Locals in Southern Vermont

[kb2vgp]

My wife and I could be re-locating for a job to the southern part of Vermont. The southwestern corner of Vermont is in the Albany DMA and the southeastern corner of Vermont is in the Boston DMA. I went to the Dish website to see which locals were available and I found, depending on which county, that the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC) were available from both Burlington and either Albany or Boston. Is this correct, or should the locals only be coming from one city? Two of the zip codes I tried were 05301 and 05201.

 

[MattG@DISH]

They'll only come from one place (so you wouldn't be able to get both Albany and Boston at the same time), which will be determined by the 9-digit zip code (some 5-digit zips have split DMA between them)

 

[kb2vgp]

Thanks for the reply Matt. I put in 05201 on the Dish website, and it shows locals from the Albany DMA, but it also has the major networks from Burlington listed as well. I was wondering if this is correct.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Looks like 05201 is considered the "Albany Plus" DMA, meaning you do indeed get both.

 

[kb2vgp]

Ok, that's what I was wondering. So if I do any other search for a city and I see "****** Plus DMA" viewers in that location receive both cities listed.

 

[MattG@DISH]

There's only 2 DMA's like that, Albany, and Boston

 

[kb2vgp]

Ok thanks! Looks like the two southern most counties in Vermont. If we end up moving, we could be in either DMA depending on what county we are in.

 

[Mr Tony]

you can thank your congress folks for that. They got a law signed (and Dish implemented it after they got distant/sv back) that those 2 counties get BOTH Vermont locals and their "market" (which is from another state) locals

Thats really the only market where this happens right now with Dish

edit: found a post that in Sept 10 these were added that way

Last September Dish gave folks in Windham County VT both the Boston MA and Burlington VT locals. In Bennington County VT, Dish subs were given the Albany NY and Burlington VT and locals.

 

[kb2vgp]

Thanks Iceberg, like I sort of mentioned earlier, I wasn't sure if the information that I was getting back on the Dish website was correct or not. Now I know it is. Not sure if we'll be moving there yet or not, but I like to check out where I'll be receiving my local tv news stations if we do.

 

[Mr Tony]

Just checking and Directv does it too. Pluggin in 05201 gives you Albany locals AND the big 4 + PBS from Burlington

 

[jscud]

you can thank your congress folks for that. They got a law signed (and Dish implemented it after they got distant/sv back) that those 2 counties get BOTH Vermont locals and their "market" (which is from another state) locals

Thats really the only market where this happens right now with Dish

edit: found a post that in Sept 10 these were added that way

Last September Dish gave folks in Windham County VT both the Boston MA and Burlington VT locals. In Bennington County VT, Dish subs were given the Albany NY and Burlington VT and locals.

The NH legislators passed the same type of law to provide WMUR statewide. WMUR is NH's only major network station and provides news, weather and sports for the entire state. Dish did implement the law prior to the distants ban, but then the station was taken away. Unfortunately even though distants are once again permitted, Dish has failed to bring WMUR back.

 

[Mr Tony]

correct. The issue is the distant rules for WMUR were in place before Dish lost the ability to sell distants/locals outside of market. I know the rule is anyone in a NH address should get WMUR but Dish is still working out the details.

When they gained out of market access back in June 2010 the Vermont law was made AFTER that....so its different rules.

Dish right now is still pretty hindered on what they can sell outside of a market
-they can give you neighboring locals ONLY if its a short market (missing a network)
-distants can only be sold to RV/semi folks who provide documentation

Its up to Dish and the FCC to get it ironed out

 

[david_jr]

I heard or read somewhere that Sen. Leahy had a big hand in writing the law to benefit VT. Apparently no other senators were concerned about their states where locals are from outside the state. Here in Berkshire County MA we also get locals from Albany, but nothing from inside our own state like Springfield or Boston. Sen. Kennedy was ill, Sen. Kerry was buying a new yacht to park in RI and when the law was finally passed in 2010 Sen. Brown was newly minted and probably not familiar.

 

[R0ss]

I heard or read somewhere that Sen. Leahy had a big hand in writing the law to benefit VT. Apparently no other senators were concerned about their states where locals are from outside the state. Here in Berkshire County MA we also get locals from Albany, but nothing from inside our own state like Springfield or Boston. Sen. Kennedy was ill, Sen. Kerry was buying a new yacht to park in RI and when the law was finally passed in 2010 Sen. Brown was newly minted and probably not familiar.

So that begs the next question...how are the DMA's established? If I live in a state I certainly would want to receive locals from my State if for no other reason than local news...
Of course in states like NH and VT the weather, especially, im the winter can vary considerably from the MA border to Canada that I wouldn't want to rely on an out of state weather report.

Ross

Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys

 

[Mr Tony]

Nielsen establishes the DMA's....counties can move between DMA's if there is proof

There are plenty of spots on the map where folks live in state A and get locals from a neighboring state (state B)

 

[R0ss]

Nielsen establishes the DMA's....counties can move between DMA's if there is proof

There are plenty of spots on the map where folks live in state A and get locals from a neighboring state (state B)

Thanks. Guess it is all about ratings and money...

Ross

Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys

 

[n1wbd]

Now if they give all of NH subs WMUR like they used to in 2006 I'd be happy!! All of VT gets their VT channels.

BRING BACK WMUR write the DIRT team and tell them you want WMUR back!!

you can thank your congress folks for that. They got a law signed (and Dish implemented it after they got distant/sv back) that those 2 counties get BOTH Vermont locals and their "market" (which is from another state) locals

Thats really the only market where this happens right now with Dish

edit: found a post that in Sept 10 these were added that way

Last September Dish gave folks in Windham County VT both the Boston MA and Burlington VT locals. In Bennington County VT, Dish subs were given the Albany NY and Burlington VT and locals.

 

[Mr Tony]

I hate to be harsh but you can write, e-mail, phone, holler or whatever you want to Dish. Dish's hands are still tied when it comes to WMUR because that "law" was in place before Dish was able to allow stations not classified in your market again.
Right now the only stations that can be brought into a market are "fill in" locals for markets that are missing a network or the Vermont ones (that law came after Dish was allowed)

I know its frustrating.....the law is there from the FCC to allow all NH residents access to it but the same FCC has Dish in a bind on what they can service out of market. Your gripe should be with the FCC