CSPAN 3 ON DISH

Nope that one is owned by the cable companies. We will never see it.
Wouldn't that mean the cable company controls what I watch. I'm sure you're correct. As I type this Cspan 1&2 have reruns,Cspan 1 has live coverage of the US Budget. My slow DSL( 1.4 Mg ) is getting this. Nothing biut pizza dish is avalable to me now, some programing is still on c-band but not this..
 
Even though (both) of these are phone co provided services??? :confused:

And actually, there IS a way for ALL DISH (& DirecTV) subs to watch C-SPAN3...just sign in here w/your DISH/DirecTV login & you can watch the live TV stream anytime you want. (along w/1 & 2, of course) I just tried it w/my DISH login & I can watch C-SPAN3 just fine. AND, it's even in widescreen HD...so even streaming, it looks way better than sat's (very) compressed SD feeds!

So evidently, C-SPAN(3) must not have TOO big a problem w/sat subs from watching... ;)

http://www.c-span.org/live/
 
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It has nothing to do with who owns CSPAN. (CSPAN is a non-profit foundation which is funded by a 6 cent per subscriber fee paid by any provider that carries it, both cable and satellite, it does not "belong" to cable companies.)

It has to do with an obscure rule that applies to satellite TV only. The two satellite operators are required to carry a certain number of "public service channels". The CSPANs qualify, but the rule says that they may carry no more than two from the same operator. Presumably this was to insure a diversity of viewpoints in such channels, and obviously CSPAN should get an exception, since it does not have a viewpoint. Both DirecTV and DISH, and the CSPAN Foundation have asked for an exception, but the FCC has denied it. So if a satellite company added CSPAN3, neither it, nor CSPAN 1 or 2, would count as "public service channels", so adding CSPAN3 would mean adding not only it, but two more PS channels from other providers.

Your federal government at work. The FCC could screw up a two car funeral.
 
Thank you Sam, this rule (stupid as it sounds) DOES actually make sense...certainly more than any other reasons people keep posting, that made absolutely NO sense...
 
C-SPAN use to have a page on its website explaining that C-SPAN 3 was created and paid for by Cable Companies and thus was not available via Satellite. In fact I remember they use to show an ad saying "Created by cable, not on Satellite"

I notice now that their logo is Created by Cable.

C-Span is owned by the National Cable Satellite Corporation, and if you take a look at its board you will see how many folks from Satellite Companies are on it. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/board.asp?privcapId=7714952
 
1) The C in C-SPAN stands for "Cable". The S stands for Satellite, but that was for the way the signal was delivered to the cable companies, not for the satellite to home services (Dish and DirectTV did not exist at the time). Cable Satellite public affairs network is what CSPAN stands for. In other words, a satellite public affairs network for cable companies.

2) CSPAN 3 is a cable exclusive right now. HOWEVER, as a Dish Subscriber, you can watch the C-Span 3 on TV everywhere and on the CSPAN web site here http://www.c-span.org/live/?channel=c-span-3

3) It doesn't matter what a cable company calls itself, or who owns it, or what kind of cable it uses (Copper or Fiber) to get the signal to your house. According to every regulation and law in the books, if there is a wire connecting the head end (where the programing is distributed to the homes) to the home, it is a cable company.

4) The rule for public interest channels on direct to home satellite services (Dish and DirectTV) allows for only ONE, not two, channels from any one entity to count towards the public interest channels count unless every single entity in the US has been given a chance.
Below is the synopsis of the PI rules as written by Bryan27 on the other site well over a decade ago.
  1. 4-7% of the channel capacity must be reserved for PI channels (The key here is ?reserved?, other channels may use the reserved space until a PI channel becomes available).
  2. If the percentage of reserved space results in a fraction the number of PI channels are rounded up (IE: if 4% is 2.35 channels the provider needs to carry 3 channels. Basically there is 1 PI channel for every 25 channels).
  3. The percentage is determined by the average of the channels offered in the previous year with channel counts taken once per quarter (IE: the number of PI channels in 2003 are based on 2002 channel counts).
  4. PI channels must not be charged more than the wholesale charge for carrying the channel.
  5. Only 1 channel from an entity may be carried as PI unless all PI channels in the country have been given an opportunity to be carried (this will never occur as there are more PI channels than space).
  6. PI channels may not be edited by the provider nor may the provider have any interest in the channel (IE: the provider can't own all or a part of the channel).
  7. PI channels are to be treated like all other channels in the line-up and are to be given the same treatment (IE: channels are to be given the same amount of bandwidth as other channels).
  8. A variety of channels with a variety of viewpoints must be carried (IE: you have to carry more than just religious PI channels).
  9. The PI channels must be offered to every subscriber free regardless of package
  10. To qualify as a PI channel the channel must be non-commercial and owned by a non-profit or government entity.
 
This is, why for example, the Welcome Pack and the "Free Public Interest Pack" only contain C-SPAN 1. Because technically only C-SPAN 1 is carried as a PI channel. I have to admit though, my Comcast internet comes with "Limited Basic" which does include C-SPAN 1,2, and 3 (on TV and online).
 
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Lol... The owner and creator of this wonderful site. Must be a Shill Scott.... No other explanations, such as you understand the business better than most of us.
 
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