewed" determination for satellite users, but that will probably take awhile.

The fact that cable in the neighboring county has your DMA's stations means that your DMA's stations are probably "significantly viewed" in the neighboring county. However, that doesn't mean the neighboring county's stations are "significantly viewed" in YOUR county; but there's a good chance they are. (For example, I do know that cable in Newport, AR, in a county neighboring Jonesboro's county but in the Little Rock DMA, carries ABC from Jonesboro as well as Little Rock; they also get some Memphis stations.)

 

[Alan Gordon]

If not, then the FCC will be allowed to make a separate "significantly viewed" determination for satellite users, but that will probably take awhile.

I thought I had read at one time how the FCC could make a seperate "significantly viewed" list for satellite users... I guess that's one of my only hopes in getting a WB! station...

~Alan<~~~~~~~~~Who misses getting WB! programming on WGN on DirecTV!!!