Senate Fails To Pass Satellite Extension Extension

[eacalhoun]

I guess I'll call Dish and see what they know about the superstations.

Over the years -- as these discussions come up -- it seems I've read that this only affects the Big 4 Networks -- CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox. The superstations that Dish offers are affiliated with the CW and MyNetwork, so I don't think they are affected by this.

 

[GravelChan]

Color me jaded, but does anyone see a problem with this?

Congress passed a bill and the President signed into law various versions of this bill since Ronald Reagan signed the first SHVA in 1988. Because the law has a sunset provision, "distant locals" has been revisited at least almost every five years.

Congress cannot get its act together to get this extension passed. The law, along with the authority and the various compensation provisions expires. As in "is no longer valid".

So members of Congress are basically sending a letter to DirecTV and Dish Network asking them to break the law, simply because Congress couldn't do their job?

That occurred to me also. If Mr. Leahy and other congress critters are as concerned with 'lifeline' programming as they would like us to believe they would get off their duff and pass the law.

 

[mike123abc]

If I were DIRECTV or NPS I would cut the signal at midnight. Congress can send all the letters they want, but they will not hold up in court when they are sued by all the copyright holders for damages. It is not the distant stations that will be doing the suing it will be anyone that has any interested in any show that might be transmitted by DIRECTV or NPS.

This blanket copyright is a huge cover. Every actor, every song writer, every performer, director, producer, etc could have a claim (all depends on the contract the individually signed somewhere). The number of stake holders in a TV show production is huge. Then multiply it by every show shown, plus add in every commercial.

 

[MMG]

Here is Mr. Bunnings contact page for those of you who wish to write him.... .: United States Senator Jim Bunning, Kentucky :: Contact :.

Probably wont hurt to contact your local senators as well about this

Won't help. He's not running for re-election.

 

[psdstu]

I had been hoping that this LIL would have been resolved so that those of us who don't get all the Big 4 and don't qualify for DNS would be able get our missing stations again.

I know that where I live (Panama City FL DMA), we used to receive our CBS local from the Dothan AL DMA, (no CBS in the Panama City DBA.) After Dec 2006 ( I think it was) CBS was removed.

I am hoping that one day DISH will once again be able to provide CBS to the Panama City FL DMA........... hey..........I can hope!

 

[dlsnyder]

I have been told the reason for that is because they need to pay Tribune for the local guide data based on the number of customers being served, to turn that data on to folks that dont subscribe to locals is a big expense.

I don't see them changing that policy unfortunately.

With the current pricing structure, locals are included in all channel packs, whether they are available in a particular DMA or not, correct? So in effect, everyone IS paying for locals now, even if they can't get them. They should have guide data available for everyone whether their locals are uplinked or not, to benefit those in the remaining 3 or 4 DMAs not served if OTA is an option.

 

[Greg Bimson]

If I were DIRECTV or NPS I would cut the signal at midnight. Congress can send all the letters they want, but they will not hold up in court when they are sued by all the copyright holders for damages.

I for one would think that would be a grand idea.

For example, wouldn't it be great if a court case came up, and a judge had to rule that the parties did violate copyright law? The judge can then point to the letter and state that Congress failed to do their job, but that is no excuse for violating the law.

 

[Hall]

This doesn't make sense. Dish doesn't have to pay Tribune ANYTHING for guide data for OTA stations. That information comes WITH RECEPTION OF THE OTA SIGNAL. It's called PSIP. Every TV & converter box sold today MUST be able to display the PSIP data.

Dish's receivers don't fully utilize PSIP data and given that they are NOT sold exclusively as "OTA/digital receivers", I'll bet you they're are exempt from any rule regarding the display of PSIP data. Report them to the FCC and see what they say.

 

[Peter Parker]

Over the years -- as these discussions come up -- it seems I've read that this only affects the Big 4 Networks -- CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox. The superstations that Dish offers are affiliated with the CW and MyNetwork, so I don't think they are affected by this.

The CW and My Network do not qualify as networks----at least not insofar as the definition of a superstation is concerned.The authority for distant nets and supers was in separate parts of the law. But the authority for the superstations was also scheduled to expire. So unless they separately extended that and the press is not reporting it it would appear that the legal authority to broadcasdt these stations will go away as well.

Stay tunbed.

 

[CU2000]

Sam here is the deal, No markets that have their local Channels currently on Satellite are affected. (Local in to Local) Markets that will be affected (about 30 out of 210 DMAs) are ones where local in to local channels are not currently broadcast on Sat. In those markets customers have to qualify by address to receive any broadcast networks ABC,CBS,Fox,NBC that they cannot pick up with a conventional outdoor antenna. If they happen to fall into a grade B signal area of the nearest Network station, they have to request a waiver from that station to get a distant network to replace it. It does not matter if the consumer cannot get a watchable signal or not with an outdoor antenna if they are in a grade B signal area of the station. Its all up to the station if they grant a waiver or not. Having said all of this, it all goes out the window as the law expires. Many consumers do not have access to the 4 major networks. Note there are a few markets that have local in to local from satellite & are also eligible for one or more Distant networks.

 

[CU2000]

Additional notes for Sam
would most affect to #2,#4
#3 if that is the case they are getting Distants networks by Fraud
Unless they had distants before their market added locals by Satellite.

 

[sam_gordon]

Dish's receivers don't fully utilize PSIP data and given that they are NOT sold exclusively as "OTA/digital receivers", I'll bet you they're are exempt from any rule regarding the display of PSIP data. Report them to the FCC and see what they say.

I didn't mean to imply that Dish HAD to use PSIP data. I'm just saying the PSIP data is AVAILABLE via the OTA tuners. Dish saying they'd have to pay Tribune (or whoever) in order to supply guide data is a bunch of hoooey. Pay someone to write some software ONE time, and bam, OTA guide data to every receiver that has OTA reception. If they don't have OTA reception, THEN Dish should rely on Tribune.

 

[Hall]

Dish, DirecTV, and TiVo all do NOT use PSIP data for DVR receivers. I realize this discussion isn't exclusive to DVRs, of course. There's a reason and it's generally that PSIP is often inaccurate, incomplete and just not reliable enough. After this many years (close to 10 ??), you think the TV stations and the hardware/software they use on their end would be better by now too. In the case of Dish, it's very likely that all of their current receivers use the same core software so they don't want to change it for some and not other receivers.

 

[sam_gordon]

There's a reason and it's generally that PSIP is often inaccurate, incomplete and just not reliable enough.

But Tribune (and I think there are other companies that do it too) have to get the content from the stations anyway.

After this many years (close to 10 ??), you think the TV stations and the hardware/software they use on their end would be better by now too.

Agreed. Maybe if Dish, Direct, et al held the stations to their FCC requirements it could get better.

In the case of Dish, it's very likely that all of their current receivers use the same core software so they don't want to change it for some and not other receivers.

But the software must be different for those receivers that have OTA reception because it puts those channels in the guide. All I'm saying is if *I* utilize OTA reception, I should be able to see the PSIP data.

 

[Bob Haller]

well Es DTV PAL DVR uses the PSIP data. Its not as good as tribuine but it works pretty good and is free

 

[SandFarmer]

I have been told the reason for that is because they need to pay Tribune for the local guide data based on the number of customers being served, to turn that data on to folks that dont subscribe to locals is a big expense.

I don't see them changing that policy unfortunately.

This has been a thorn in my side for years. If only the information from Tribune/Zap2It was accurate, it would be worth the price. It looks like this is an area DISH has chosen to cut costs. And we suffer for it. Apparently, Zap2It in all its accuracy lacking glory is the cheapest source for this information. Yesterday I finally got a CSR to acknowledge that there is a problem and they are dealing with it . . . Yeh right. On my behalf a trouble ticket was supposedly submitted in regard to this issue and the "trouble that it has caused me". Lingo courtesy of the CSR. We'll see what happens, I get a reply or if this "ticket" goes into the "circular ticket file"?

 

[dishcomm]

So to be sure I understand. I receive the Boston, MA Locals as I live in north central Massachusetts. I could also receive these same channels with an antenna (I have never tried, but in theory I could). So this will not have any affect on me.
However if I lived in the middle of nowhere and could not receive any OTA, rather give me the locals from the closest market, if passed, Dish could instead provide me locals i.e. the networks, from another part of the country???
If I have this right I'm not even sure why, from a consumers point of view I would even want that? For the sake of argument lets say I live in MiddleofNoWhere, USA. I cannot receive OTA with the best roof top antennae available to the consumer. Could I not receive the locals available in the closest Market to my address? Why would I want anything else? Chances are the closest TV market is where I would go for shopping etc so it would only make sense. Of course it makes sense to me that Dish should provide me the appropriate equipment (at no charge) to receive the new HD channels that I pay for and cannot receive so common sense probably is not part of this equation. Sorry I digress.
Am I on the right track here?

Ross

any signal from outside a viewer's respective DMA is condsidered "distant".
That said the answer to your question is "no".

 

[dishcomm]

Because I can't get KC channels through Dish. I live in the St. Joseph, MO DMA, not the KC DMA. KC is 60 miles from me. I can get the channels OTA, but the signal degrades if I split it on more than 2 TV's. (And some channels go in and out at times) I have 8 TV's in my house, so the other 6 TV's would be without network channels.

I am not trying to have my cake and eat it too. I pay almost $40 a month for all of the distant nets right now. I would gladly pay for the KC channels also if it would get me the guide information and have them available on dish.

Multiple antennas with an amplified splitter may do the trick.
Friend of mine has 4 yagi antennas in his attic. He gets locals from two DMA's. One is 35 miles away. The other about 50 miles distant.
What is Yagi antenna? - Definition from Whatis.com

 

[joecap1946]

any signal from outside a viewer's respective DMA is condsidered "distant".
That said the answer to your question is "no".

I live in a DMA (Panama City Fl) that considers my CBS a distant network. I have all the other major networks (NBC, FOX, ABC). When I lost my CBS (Dothan Al) in 2006 , they put me in touch with All American Direct and I have been buying my CBS from them since 2006.

Do you think I will be affected by the failure to pass this law. Am I at risk of losing my CBS.

Just looking for some clarity, thanks in advance. I might add I cannot receive a Dothan Al signal OTA.

 

[jacobm69]

I live in a DMA (Panama City Fl) that considers my CBS a distant network. I have all the other major networks (NBC, FOX, ABC). When I lost my CBS (Dothan Al) in 2006 , they put me in touch with All American Direct and I have been buying my CBS from them since 2006.

Do you think I will be affected by the failure to pass this law. Am I at risk of losing my CBS.

Just looking for some clarity, thanks in advance. I might add I cannot receive a Dothan Al signal OTA.

YES