Congress likely to pass HD distant locals today!

[Covebum]

OK, I've waded through this and think I understand...maybe. My Salinas/Monterey market isn't served by ABC OTA (KGO, O&O) due to their transmitter being a mountain range away. The former ABC affiliate that did reach us was bought by NBC. D* offers KGO in their 'locals' package,as they now cover this market via cable and D* only. Because I have cable to see SF market stations, I don't subscribe to the D* locals package since I can get 'my' NBC, FOX, and CBS locals all OTA.

However, D* does give me ABC-W due to my distant signal status (is that a white area?). I guess what I'm asking is will my distant signal situation remain intact for ABC-W HD under the new wording, or must I subscribe to D* locals in order to qualify even though I'd be getting an O&O station either way? Sorry if this has been answered in some fashion elsewhere in the thread...

 

[RickyMac]

Grandfathered Subscriber

I am one of those Grandfathered people that has been receiving Distant Networks for years. I have been with E since 1993. CBS, NBC, and ABC is offered OTA in HD, but I can not get the signal because my house is behind a hill.

Will I be able to get CBS-HD from E?

 

[RBBrittain]

OK, I've waded through this and think I understand...maybe. My Salinas/Monterey market isn't served by ABC OTA (KGO, O&O) due to their transmitter being a mountain range away. The former ABC affiliate that did reach us was bought by NBC. D* offers KGO in their 'locals' package,as they now cover this market via cable and D* only. Because I have cable to see SF market stations, I don't subscribe to the D* locals package since I can get 'my' NBC, FOX, and CBS locals all OTA.

However, D* does give me ABC-W due to my distant signal status (is that a white area?). I guess what I'm asking is will my distant signal situation remain intact for ABC-W HD under the new wording, or must I subscribe to D* locals in order to qualify even though I'd be getting an O&O station either way? Sorry if this has been answered in some fashion elsewhere in the thread...

In your case, you appear to be in the "analog white area" for ABC in Monterey-Salinas. I think you will have to choose between (a) ABC-W in SD (like you have now), or (b) Monterey-Salinas locals in SD plus ABC-W in HD. If you have ABC-W in HD now, you should be able to keep it; but if you don't, you'll have to take Monterey-Salinas locals to get it.

In addition, since San Francisco is available in your area via cable, it should be considered "significantly viewed", and thus you should ultimately be able to get them added to the Monterey-Salinas package in your area. However, all indications so far are that D* wants to wait for the FCC to rule in the next year on the "network nonduplication" and "syndex" rules before offering significantly-viewed network stations from multiple markets. Of course, if both markets are O&O, that may speed things up some.