DISH Statement on Stella Passage

[Scott Greczkowski]

DISH NETWORK STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF SATELLITE TELEVISION EXTENSION AND LOCALISM ACT OF 2010

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 12, 2010 – DISH Network L.L.C. issued the following statement today about the passage of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010:

"DISH Network congratulates Congress on passing the landmark Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA), clearing the way for DISH Network to become the first pay-TV provider to make local broadcast stations available in every television market in the United States."

 

[Peter Parker]

Thanks for the news that it DID pass.

 

[charlesrshell]

Great news. Thanks

 

[Buzzdar]

So exactly does this mean to me.

 

[Juan]

S. 2764: Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

 

[Peter Parker]

BTW does anyone know which version passed the 5 year or 10 year?

 

[nmfiredawg]

So am I reading right that with this bill dish can now provide locals to people that don't get locals, meaning american direct won't be needed anymore?

 

[BobMurdoch]

OK, so other than the fact that all markets will now be covered by their locals, in theory, what does this mean to the rest of us? Anything?

I am dead center between Philly and New York City, but am forced to subscribe to the New York DMA. My wife, the Eagles fan, would love to be able to get the Philly channels as well.... Did this legislation do anything about these fringe areas, or is it just a reboot of what they had before plus the last of the smaller markets getting addressed?

 

[wkomorow]

I believe it gives Dish the right to add significantly viewed stations if the so choose. If your county has significantly viewed stations:
‘(2) SERVICE LIMITATIONS- A satellite carrier may retransmit to a subscriber in high definition format the signal of a station determined by the Commission to be significantly viewed under subsection (a) only if such carrier also retransmits in high definition format the signal of a station located in the local market of such subscriber and affiliated with the same network whenever such format is available from such station.’.

So if ABC philly is available as signifcantly viewed and Dish delivers WABC-HD to you. You can watch the Philly station also.

Also I am reading PBSs will be in HD. AM I reading correctly.

 

[ggw2000]

This is good ????

Living in an area where dish does not carry our locals and probably won't for a few eons (binghamton, ny) I am really interested in what all this means. Charlie mentions a date of 6/3. Can one assume that out of market locals will be available to all of Dish's remaining "unserved" that exist today?
Looking forward to info as this develops.
Gerry

 

[Lt Disher]

Who determines 'significantly viewed'? This could be very interesting, especially on the fringe areas of a DMA. I know that in parts of west central Iowa, for example, viewers watch Omaha or Sioux City channels but are in the Des Moines DMA. The channels are not significantly viewed in the entire DMA, but certainly are on the fringes. It will be interesting to see how this is implemented and if DISH will push the envelope on this.

 

[BobMurdoch]

When I was a kid, our antenna could hit both New York and Philly stations.... Poorly. Cable came and they gave both the New York and Philly stations. I don't know what my local company offers now as I haven't been with them since the Clinton Administration, but this could be good news if I could get my wife her Eagles games back.

Right now, I've been watching the Red Zone channel and calling her in when they switch to her game. Not the most ELEGANT solution.......

 

[jacobm69]

I currently do not get my locals (Salisbury dma) since dish doesn't provide them. Am I right to assume that on June 3 I can get them or will it take some time for dish to get them to us?

 

[kstuart]

Also I am reading PBSs will be in HD. AM I reading correctly.

Unfortunately, I was reading Juan's Russian Disinformation.

The bill he linked, S.2764 is NOT the one that passed.

I am now reading the one that did pass.

The correct link is:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3333

Okay, now that I have skimmed the correct bill:

Yes, 50% of HD markets must have all PBS-HD in that market by December 31st.

The other 50% of HD markets must have all PBS-HD in that market by 12/31/11.

All HD markets added starting today must have all PBS-HD in that market.

DirecTV is exempt because "all carriers having a pre-existing agreement with more than 30 of the educational channels" are exempt, which is legalese for "DirecTV is exempt but not Dish".

PS To other poster - it is the 5 year extension. The bill states that it takes effect on February 27, 2010 regardless of when it is actually passed.

PPS This new version of the bill is a thousand times more complex. The original bill is comprehensible to a human being - this verison is not.

PPPS The bill has not yet been signed by the President.

 

[Voyager6]

Finally found this on STELA:

Provisions ease distant-signal qualifications...
WASHINGTON: Congress today passed the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 on voice vote. The bill changes how households qualify for outside-market TV signals carried by direct broadcast satellite providers. DBS operators generally could carry these distant-signal to households unable to receive in-market TV stations over the air. The new law loosens how to determine which households fall into that category.

And best of all:

S.3333 extends the distant-signal provision through Dec. 31, 2014. The Senate passed likewise legislation May 7, after earlier passing a standalone bill extending the satellite law for 10 years. The five-year version won out and is on the way to the White House.

The legislation accommodates the digital transition, multicast feeds and noncommercial HD stations. It directs DBS providers to provide local broadcast signals in all 210 TV markets. In return, it lifts a court injunction on Dish Network preventing it from carrying distant signals.

 

[BobMurdoch]

I'll be interested to see what this actually does in my area. Multicast? Could be interesting as well..... Mostly just weather radar and the like I'm assuming, but still a plus over that little screen E* overlays on the The Weather Channel (the analog channel only still)

 

[oboewan]

I'm just hoping that this means I'll eventually get PBSHD in Columbus. (Not even holding out hope for multicast)

 

[wkomorow]

The fcc determines significantly viewed. Unfortunately, their lists are based on pre-digital transition and reflect an older reality. For Berkshire county - Hartford not Springfield stations were listed as significantly viewed. I get 460kw WGGB with no problem.

This legislation does not address a lot of the out of state DMA issues that some of us were hoping. It is not clear to me (though I only glanced at it) whether in state PBSs will be required in out of state dominated DMAs. Unfortunate ...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Say BYE BYE All American Direct

 

[oboewan]

This legislation does not address a lot of the out of state DMA issues that some of us were hoping. It is not clear to me (though I only glanced at it) whether in state PBSs will be required in out of state dominated DMAs. Unfortunate ...

Well, I'm in Columbus. I get the Columbus affiliates in HD for ABC, NBC, CBS, and even CW, as well as the SD feeds for our PBS and TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) affiliates. The only thing is, I know for a fact that our PBS affiliate (WOSU) multicasts OTA and on cable, with at least one of the channels in HD (and you know, they have a crapload of money, being owned by OSU and all). I'm just hoping that I'll be able to get the HD feed.
(The TBN affiliate I couldn't care less about, since I don't watch it, and I don't think it even broadcasts in HD. We also have an Azteca America affiliate that we don't get, but I don't speak Spanish so I don't care.)