DISH Network First Satellite TV Company to Offer Local Channels in All 50 States; Loc

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silversurfer

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Sep 8, 2003
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DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 2004--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) announced today that its DISH Network(TM) has become the first pay TV company to offer local TV channels in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

DISH Network's launch in the Cheyenne, Wyo., market today builds upon the company's history as the leader in local channel offerings. Nearly 90 percent of the nation's total households are now eligible to receive local channels in 127 markets via DISH Network's satellite TV service, including residents of Alaska and Hawaii.

Congress challenged the satellite TV industry in 1999 to make local channels available as widely as possible, and DISH Network has responded with a solution that has opened nearly twice as many markets as its nearest satellite competitor. DISH Network made its announcement at its annual Team Summit retailers' conference that began today in Dallas. It is the largest gathering of satellite TV delegates in the nation.

"At DISH Network, we are thrilled to achieve this milestone, providing service at a national level nearly unimaginable six years ago," said Charles Ergen, chief executive officer and chairman at EchoStar. "And our pledge to provide the lowest priced, all-digital service in America has given consumers a clear alternative to cable TV's price increases that are five times the rate of inflation."

DISH Network in 1999 became the first satellite TV company to offer local channels with a roll-out in 13 markets.

"One of the greatest concerns I hear from my constituents is their inability to get their local stations on their satellites," said U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY). "These channels help keep people informed about what's going on in their community and provide important information in emergency situations. I am pleased to know that DISH Network plans to continue its expansion of local channels, not just in Wyoming, but in the entire U.S."

DISH Network now offers local channels as part of its new Digital Home Advantage package. Starting at $29.99 per a month, this promotion offers customers free installation for up to four TVs, with no commitment and no hardware to buy and includes more than 60 popular TV channels such as ESPN, Discovery and Nickelodeon, plus local TV channels.

DISH Network is also the leading worldwide distributor of interactive TV services. DISH Network offers interactive TV programming to more than 8 million customers nationwide, with 22 interactive TV programs including games, news and entertainment. Additionally, DISH Network offers the most affordable high definition system in the nation and was the first pay-TV provider to offer a high-definition digital video recorder (DVR).

To learn more about DISH Network or to place an order, please visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 800-333-DISH (3474), or contact your local DISH Network retailer.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) serves more than 9.7 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM) and is a leading U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network is the leader in the sale of digital video recorders (DVRs). Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 800-333-DISH (3474).

</FONT> CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corporation Steve Caulk, 303-723-2010 steve.caulk@echostar.com SOURCE: EchoStar Communications Corporation
 
Dish will probably have to also have a second dish for locals in some markets since they will run low on bandwidth to provide what they have now let alone add more markets.
 
Stargazer said:
Dish will probably have to also have a second dish for locals in some markets since they will run low on bandwidth to provide what they have now let alone add more markets.
Click to expand...
I thought that the FCC had killed the 2-dish solution for LiL must-carry.

That aside, major networks for: Grand Junction, CO; Medford, OR; Cheyenne, WY along with minor channels for various markets are on 148. Lots of minor channels for various markets are on 61.5, but I didn't see any of the majors there.

Of course, lots of major & minor feeds on 105 & 121 -- but that doesn't count because SuperDish is one dish.

Hmm. If that's the rule, we could just swap out all the 2-dish folks with a toriodal dish - yeah, that's the ticket! :rolleyes:
 
You folks seem to misunderstand the "one dish for locals" provision in the new SHVIA. The ONLY thing that it prohibits is splitting a TV market to different satellites. This means that the practice of having the "major" channels at 119 or 110 and the "minor" locals at 61.5 or 148 is going to be a thing of the past.

In reality, this practice that Dish was getting away with was outside the spirit of the original SHVIA. All the stations in any one market were, according to the original SHVIA, supposed to receive equal treatment. Well through some convoluted thinking, the FCC begrudgingly overlooked this and allowed Dish to continue its practice after many, many complaints from the industry and subscribers alike. The only think Dish ended up having to do was to add the "free dish information channel" to any channels that required a second dish so at least the customers would be aware that the channels were available with additional free equipment.

What Dish is doing with Cheyenne, Grand Junction and Medford is okay since ALL the local channels from that market are being treated equally. All the stations require a second dish.

Now, the question is, will Dish be allowed to split locals between 119 and 110? Since more than 90% or Dish's customers have Dish 500 or its equivilent and all new receivers have come with a Dish 500 for the last 3 years, there is a case that splitting locals between 110 and 119 is equal treatment. But that is to be determined.

See ya
Tony
 
It's probably that "I" am the only "you folks" that has misunderstood it - but thanks for being gentle. :)

So, it's not nearly the horrible thing I thought it was. I thought they had to provide EVERYTHING on a single dish. So, locals can be on one dish while the "cable stations" (ar, ar) can be on another. So, if I remember the channel chart reasonably well, it's gonna take some channel realignments for Dish, but it's not gonna be too bad.

Makes a lot more sense now, and sorry for any confusion I may have caused here.
 
TNGTony said:
Now, the question is, will Dish be allowed to split locals between 119 and 110? Since more than 90% or Dish's customers have Dish 500 or its equivilent and all new receivers have come with a Dish 500 for the last 3 years, there is a case that splitting locals between 110 and 119 is equal treatment. But that is to be determined.

See ya
Tony
Click to expand...

How many markets are split between the 119 and 110, it is probably not many since Dish tends to put the stations from a single market on a single transponder. Tony the Transponder Trivia King would probably have that fact on file somewhere on the Dish channel Chart.... Ah yes the nice color coded chart shows (at my first glance): http://ekb.dbstalk.com/dishlist.htm

Johnstown-Altoona, Harlingen TX, Chicago (national beams on 110 spot on 119), Waco, Colorado Springs, & Yakima

With the new spot beam sat going to 110 next year, I bet they can solve these pretty easy.
 
90%???

That leaves me in the last 10% then. I didn't think it was that high. I guess the towns like mine that have 100,000 people in them are to small to get the locals. Oh well, maybe one day Wichita Falls, TX will have locals. Hopefully in my life time.
 
my superdish is unable to pick up some locals

there are atleast 2 PBS channels - channel 2 and channel 44
that my superdish is unable to pick up. it is able to pick up NBC/ABC/CBS/FOX
and looks like it also has UPN and a couple of others.

When i go to the PBS channel, it says, I need a 2nd dish which will
be provided for free by calling DishNetwork.

I thought when i got the superdish, i won't need a 2nd dish.
 
jlhugh said:
90%???

That leaves me in the last 10% then. I didn't think it was that high. I guess the towns like mine that have 100,000 people in them are to small to get the locals. Oh well, maybe one day Wichita Falls, TX will have locals. Hopefully in my life time.
Click to expand...

Actually Wichita Falls DMA is closer to 500,000, it has 2 100k cities in it (Wichita Falls and Lawton)..... At market #143 WF/Lawton is pretty much in the range of Dish.

I live in WF, I use an antenna and 811/6000 to get OTA locals. The digital feeds are there, ABC is the only one still dragging its feet. But, only CBS is passing through the network HDTV feed. I hope that NBC decides to do so before the olympics, if not I may have to get out the super big antenna again and point it at Dallas.
 
happymister said:
there are atleast 2 PBS channels - channel 2 and channel 44
that my superdish is unable to pick up. it is able to pick up NBC/ABC/CBS/FOX
and looks like it also has UPN and a couple of others.

When i go to the PBS channel, it says, I need a 2nd dish which will
be provided for free by calling DishNetwork.

I thought when i got the superdish, i won't need a 2nd dish.
Click to expand...
You don't tell us where you are, so it's a bit hard for us to help.
Try http://www.dishchannelchart.com/ to determine which birds you need.
 
Well I got Dallas locals on the dish here. I am grandfathered in from where I lived before. I just want to be able to get local programming here in WF. They are dragging there feet in this area. Maybe one day.
 
alaska satellite 3 dishes

In Alaska with 3 dishes you can actually get locals and all the dish channels and packages. But it takes 4 footers and your yard looks like an anti-aircraft installation.
 

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