How to get Distants from NPS

[kstuart]

So my burning question is, how safe does everyone think getting locals from NPS will be? Like, should I worry about losing my channels again tomorrow if I sign up with them today? I'm in West Lafayette, IN where no local feeds come in.

Safe in what way ?

- I signed up with credit card, so I am protected against any fraudulent use of my credit card account.
- NPS has been in satellite business for years
- Channels are authorized on my receiver, so the service is working now

and

- The Judge could rule (literally) at any moment and order them to stop the service

SO, if you qualify, you can get the channels and watch them, until such a time as the BS government prevents you from getting them.

 

[Chris Walker]

Ok so I call the supposed automated # and I get a live person. The lady was very friendly and knowledgeable but says I don't qualify. That's interesting since I had all 4 networks from NY and LA up until today. I KNOW I'm in Grade B for CBS and FOX at the very least. She did say they are submitted waiver requests for everyone though and that it shouldn't take as long as usual since the stations will probably be getting slammed due to this cutoff. I am receiving a free preview of my locals but am not subscribing to them. Should I cancel the free preview then try again or is NPS just not allowing people that have locals available from Dish to get these channels?

 

[Mr Tony]

if locals are available in your market (whether you take them or not), I think that disqualifies you from distants. You may have had them grandfathered from before but when they got shut off you lost that status

 

[dfergie]

if locals are available in your market (whether you take them or not), I think that disqualifies you from distants. You may have had them grandfathered from before but when they got shut off you lost that status

Yup, the NPS website shows I'm ineligible now...

 

[Minto Took]

- The Judge could rule (literally) at any moment and order them to stop the service

Thats what I'm worried about.

 

[Chris Walker]

This is such ******** bull****, I have waivers from all 4 local networks. Why can't I submit them to NPS?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

This is such ******** bull****, I have waivers from all 4 local networks. Why can't I submit them to NPS?

Its the way the law is written unfornately.

NPS would LOVE to honor those wavers and sell you service, but by law they can not.

 

[Tampa8]

Ok so I call the supposed automated # and I get a live person. The lady was very friendly and knowledgeable but says I don't qualify. That's interesting since I had all 4 networks from NY and LA up until today. I KNOW I'm in Grade B for CBS and FOX at the very least. She did say they are submitted waiver requests for everyone though and that it shouldn't take as long as usual since the stations will probably be getting slammed due to this cutoff. I am receiving a free preview of my locals but am not subscribing to them. Should I cancel the free preview then try again or is NPS just not allowing people that have locals available from Dish to get these channels?

Chris, they are not taking grandfathered as being qualified. Some people had distants legally if they had distants prior to Dish providing their locals. If you have a grade "B" signal, that is not a white zone so no real chance of getting distants unless you can get a waiver. There is talk here that if you get/can get locals from Dish you cannot get the distants, but there have been people who did get their distants while being able to get Dish LIL. I have to doubt that anything you have or can have with Dish will have an effect on what you can get with NPS. First, that would seem like too close of a relationship between the two companies. Second, the law on that is acutually pretty clear. If your provider of distants also provides your locals, even if you are in a white area you may not get distants, from that provider. So, say Dish provided your locals, but Direct did not, Direct would be allowed to give you distants, Dish would not. NPS is the provider of distants, they do not provide locals, so if you are in a white area for any or all of the networks, you should get some or all of the distants If NPS will split them up. Some have already reported getting just some of the distants so that seems to be the case.

Also, unless there is some crazy thing going on, it is not weather or not you actually subscribe to locals that determines if you are able to receive distants, it is weather or not your provider has your locals available for you to get. So, if Direct has your locals available but you do not subscribe, you would not be able to get distants from Direct, even if you were in a white area.

 

[scooter2479]

Is the Kirksville, Mo Dma in a white area? I have KC locals thru dish and I know dish doesn't provide Locals for this DMA. NPA is telling my that I don't qualify which sucks. I never had to get a waiver for KC locals thru dish. They just appeared along with all the distants a couple of months ago on my online account and chose KC.

 

[odbrv]

i just called and after i was told by the website that i qualified for all 4 the lady told me that i didnt qualify for any and they submitted a waiver for me.

Received an e-mail with the $0.00 charge. Then they did as quoted above. I have signed waivers and they said they were no good. They need to request them.

 

[Tampa8]

Is the Kirksville, Mo Dma in a white area? I have KC locals thru dish and I know dish doesn't provide Locals for this DMA. NPA is telling my that I don't qualify which sucks. I never had to get a waiver for KC locals thru dish. They just appeared along with all the distants a couple of months ago on my online account and chose KC.

If they appeared a couple of months ago, the KC stations are most likely your DMA - your local stations for where you live. Dish gave locals to people who did not subscribe for free for a couple of months for when you lost your distants. You should be able to keep them - and pay for them - starting next month.

 

[Chris Walker]

Ok I too received the "there are significant qualification problems" e-mail from NPS and asked for my e-mail address and Smart Card #. I assume this is the # that starts with S00 on system info? I gave them that, we'll see what happens. I know I should at least qualify for FOX and CBS, I've never had a problem with those two.

 

[Tampa8]

Ok I too received the "there are significant qualification problems" e-mail from NPS and asked for my e-mail address and Smart Card #. I assume this is the # that starts with S00 on system info? I gave them that, we'll see what happens. I know I should at least qualify for FOX and CBS, I've never had a problem with those two.

Yes, that is the number. I would take the email as a good sign in that they are going to investigate more and not just say no.

 

[Chris Walker]

Yes, that is the number. I would take the email as a good sign in that they are going to investigate more and not just say no.

Is everyone getting this e-mail?

 

[scooter2479]

If they appeared a couple of months ago, the KC stations are most likely your DMA - your local stations for where you live. Dish gave locals to people who did not subscribe for free for a couple of months for when you lost your distants. You should be able to keep them - and pay for them - starting next month.

I would like to think so but KC is several hours away. Couple of months KC wasn't even an option to get a waiver from, just the 4 big cities and even when I called dish they ever said KC was an option. Then out of the blue there they were. I figured it had something to do with the Dec 1st deadline. My DMA is Kirksville,Mo/ottumwa,IA. Kirksville has 1 local channel itself which is a ABC station and the rest are from Ottumwa I believe but dish has refused to pick any of those stations up. It would be cool if they say the KC is our locals now but seeing how they are like 3 or 4 hours away, I don't think so.

 

[scooter2479]

Is everyone getting this e-mail?

Yea I got it also. I also went back to the website and it said a qualified but as some before, it had no channels listed and had 0.00 has the price.

 

[C1787GJ]

The website said I didn't qualify, I called and my phone number doesn't show up in there system. I also got the E-mail and responded, hopefully they will look into it

 

[Tampa8]

I would like to think so but KC is several hours away. Couple of months KC wasn't even an option to get a waiver from, just the 4 big cities and even when I called dish they ever said KC was an option. Then out of the blue there they were. I figured it had something to do with the Dec 1st deadline. My DMA is Kirksville,Mo/ottumwa,IA. Kirksville has 1 local channel itself which is a ABC station and the rest are from Ottumwa I believe but dish has refused to pick any of those stations up. It would be cool if they say the KC is our locals now but seeing how they are like 3 or 4 hours away, I don't think so.

I can think of one other thing to suggest. Go to the Direct TV site for qualifying.
http://directvdnseligibility.decisionmark.com/app/AddressForm.aspx

If KC is your local DMA it will say so. If not, it will say what locals they do provide to you, if any. Otherwise it will say you qualify for distants. Since Direct carries the KC locals, if they say you are able to get distants then KC is not your locals.
Let us know what you find.

Also, are you still getting the KC stations now? If so it sounds like Dish at least thinks you are in their DMA.

 

[minnow]

So what your saying is that if one sign's up on the internet and you get $0.00 for the cost, then the transaction did not go through. (Because that's what happened with me). Thanks.

 

[Tampa8]

So what your saying is that if one sign's up on the internet and you get $0.00 for the cost, then the transaction did not go through. (Because that's what happened with me). Thanks.

That seems to be the case. The website does not seem to be working right yet. (Read my first post) You can try the phone number in that 1st post also.