So I'll try to clear up some misconceptions, here...
shadyB is mostly correct. The rules were changed in December, 2004, by Congress and the President. However, since the Jackson, TN market is not uplinked by DirecTV and Dish Network, they can provide any distant locals for which you qualify. As was noted by charper1, the DirecTV website for distant qualification pointed out that Huntington, TN, is eligible for all networks except ABC, as the station is the only true full-power network station in Jackson.
MLBurks said:
So why does D* have to go through waivers for east and west coast feeds while DISH does not? Also, why does D* not offer networks from other major markets? I would think that the FCC rules and regulations would be indentical for both satellite providers.
Technically, the rules are the same. However, there is a small difference in the way they've been implemented.
DirecTV originally used network feeds from a company called PrimeTime 24. When the networks sued DirecTV and won in 1999, DirecTV then replaced this with the New York affiliates and the Los Angeles affiliates. DirecTV never wanted to add more than two sets of network channels. Each of these channels takes away from valuable bandwidth at the core satellite location.
Dish Network actually used 13 different markets for distant networks back in 1999. The networks also sued Dish Network, but the case dragged out for a much longer period of time. Dish Network started narrowing down the list. As of right now, they only offer distant locals from four cities.
And the ability to offer a specific set of stations nationwide is the choice of the satellite companies.
MLBurks said:
So this brings me back to my original question. If my "locals" are uplinked to the satellite and D* does carry them, why can't I get them FOX Chicago is uplinked to the satellite just as NYC and LA are. Why can't I get Chicago FOX?
The NY and LA channels may be uplinked to satellite the same as FOX Chicago, but they are not downlinked in the same manner.
In order to push more and more local channels to customers, a brilliant idea was born to create more bandwith. For example the ESPN and the NY FOX channel are on a transmission beam that covers the entire, contiguous United States (or what is known as CONUS). However, the Chicago local channels are retransmitted via a beam that only covers a few hundred miles in diameter. These are called spot-beams.
So you can understand this easily, it works the same way as any broadcast channel. There is a channel 2 in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Greensboro, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami. The propogation of the TV signals is based upon a certain distance. Once the distance is met, the same channel and frequency can be used again in another part of the country.
The frequency DirecTV uses to transmit the Chicago channels also transmits the Washington, DC, Nashville, Seattle, and some Los Angeles stations. Each of these markets are on different beams, but able to use the same frequency bandwidth. The satellite is broadcasting five transponder 18's to different areas of the country.
Therefore, there is no way to receive the Chicago locals via DirecTV in Tennessee. Dish Network has the network channels from Chicago on a CONUS beam, which allows Dish Network to broadcast those the Chicago locals as a distant network.
MLBurks said:
If I had cable, I would have one local out of Jackson, all four networks out of Memphis, three out of Nashville and three out of Paducah KY. Why then if cable would serve me these locals, satellite can not?
Ah, and you've now come back full circle. The requirement for offering local channels in the original law is that if a market is offered, then all channels in the market must be offered. For your market, Jackson, TN has an ABC channel, a UPN channel, and a PBS channel. With some disclaimers, all three stations must be made available to you if DirecTV or Dish Network were to add the market.
Then, with the change in the law in December, 2004, the companies are allowed to give you significantly-viewed channels, from the FCC's significantly-viewed list, under two conditions:
1) You receive your local channels (in your case, you do not)
2) The satellite company decides to come to agreements with these significantly-viewed channels and give them to the customer.
Now, for my example: I live in the southern part of the Baltimore DMA. I can get the DC locals with rabbit ears. The significantly-viewed list allows the satellite companies to give me the DC networks. Dish Network has offered the DC local channels in my county, along with the Baltimore channels. However, DirecTV has not.
For your example? If Jackson, TN, is ever made available to satellite companies, the FCC's significantly-viewed list says the satellite companies can deliver these channels to you:
WSMV, 4, Nashville
WTVF, 5, Nashville
WKRN, 2, Nashville
WREG, 3, Memphis
WPSD, 6, Paducah
I hope this makes some sense.
FOX Chicago is uplinked to the satellite just as NYC and LA are. Why can't I get Chicago FOX? As much as I want my locals, I will never go back to cable. And even though I was allowed to get Chicago FOX with E* and any other network I wanted, I won't go back to DISH. For many reasons, despite this thread, I am happy with D*. I'm just the kind that asks "Why" and then wants to know the answer. Even if I don't like the answer, I usually feel better knowing the answer instead of being left wondering.
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