Satelitte TV and Networks

[bobsallyh]

The latest Escapees news letter has an article on the possibility of Congress ordering the removal of networks from satellite (reauthorization of Section 119). It includes a form to send to the Texas Representatives to quash it.

[SWharton]

I did it allready. Easy to do. Great way to communicate with our elected officials.

[Al F]

Just sent the message to my representatives.    

I am not real sure if this applies to local channels that we change by supplying a new service address to Dish Network when we move to a "different market".  "Different market" to us is when we move out of a spot beam area.  

Years and years ago we did use the DNS (Distant Network Service) with Direct TV, but when we switched to Dish Network we just started changing our Service Address. 

[Twotoes]

I thought the same thing. I have DirecTv and when I relocate to a different city I just change my locals. Won’t I  still be able to get my local ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox channels?

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Reading the FCC summary, it appears the FCC is finally addressing the blackmail tactic of local broadcast stations in the licensing of the Broadcast Network channels for re-transmission.  With declining advertising revenues, some stations have radically hiked the fees to the satellite and cable networks.  Originally the fees to to repay the stations for the cost of providing the signals, not as a profit maker for other lost revenues.  The disputes have caused channel blackouts.  The one between Dish and Harlingen, TX ABC lasted almost one and a half years.

The FCC created monopolies of the Broadcast Networks signals through the local stations to protect advertising revenues for the local stations.  The local stations pay fees to the National Networks based upon possible advertising revenues from the area of the local station, called a Direct Marketing Area (DMA). 

If there wasn't some control,  if subscribers could choose their signal from anywhere, many could choose New York, the local station would be paying fees to the National Network but not have local subscribers viewing, thus not getting advertising revenue.

There was a need for this DMA monopoly system that the FCC created but like any monopoly, one important job of the government is to monitor and regulate the monopoly.  The FCC wasn't doing that.

It appeared from the FCC summary was a plan to take the local stations out of the loop by determining a National Fee for the satellite and cable companies to pay.  The local stations do not like this plan because is eliminates a blackmail hold on Broadcast Channel signals.

DNS was created as an exemption for a very narrow group of people, RVers, OTR truckers, and people who could not receive OTA signals and in the beginning, the satellite companies only had access to a few.  Over time, Dish added every DMA set of Locals to it offerings which is why DNS has faded from the Dish offerings.  DirecTV does not have every DMA and therefore still offers DNS. 

 

[Allen & Teresa Reynolds]

On 9/5/2019 at 9:20 PM, Twotoes said:

I thought the same thing. I have DirecTv and when I relocate to a different city I just change my locals. Won’t I  still be able to get my local ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox channels?

How do you change your locals on DirecTV?