Still Trying To Get the Little Rock Locals

[Sigma]

Hopefully, someone on this forum will have an answer or a contact link for my request to receive the Little Rock locals. I have been trying for years without success.

Today I sent the following message to DIRECTV:

I've submitted this request to DirecTV now for several years and always get the response that we are working on it. Years ago, I was told that Pegasus had rights to this county, but I don't believe that arrangement is still in effect. I live in Batesville, Arkansas 72501 - Independence County. For whatever unknown reason, the Little Rock locals which are our local channels are not available. The local cable company carries them, Dish carries them, but DirecTV doesn't? I see that Searcy, Arkansas which is located less than 20 air miles south of us has the LR locals on DirecTV so I would think that even if the signal is on a spot beam, that they should be able to be received in Batesville as well ...

DirecTV Customer Service Response e-mail From CSR:

... I understand that you would like to get local channels in your area. We’d love to offer locals to you and other customers in the Little Rock-Pine Bluff AR too, but our satellite capacity doesn’t allow it today. But we’re very glad you took the time to write in and let us know your feelings about getting local channels via satellite. I’ve also forwarded your request to DIRECTV management, so be assured that your voice is being heard.

We would love to provide local channels to you and other customers in the Little Rock-Pine Bluff AR, too, but our satellite capacity doesn’t allow it today. We’re continuing to expand our capacity, so stick with us. Stay tuned to local news and directv.com/local for more information as it becomes available ...



Terrific response. The Little Rock locals have been carried on DirecTV for years. I didn't post this CSR's name or badge number for fear of him losing his job.

 

[Tower Guy]

I live in Batesville, Arkansas 72501 - Independence County. For whatever unknown reason, the Little Rock locals which are our local channels are not available. Hopefully, someone on this forum will have an answer or a contact link for my request to receive the Little Rock locals. I have been trying for years without success.

It is possible that the spot beam for the Little Rock locals does not reach your zip code. Note the "zip code required" comment following Little Rock on the following list of markets.

DIRECTV - Local Channel Markets

The same thing is true is Albany, NY. But the CSRs are not told the real reason for the problem, so their answers are useless. I have actually made measurements of the spot beam in Albany and it worked fine in the prohibited areas when I tested it.

 

[dodge]

Little Rock Locals

Damn
that sucks, no locals, why dont you mover your service address to a bogus unknow address in searcy AR so you can get locals. Batesville thats cool hometown of Mark Martin...

 

[Sigma]

Damn
that sucks, no locals, why dont you mover your service address to a bogus unknow address in searcy AR so you can get locals. Batesville thats cool hometown of Mark Martin...

Mark is a favorite son and one heck of a class guy. If you are into racing, he has an awesome museum located inside his Batesville Ford dealership. Has a fan appreciation day every year on the Friday and Saturday before Easter. Its a great opportunity to get to meet Mark, get his autograph as well as any number of other drivers that he has brought in, last year being Tony Stewart and Kenny Wallace.

Recently completed a beautiful home just outside Batesville, but unless he has some influence at DirecTV, I can almost guarantee that he watches DISH when he comes home.

Did get a follow-up message from another representative saying that Batesville is outside of the spot beam.

I've heard of the moving tactic, but if the CSR is correct, the beam would not cover Batesville so it would be vain effort unless the beam covers a wider area than the CSR indicated. Hard to believe the less than 20 miles would make that much difference.

Only chance that I can see is to contact a DirecTV installer and see what they can determine.

Does anyone by chance have a link that would show the area covered by the LR locals spot beam?

Thanks for the inputs/suggestions ... very much appreciated.

 

[texasbrit]

Why don't you ask DirecTV to give you the Distant Network feeds, in your zip according to the DirecTV web site you can get all the networks except ABC, in both SD and HD.
You could always get ABC via an OTA antenna...

BATESVILLE, AR 72501
Standard Distant Network Service
Network Affiliate Channel Status
ABC KAIT 8 Grade A (strong signal)
CBS Eligible
FOX Eligible
NBC Eligible
PBS Eligible
CW Eligible

Digital (HD) Distant Network Service
Network Affiliate Status
ABC KAIT-DT Grade A (strong signal)
CBS Eligible
FOX Eligible
NBC Eligible

 

[Tower Guy]

Iif the CSR is correct, the beam would not cover Batesville so it would be vain effort unless the beam covers a wider area than the CSR indicated. Hard to believe the less than 20 miles would make that much difference.

When I made measurements of the spot beam problem in Albany I was hoping to determine if a larger dish would compensate for the problem. I was amazed that during the time that I made the measurements, everything was fine and the signal was a strong as home. I even went 100 miles further east to Boston and still got the signal!

There might have been a problem during certain times of the day, or times of the month, but it was fine when I tested it.

The Albany locals are on DirecTV 7S.

 

[youngbloodz]

I'm in the same predicament you are. I live in the Gulfport-Biloxi MS area and have gotten the same response....i found this article in my local newspaper concerning DirecTV about locals:

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Satellite Customers Should Demand Local Channels

Also, I sent waiver requests to all of those networks (NBC, ABC, etc.) and got denied by all of them except CBS and CW....would anyone know the reasoning behind this?

 

[steveken]

You aren't missing anything. In fact, you should consider yourself lucky. I live in LR and think the channels here are complete garbage. I would LOVE to get the NY/LA feeds for all the stations again. I had them at one time, but got rid of D* for a year and can't get them back now.

Tell ya what, I will let you point your address at my house, just give me your address so I can get the distant networks so I can get HD off the bird like I want!

 

[Sigma]

You aren't missing anything. In fact, you should consider yourself lucky. I live in LR and think the channels here are complete garbage. I would LOVE to get the NY/LA feeds for all the stations again. I had them at one time, but got rid of D* for a year and can't get them back now.

Tell ya what, I will let you point your address at my house, just give me your address so I can get the distant networks so I can get HD off the bird like I want!

Since no one in Independence county has DirecTV, you'd be safe at using any address with Main, Boswell, Harrison, or Central in it. You probably won't be able to get the ABC feeds since the Jonesboro station would have to give you a waiver.

Looks like I'll be staying with Dish. At least they are providing the LR locals.

 

[Sigma]

Word from someone close to DirecTV has told me that Congress is working on legislation that would mandate all satellite providers to carry the nearest locals for the roughly 3% of the country that is not currently receiving them and cannot receive them OTA. Apparently this will apply to both Dish & DirecTV if passed.

From what I was told, Dish is fighting the legislation because of additional cost.

 

[charper1]

Funny how not to long ago cable and affiliates were using the GOVT to fight satellite tooth & nail to keep these things exclusive to them and to an extent they still fight and make ridiculous contract or fee demands to make sat look bad to the consumer. NOW they need GOVT to pass bills o "force" sat to "carry the nearest locals for the roughly 3% of the country that is not currently receiving them"? Hell sat has been wanting to carry every channel and DNS and locals since the dawn, now groups claim they are fighting not to carry them? AND if Dish is fighting that why? They say cost, but is that the really the case? If they had tons of extra bandwidth would they be doing the same? Sounds odd.

 

[FootsWorldWide]

I live in Wynne and I wish I could get the Little Rock channels. I hate the Memphis channels.

 

[charper1]

Hmmm? I have seen both and talk about 6 one way or half a dozen the other; less than .5% different.


Well I have never bee a fan of a DMA in one state getting a DMA from another state, but I do realize you get what you are closest to and at over 50m closer I can see why you are in a real DMA no-man's land.

Can you get Jonesboro (about 45m) have any affiliates you could try to pull via OTA?

 

[Sigma]

I can receive the Jonesboro ABC affiliate in HD OTA with no problem.

Living about 80 air miles N from Little Rock and located in a 460 foot deep valley makes receiving any of the Little Rock locals an impossibility with an antenna.

Guess the next step is to get up a petition and forward it to my Congressman. There are several counties in the district to the N and NW that are prohibited from receiving any of the Little Rock locals be it on Dish or DirecTV.

As I see it, this is a "win-win" situation for any Congressional representative. It costs the government absolutely nothing and keeps the constituants back home happy.

 

[charper1]

So what do the LR locals give that you are not getting now? State Govt info?

 

[Sigma]

So what do the LR locals give that you are not getting now? State Govt info?

Arkansas Razorback Sports

 

[charper1]

Then that tosses out the above posts advising you go DNS.

 

[dishcomm]

It is possible that the spot beam for the Little Rock locals does not reach your zip code. Note the "zip code required" comment following Little Rock on the following list of markets.

DIRECTV - Local Channel Markets

The same thing is true is Albany, NY. But the CSRs are not told the real reason for the problem, so their answers are useless. I have actually made measurements of the spot beam in Albany and it worked fine in the prohibited areas when I tested it.[/QUOUTE/] Independence County is inside the boundaries of the LIttle Rock DMA..,
This makes little sense to me.
The spot beam issue could be in play. But I can't see how. Your county is on the edge of the DMA but most spot beams overlap far beyond the boundaires of DMA's...Weird.

 

[dishcomm]

I can receive the Jonesboro ABC affiliate in HD OTA with no problem.

Living about 80 air miles N from Little Rock and located in a 460 foot deep valley makes receiving any of the Little Rock locals an impossibility with an antenna.

Guess the next step is to get up a petition and forward it to my Congressman. There are several counties in the district to the N and NW that are prohibited from receiving any of the Little Rock locals be it on Dish or DirecTV.

As I see it, this is a "win-win" situation for any Congressional representative. It costs the government absolutely nothing and keeps the constituants back home happy.

"prohibited"..Can you provide a link from where you got that info?

 

[dishcomm]

Arkansas Razorback Sports

Can you get cable where you live? If so, order a "lifeline' package. This is essentially local channels only plus a few others. The cost would be just a few dollars more per month than you would be paying for locals (if they were available thru satellite). The same lines can used that you sysytem is using now. The tech can simply diplex the two signals.