One problem with locals is their LOW power. Most are at low power and not the granted power. But before summer all digitals have to be at granted power and that will help many situations.
I know where I live I can't get the FOX HD, but before the SuperBowl they will be at full power and up high on a tower. Right now they are 100 watts and 20 feet up the tower. In a mountainous terrain, we can pick them up at our station on the mountain!
Others, even low power ones, come in fine where I live, 10 miles from the towers, as they are mounted high enough to get over the terrain.
One thing, the locals integrate easily on the dish receivers. They also did on the DirecTV receivers, but not the HD on my box. With the 811, to get channel 11, digital, I simply input 0111, which is ch11-1. On the analog, input 011 or 0110. For the other receivers, it is simply 11.