The trouble is, when an area is part of a distant DMA, but can't get a reliable signal, a pay-tv provider can't substitute another channel to fill that gap if they want or need to. I do see the reasoning of not being able to sub in another station during a dispute when that station is well within transmission range though.
**Team Summit Update**
- Thread starter mikemorin
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Maybe I didn't make my point well. I was responding to a comment that a station from 100 miles away wasn't "local". There are many areas of Kansas which receive their locals from stations which are over 100 miles away.
You point is well made, though. Many receive their locals from across State lines. I was simply referring to the fact that there are only stations broadcast from Wichita and Topeka in a state which measures over 400X200 miles in size.
You guys.
I was born out there (CA), vacationed all over the west, and worked in Los Alamos, NM, for a time which I absolutely loved BTW. The spaces are vast; I love distant horizons. It's just that 100 miles is not what I would call "local". If there is only one DMA in all of NM, which fact I did not realize, then what benefit does it do you to have "local" weather, or "local" murder and mayhem on the "local" news, when all that is happening so far away you might as well be in a different state?Well, it isn't!
You guys.
Well, it isn't!
New Mexico is mainly served by the Albuquerque DMA but stations in Albuquerque have full power satellites in Farmington, Roswell and Carlsbad in addition to many lower power translators all over the state. South central and southwest NM (Las Cruces/Alamogordo) is served from the El Paso TX DMA, Far northeastern NM (Clovis /Portales/Clayton) is served by the Amarillo, TX DMA, Far southeastern NM (Hobbs/Eunice/Jal) is served by the Midland-Odessa TX DMA.
You guys.
Well, it isn't!
I live 120 miles from Memphis. If this area were part of the Memphis DMA, and they covered the "big" stories that happen here, and provide this area with weather coverage, especially in severe weather, then I would consider it "local" coverage.
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So that means the people in Utah or New Mexico that choose to live in the rural areas hundreds of miles from Salt Lake or Albuquerque shouldn't be able to enjoy news and weather from their State?
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I would just suggest one small change to the law: when stations negotiate for re-transmission consent, they should be required to grant re-transmission consent for the entire area where they can legally be offered, including the out-of-market Significantly Viewed areas. This would allow markets to overlap (in practice, not just in theory like it is now) and increase the chance that a replacement affiliate would already be available if one of the affiliates gets dropped during a dispute.
Then the local stations would loose their leverage with the carriers.
If their signal can be replaced with a similar one, nobody negotiates, just go with the alternate.
This is just exactly the opposite of the local monopolies now created for stations.
Iknow we abhor monopolies, but we either keep the monopoly model we have had for for over 70 years or we tear it up an open all DNA's to "let the big dog win".
Small stations have enough trouble generating revenue without carriers being able to substitute an outside signal on them.
Small stations should generate their revenue from advertisers, like they did for years. OTA should be free, even on cable.
Small stations are going under and being gobbled up by corporations like Sinclair, NexStar, etc. who have more negotiating strength, driving up retrans rates allover.
Kind of like what's happening to MVPDs, retail, technology, pharmaceuticals, hotels, etc, etc, etc...
The consumer loses, small business loses. Big government is in cahoots with big business. Bring on the mergers and acquisitions.
Scott, there's something messed up in the Forum Thread Indexing. I clicked in the "**Team Summit Update**" thread and all the posts are on DMA / Locals / Must Carry.
Just joking, but really, that was it for news from Team Summit?
Just joking, but really, that was it for news from Team Summit?
They don't because then Dish would have to pay the nickel or what ever other extortion fee the providers want to carry that station.
If the provider was only required to pay for the channels in the DMA, and got the significant viewed channels for free this would not be an issue.
Notice that Team Summit has come and gone and promised May software that will give you two ota channels at the same time on the usb dongle hasn't happened yet. Three more days in May and then I guess we will have to assume they didn't mean May of 2017.
