Directv Has Reclaimed My Locals

[blackey bob]

A couple of months ago D* sent many of us a letter asking us to make a choice between our locals and the national feed for CBS/Fox ( I never was able to get ABC/NBC due to some legalese). I opted to take the National feed because it offered HD programming and I am able to get my locals from cable sans HD.

Well the axe finally fell! D* pulled my locals yesterday(5/16). It was expected but came with no warning. They did, however, give me a credit against the Local Package charges.

I live outside the area where reception is available OTA and I received my locals without waivers. I called D* about the possibility of getting the national feed for ABC/NBC and they said I would have to get a waiver (paperwork is in the mail) to get those stations. Does anyone know why a waiver is needed to get service from a satellite provider when an OTA is unavailable?

 

[Salrod]

No, I don't. But D shut off my locals yesterday as well. I already had national feeds and waivers. I did send in the post card and stated I'd rather have distant feeds than locals (mostly because locals are not HD).

Does anyone know why D is doing this?

 

[Tonedeaf]

Does anyone know why D is doing this?

Because it's the law.

 

[blackey bob]

I don't doubt your veracity on the law. However, I must question a law that denies one the opportunity to have a viewable tv signal. I cannot receive reception in my area at all...even analog unless I was using a 60 ft antenna with rotor. Those antennas are ruled out because of covenants.

 

[robbiee19]

Convenants cannot stop you from having the 60ft antenna. Its the law. FCC rules state so. Look them up.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Convenants cannot stop you from having the 60ft antenna. Its the law. FCC rules state so. Look them up.

What robbiee said.

As directed by Congress in Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Over-the-Air Reception Device Rule concerning governmental and nongovernmental restrictions on viewers' ability to receive video programming signals from direct broadcast satellites ("DBS"), multichannel multipoint distribution (wireless cable) providers ("MMDS"), and television broadcast stations ("TVBS").

The rule is cited as 47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000 and has been in effect since October 14, 1996. It prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.

The rule applies to viewers who place video antennas on property that they own and that is within their exclusive use or control, including condominium owners and cooperative owners who have an area where they have exclusive use, such as balcony or patio, in which to install the antenna. The rule applies to townhomes and manufactured homes, as well as to single-family homes.

The rule allows local governments, community associations and landlords to enforce restrictions that do not impair, as well as restrictions needed for safety or historic preservation. In addition, the rule does not apply to common areas that are owned by a landlord, a community association, or jointly by condominium or cooperative owners. Therefore, restrictions on antennas installed in common areas are enforceable.

On November 20, 1998, the Commission amended the rule so that it will apply to rental property where the renter has exclusive use, such as a balcony or patio. The effective date of the amended rule is January 22, 1999.

 

[Salrod]

What Blackie Bob said.

I have the same problem, but I can not get OTA stations at alln not even even if I had a 500 ft antenna (leterally, I just looked up the height of the mountain range blocking my reception). It's a stupid law.

 

[Mr Tony]

I think we are not looking at the rule here. The rule is if your locals are available and you had BOTH distants & Locals, you had to pick one of the other.

If you need a waiver, why not try to get one through the station in question?
Obviously they claim that you are in a Grade B signal area. That’s why they are denying you the automatic waiver for a distant signal.

Where I lived, the only station I could get a distant automatically for was FOX. There was a translator nearby for CBS, NBC and ABC. Only issue was it was 20 miles away and the ABC & NBC were 11.7k watts (full powered UHF is 5000k watts) and the CBS was a whopping 587 watts. They claimed me as Grade B, even though we had the biggest Rat Shack antenna and booster and it was still fuzzy.

Sorry…rant off. If you want ABC & NBC there are 3 options
-waiver
-antenna
-subscribe to locals…but you’ll lose the distants