Locals DNS Questions

[mikeacollins]

I know this question has been asked many times and I have looked at a lot of the threads but it is still very confusing. I live in Montana and there is only one local station broadcasting in HD (NBC). None of the local stations are O&O. When I look at the DirecTV DNS eligibility web site all the stations that are listed are in towns from 120 - 250 miles away and show grade A signals on all of them except for Fox. This is total nonsense for me because not only are the stations 120 + miles away but there are mountain ranges between us. All the local stations are owned by the stations in the town that is 120 miles away but operate under different identifiers and in most cases different channel numbers. I can receive all the local stations analog signals with at least grade B. I applied for waviers and received them from Fox and ABC. CBS denied them. I called the station and have not be able to speak to the chief engineer. I always get his voice mail. He returned my call once but missed me also. He seemed to imply that because I could receive an analog signal they could deny my HD wavier. I tried email and he has not responded. I spoke to an engineer and he verified that they are not broadcasting digital in my area.

Do I have any recourse or am I just SOL with CBS. Can they deny my wavier even if I can't receive any digital signal?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Spin]

Yes, they can

As long as you recieve a grade B ANALOG signal you do not qualify for DNS service without a waver. If you can not recieve the analog signal even though it says you are in a grade b area you can have a signal test done (not sure the procedure) and then you will be granted the DNS.

 

[mikeacollins]

Thanks, I was afraid that was the answer but wasn't sure. I almost regret getting HD in the first place. There are so few channels and shows and then I can't even get one of the channels. I guess that is the price for living in the boonies.


Mike

 

[TNGTony]

Remember that translators/repeaters count too. This may be why you are listed as grade A signal for some of the satations.

See ya
Tony

 

[freakshow]

One thing you can try, as long as locals are not available in your area from D*.

Call D* and request the DNS (HD is included in the price of the DNS no cost). If you are not eligible you can request that D* submit waivers to the local affil. in your behalf. If they are declined sometimes you can request someone to come to your home and check your reception grade.

 

[Barry Erick]

Those locals in town are called Translators and since they cover your town and are a repeat of the station 120 miles away, you have a grade A signal and are in the DMA of those locals.

I'm a broadcaster and where we have translators, there aren't any wavers. This is only tested on Analog. Digital will eventually have translators that are on the same channel when analog shuts down. They will be called repeaters, then.

 

[charper1]

Yep, this is an affiliates way of BS'ing their way into and and claiming a market not really served by a true local, thus cutting it off from being able to gain any real quality services from a DBS provider. No one really cares about stupid affiliate ads from areas 50+ miles away from their town. You should be banned by the FCC from claiming an unserved market that you can't & DON'T serve to the fullest extent; except to show your ads to generate more revenue for yourself.

 

[mikeacollins]

Thanks for the info. I don't know if the local stations pure translators because they have there own local news and some local ads that aren't shown in Missoula. By the looks of the stations listed in the DNS Eligibility site I would say the I am in the Missoula DMA even though it is 120 miles away. Some of the channels listed are in Spokane which is 200 miles away. Unfortunately I do receive CBS in analog with a decent signal so a signal test will not accomplish anything. It look like I am SOL until they start broadcasting in HD. I just know that when the deadline comes next year the broadcasters will go crying to congress and they will tell the FCC to extend the deadline.

Barry,

Help me understand as a broadcaster you would deny me access to HD if you were not broadcasting it. I understand that it is all about revenue but because of this I have almost completely stopped watching CBS. I am not whining about not getting waviers when I can receive the HD signal locally. I put up an antenna just so I could receive NBC HD and would be glad to be able to receive CBS HD with the antenna also. I don't understand what the CBS station thinks they accomplished They lost me as a viewer just like they would have if they would have given me waivers and in the process made me a very unhappy customer.

Mike

 

[Mr Tony]

Yep, this is an affiliates way of BS'ing their way into and and claiming a market not really served by a true local, thus cutting it off from being able to gain any real quality services from a DBS provider. No one really cares about stupid affiliate ads from areas 50+ miles away from their town. You should be banned by the FCC from claiming an unserved market that you can't & DON'T serve to the fullest extent; except to show your ads to generate more revenue for yourself.

so true
Where our cabin is, there is 2 channels that are Full power
KCCW (12..satellite of WCCO 4 CBS)
KAWB (22 PBS)

The other stations in our area (ABC, NBC, FOX) are LOW POWERED translators..barely enough power for us to pick them up with a tower antenna system...yet they "claim" Grade B for our area