LOCALS & DISTANTS

[nrholland]

Here's an interesting idea I came up with; however, I'm not sure if it'd work or not. I'm not an expert from any stretch of the imagination, so I don't know if my idea is possible. Here it is:

Suppose the "MYTVRIGHTS" petition does some good and allows us to get locals from any market...the first problem would be how to make it so that someone in Seattle can watch locals from Charlotte. Right now that's not possible with the spot beams they use. Currently the only "locals" you could get would be the ones in your area (for example, I live in the Tampa DMA...I can get Orlando, Ft. Myers, Gainesville, West Palm Beach and (right on the line) Tallahassee and Jacksonville local).

However, since Dish has the Dishonline feature, would it be possible to receive them from the internet instead, such as a live stream and receive them to your set top box thru the internet instead of thru satellite. Is it possible? I have no idea if it can be done or not. But if it could, there's a way to do it.

On another note, hopefully the "mytvrights" petition will succeed to at least give us the right to have the distant nets if we choose or not instead of going thru all the waiver nonsense.

Any comments? I'd love to know.

Thanks.

 

[garys]

If the law was changed and allowed customers to select their local channels, spot beams would be removed and all locals would again be conus. If you have internet you can view replays of most local channel's news broadcasts already. Most prime time shows can be viewed on network websites already (usually for a short time after the program is broadcast, but not live).

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If the markets all went conus then over half of the markets would go away as there is not enough space up there. With spotbeams they can reuse transponders many times over to transmit signals to many areas of the country.

 

[harshness]

While SV may be possible, across-the-board DNS is not going to be able to happen for the reasons that Scott cites and a number of others (see more at NAB).

I'm not sure that the FCC is ever going to allow DISH to restore DNS capability which also presents a problem.


I would recommend making provisions for using means other than DISH Network.

 

[Tomboy257]

Why was Dish singled out for the DNS and not DirectTV?

 

[Derwin0]

Why was Dish singled out for the DNS and not DirectTV?

Because Dish abused the system, and knowingly gave people DNS that didn't qualify.

 

[harshness]

Because Dish abused the system, and knowingly gave people DNS that didn't qualify.

It was more likely that they had enough evidence to build a solid case against DISH and they didn't have enough to build a case against DIRECTV. Both companies have their scofflaws and both companies know it.

 

[shkarter1985]

My reply on this topic

I've signed the petition at MyTVRights.com and I've wrote a letter to my local congressman about this issue. I disagree with the NAB, but life's tough. Remember when Martin Luther King fought for civil rights and Susan B. Anthony fought for womens voting rights? They were true patriots and both gone but not forgotten. My folks are DirecTV subscribers, and used to be Dish Network subscribers. How would you feel if your local station pre-empts or doesn't carry your favorite show at all? For example, the NBC affiliate in Houston, Texas does NOT carry Poker After Dark, or the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah does NOT carry Saturday Night Live because their owners are Mormons, or my local NBC affiliate from Greenville, South Carolina does NOT carry the fourth hour of The Today Show due to local program obligations, and the CBS owned-and-operated station in Sacramento, California does NOT carry the soon-to-be ending Guiding Light, which it's pretty uncommon for a network owned and operated station. That's why this outdated law needs to change (but President Obama says "Change doesn't happen overnight"). I suggest to write a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or your local congressman/congresswoman about how you feel about the Satellite laws.

It's okay to watch west coast feeds of Nickelodeon/Nick-at-Nite, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network in the east coast, but why not west coast feeds of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in the east coast? The answer is the law won't let you. That's why I'm supporting the cause to change the the law.

In Canada, satellite companies like BellTV for example offer distant American channels of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from Boston and Seattle without the waivers. But in the USA, it's different, and unfair. It feels like communism. This is the USA, an equal opportunity country, not China. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s.

 

[mistercoke]

I thank local network affiliate should had to carry all network shows and at the network time.

 

[harshness]

In Canada, satellite companies like BellTV for example offer distant American channels of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from Boston and Seattle without the waivers. But in the USA, it's different, and unfair. It feels like communism. This is the USA, an equal opportunity country, not China. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s.

If you want to talk government control, explain why DISH Network and DIRECTV aren't available in Canada. Canada should not be held up as a shining example of enlightened policy towards television programming.

In the U.S. the NAB runs the show and has a very powerful lobby.

 

[Mr Tony]

In Canada, satellite companies like BellTV for example offer distant American channels of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from Boston and Seattle without the waivers.

different rules there. Sure you can get the network affiliates from various areas (depending on where in Canada you are) but they are simsubbed like heck in most cases where they remove the commercials and input canadian commercials.

So on probably 90% of the prime time programming there are simsubs on the US Networks. The rule technically is if you have a OTA Canadian channel in the market its simsubbed, but Bell can't implement it receiver wide so they do it across the board.

So on say CBS Boston & Seattle the 1st hour may be a CTV feed, the 2nd hour is a Global simsub and the 3rd hour may be a "A" channel or E! simsub

Starchoice at least has it right. I have no simsubs on the Detroit, Seattle & Spokane stations I get due to my "location"

Also, most of the cable channels are just basterdized channels with lots of Canadian shows on them. Here is a snippet of channels that are in both the US & Canada but are very different
Food
HGTV
Discovery
OLN/Vs (its still called OLN in Canada)
MTV
MTV2
TVLand
Animal Planet
TCM
AMC
HBO
Spike (to an extent...there is substitute programming usually when its a movie weekend)
just to name a few

Channels that are in Canada but under a different name
YTV (think Nickelodeon)
Family (Disney)
Movie Network (a mix of premium movie channels)

so you can see yeah sure we get the US Nets, WPCH (formerly WTBS) and WGN 9 on Candian TV but lots of folks in Canada would like the real channels (the ones we have here in the US)

 

[sam_gordon]

It's okay to watch west coast feeds of Nickelodeon/Nick-at-Nite, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network in the east coast, but why not west coast feeds of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in the east coast? The answer is the law won't let you. That's why I'm supporting the cause to change the the law.

You're comparing apples and oranges. Nick/Disney/Cartoon Network/etc are all National networks. Stay with me for one more quote before you say so are ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.

In Canada, satellite companies like BellTV for example offer distant American channels of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from Boston and Seattle without the waivers. But in the USA, it's different, and unfair. It feels like communism. This is the USA, an equal opportunity country, not China. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s.

It has nothing to do with communism, and everything to do with capitalism. Your local network affiliates set their advertising rates based on how many viewers they have. If you're in Boston and watching the NBC from Seattle, Boston is losing your eyes, and therefore the advertising revenue you bring to the station. Calling a station and threatening not to watch them unless they grant you a waiver (I know you didn't say that), is an empty threat. If they grant you a waiver you won't watch anyway.

I thank local network affiliate should had to carry all network shows and at the network time.

Most affiliates have a limited number of preemption hours they're allowed each year (barring other contracts for regional sports, etc). If you think your affiliate preempts the network too much, complain to the network.

And whoever complained about not seeing the 4th hour of the Today show... you're not missing much.

 

[Mr Tony]

I'll add an addition to sam's point of the networks

IN some cases where there are 2 of the same network in a market (cable) one may have to be blacked out. About 75 miles SW of Minneapolis is Mankato (Vikings training camp is held there). They are their own DMA with only CBS in the market (and now Fox on a subchannel).
Cable in the area carries CBS & Fox from Mankato and all 4 nets from Minneapolis. I dont know if CBS is this way but for Fox ANYTIME both the "local" fox and the Minneapolis Fox has the same programming, KMSP Minneapolis is blacked out (sports is the exception but both carry the same NFL Games). SO every night from 7-9 PM Central KMSP on cable in Mankato is a black screen with a "this is blacked out" message

Also when I lived in Duluth, MN (180 miles north of Minneapolis) we had (at the time) UPN pumped in from Minneapolis on cable. Ironically it was KMSP (they switched affiliation a few years ago)...anywho. During the day all those syndicated shows (talk, judge) were blacked out with a "due to FCC rules this program is blacked out. Check listings for other times in your area" because the Duluth networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) had the rights to those syndicated shows. So I couldnt watch Maury at 1:00PM on KMSP, I had to wait until 2:05AM the next morning to see it on Duluth NBC...sure it sucked but them are the rules

 

[whatchel1]

They don't have to now.

I've signed the petition at MyTVRights.com and I've wrote a letter to my local congressman about this issue. I disagree with the NAB, but life's tough. Remember when Martin Luther King fought for civil rights and Susan B. Anthony fought for womens voting rights? They were true patriots and both gone but not forgotten. My folks are DirecTV subscribers, and used to be Dish Network subscribers. How would you feel if your local station pre-empts or doesn't carry your favorite show at all? For example, the NBC affiliate in Houston, Texas does NOT carry Poker After Dark, or the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah does NOT carry Saturday Night Live because their owners are Mormons, or my local NBC affiliate from Greenville, South Carolina does NOT carry the fourth hour of The Today Show due to local program obligations, and the CBS owned-and-operated station in Sacramento, California does NOT carry the soon-to-be ending Guiding Light, which it's pretty uncommon for a network owned and operated station. That's why this outdated law needs to change (but President Obama says "Change doesn't happen overnight"). I suggest to write a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or your local congressman/congresswoman about how you feel about the Satellite laws.

It's okay to watch west coast feeds of Nickelodeon/Nick-at-Nite, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network in the east coast, but why not west coast feeds of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC in the east coast? The answer is the law won't let you. That's why I'm supporting the cause to change the the law.

In Canada, satellite companies like BellTV for example offer distant American channels of ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX from Boston and Seattle without the waivers. But in the USA, it's different, and unfair. It feels like communism. This is the USA, an equal opportunity country, not China. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s.

As far as the shows you have stated here they don't have to carry them at the times sent down. The 4 hr of the Today show is totally optional. The only shows that are required primarily are the prime time schedule. It is just much easier to take the network feed and not have to fill with their own programming. As Iceberg said the US versions of shows are set to carry CA commercials. HBO, Starz & Showtime are not up there to speak of they are replaced with CA movie channels so national CA is represented up there. And BTW you are confusing what has been told to you that communism is as opposed to what it really is. The C that you think of is a dictatorial.

 

[Pen15head]

i doubt they will make all locals conus. the goal is for them to be able to import "near by" local channels to incomplete markets and also allow those near a certain dma select one over the other. perhaps someone in arkansas half way between little rock and fort smith would have a choice of which one the wanted. probably not able to choose say boston. most people in a situation like that may by chance already lay within the current spot beams so there may not have to be very many changes with the current lay out.

as for sports, i doubt dish will be able to "un-blackout" you if they did allow someone to purchase a dma from an extreme distance. you would probably still be restricted based on your physical address, not based on the dma you subscribe too.

 

[tonystewart20]

I just wish we could even get our locals, any locals, in Southern WV.

 

[Jim5506]

Dish Network's current and near future satellite stable is designed to supply each local DMA to a very limited area, only by replacing the satellites themselves could they make major changes to that - AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN even if the law is changed.

If distants were magically allowed, to any and everyone only a few major major cities will be used to provide nationwide service. DMA #135 (whoever that is) will never be conus or available to anyone other than those in the current spot (if it exists).

 

[Pen15head]

dang, so my hopes for getting my locals outta my home town in burntscrotum, new mexico is outta the question.

 

[Mr Tony]

I just wish we could even get our locals, any locals, in Southern WV.

Beckley/Bluefield area?

There must not be any room on a transponder right now. Checking the area there are all 4 networks (Fox on a subchannel of CBS) + PBS so you have a full market

If there is a hold up in an agreement Dish probably wont carry them. Since Fox & CBS are owned by same company, if they dont agree Dish probably wouldnt carry the market until they all agree

 

[jacobm69]

I just wish we could even get our locals, any locals, in Southern WV.

:up Salisbury, MD feels your pain too!