Why Do Some Network Affiliates Broadcast FTA?

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IA6Newspath

SatelliteGuys Family
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Mar 27, 2006
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Just curious if anyone knows why network affiliates, like those which are on Galaxy 10R, are providing their air signal on FTA satellite. I can see possible reasoning for some, like the Wyoming affiliates that may have viewers scattered throughout the state and use FTA as an alternate means of broadcasting. Don't get me wrong...I think that having these local affiliate stations FTA is a neat benefit of having an FTA setup, but I'm still curious as to why stations have decided to provide FTA feeds as well.
 
has nothing to do with that

They're all those channels are owned by one company, Equity Broadcasting out of Little Rock
Since everything (commercials, programing) is done via their LR location, they have to get it to the local cities somehow.

The only reason I can think of is why its FTA about 75-80% of those stations are low powered stations so the cable companies can't pick them up clean via OTA..so they use KU band :)
 
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With the exception of the Globecast stuff on IA-5 and the free audio on the DBS birds, most FTA is not intended for consumers to receive. Its usually up there for other broadcast pros (often cable companies) to receive and re-transmit. We are just "along for the ride", eavesdropping on these signals.
 
correct

and that's why if something leaves or becomes scrambled, we don't e-mail/phone the owner of the channel asking what happened :)
 
Tron said:
With the exception of the Globecast stuff on IA-5 and the free audio on the DBS birds, most FTA is not intended for consumers to receive. Its usually up there for other broadcast pros (often cable companies) to receive and re-transmit. We are just "along for the ride", eavesdropping on these signals.

The other thing is when you look at IA5 and what is around in asia and the middle east in particular is that quite a number of these are state owned by governments. Due to some political climates they cannot reach that far with a OTA broadcast or cable tv so it makes sense to put stations on fta. For example if you look at say nilestat or arabstat that the ration of fta vs encrypted can be 1 to 1 or even 2 to 1 at some points (not counting encrypted movie commerical tv)
 
oh yeah and most of the "relgious" stuff up there, like TBN is for public consumption, TBN puts the cordinates to their stuff on one of their webpages.
 
Tron said:
With the exception of ............ the free audio on the DBS birds, most FTA is not intended for consumers to receive.

Tron,
I read somewhere (I think) that the DBS audio was scheduled to be scrambled at some point. Is this true?
 
123tim said:
Tron,
I read somewhere (I think) that the DBS audio was scheduled to be scrambled at some point. Is this true?

its very possible. ExpressVu use to have their Galaxie channels in the clear but those got scrmabled about 6 months or so ago
 
123tim said:
Tron,
I read somewhere (I think) that the DBS audio was scheduled to be scrambled at some point. Is this true?
If they think we're getting something for nothing.... sadly, yes, it could happen.
 
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