pentegon channel!

hobojoe

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jun 8, 2006
492
0
so caif usa
i was moving my dish300 over to make shire i had a clearer view of the sat before i upgrade to hd. and found some channels on 148 that i really liked the Pentagon channel. why isn't it on 110 or 119? its a mandated public broad cast. whitch dish would give me 110/118.7/119/148/129? i said it before I'll say it again dish needs to rearrange all the channels and reorganize the whole system!!!
 
Pentagon Channel is on 61.5/148
There are some PI channels that are on the wings. Dish doesn't need to have them on the main sdatellites, just up there.
 
The thing with the public interest channels is that each satellite has to carry its own load of the mandated channels. You cannot have all the PI channels on one location. Initially Dish tried this. They petitioned the FCC to allow them to have a "free educational package" at 61.5 that would have consited of all the PI channels. The FCC stuck to its guns and said that each satellite had to carry its load of PI channels.

Right now 9405 The Pentagon Channel, 9406 Classic Arts Showcase, 9416 Good Samaritan Network, 9417 Holistic Television Network, and 9418 Panhandle Area Educational Consortium are the PI channels at 61.5 and 148.

Eseentially, no matter what PI channels get stuck over at 61.5 and 148 (which are allowed to duplicate since no single customer would have both for DISH programming (Sky Angel is not Dish!) some one would be very unhappy because "their" channel is in the "wrong" place.

From http://ekb.dbstalk.com/49

Here are the rules for PI channels:

4-7% of the channel capacity must be reserved for PI channels (The key here is "reserved", other channels may use the reserved space until a PI channel becomes available).
If the percentage of reserved space results in a fraction the number of PI channels are rounded up (IE: if 4% is 2.35 channels the provider needs to carry 3 channels. Basically there is 1 PI channel for every 25 channels).
The percentage is determined by the average of the channels offered in the previous year with channel counts taken once per quarter (IE: the number of PI channels in 2003 are based on 2002 channel counts).
PI channels must not be charged more than the wholesale charge for carrying the channel.
Only 1 channel from an entity may be carried as PI unless all PI channels in the country have been given an oppurtunity to be carried (this will never occur as there are more PI channels than space).
PI channels may not be edited by the provider nor may the provider have any interest in the channel (IE: the provider can't own all or a part of the channel).
PI channels are to be treated like all other channels in the line-up and are to be given the same treatment (IE: channels are to be given the same amount of bandwidth as other channels).
A variety of channels with a variety of viewpoints must be carried (IE: you have to carry more than just religious PI channels).
The PI channels must be offered to every subscriber free regardless of package (E* intreprets subscribers as those with AT-50 or higher, anyone with less isn't a subscriber, but a customer. D* makes their PI channels available to everyone regardless of programming level).
To qualify as a PI channel the channel must be non-commercial and owned by a non-profit or government entity.
 
Recently, E* did start offering a Free Public Interest Package to anyone who wants to call in and ask for it (and does not already have AT 60 or higher, since they're all included in the AT and HD Metal packages).

(The key is to ask for tech support at E* and ask them to turn it on for you. Sales will probably have no idea about this package.)
 
:) wow very good! i have the everything pack so i must already have it. when i upgrade to hd i think i will still have a sat at 148 for this channel then what do i need to Set this up i really want the 1000.2 i have a 7200/501/301 but will trade in the 301 for the vip622. what switches and dishes do you recommend?
 
jegrant said:
Recently, E* did start offering a Free Public Interest Package to anyone who wants to call in and ask for it (and does not already have AT 60 or higher, since they're all included in the AT and HD Metal packages).

(The key is to ask for tech support at E* and ask them to turn it on for you. Sales will probably have no idea about this package.)

I have the Platinum package utilizing 110, 119 and 129. If the pentagon channel is on 61.5 and 148 only, then it isn't included in the metal packages.
 
Yes it is included in the metal packages. The same goes for KBS World available only at 121 for all subscribers. The fact you don't have a dish pointed there does not affect the channel's status as part of the AT/Metalic pakcages.

See ya
Tony
 
A couple months ago a saw a related thread and called into the normal customer service rep. twice and was rejected when I asked for the PI Pack. I have the family package and they said since I get some of these channles now, I don't qualify for any more. How do you bypass the CSR and get tech support? Thanks.
 
TNGTony said:
Yes it is included in the metal packages. The same goes for KBS World available only at 121 for all subscribers. The fact you don't have a dish pointed there does not affect the channel's status as part of the AT/Metalic pakcages.

See ya
Tony

Well, maybe it is included is SOME metallic package, but it is NOT included in my HD Platinum package!

Is there a way to get it short of getting another dish or repointing my 500 to the 61.5 (and thereby losing my local HD's)? It's not that big a deal to me, just curious.
Thanks.
 
grb said:
Well, maybe it is included is SOME metallic package, but it is NOT included in my HD Platinum package!
It is included in your package, you just have to have the additional equipment to receive it. Same thing as if you disconnect your 129 LNB and then go around saying that Voom is not included in your HD Platinum package.
 
jegrant said:
Recently, E* did start offering a Free Public Interest Package to anyone who wants to call in and ask for it (and does not already have AT 60 or higher, since they're all included in the AT and HD Metal packages).

(The key is to ask for tech support at E* and ask them to turn it on for you. Sales will probably have no idea about this package.)

This is correct - I just have locals/distants/supers & did the exact same thing. Tech support had them on in a couple minutes... :) :)
 
Nope. :)

KBS world will be available as part of the Free PI pack, AT60 and up, and all metalic packages on channel 652 at 61.5° and 148° starting tomorrow at approximately 5pm Eastern

See ya
Tony
 
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