6/4/2010 5:27pm - Uplink Activity Report - 30 changes

[psdstu]

I can't/won't speak fro Joecap1946, or larry55, but for me I think the confussion/frustration of providing our missing stations on 3 June got started by this one slide from the May 19, 2010 Retailer Chat Recap.

This slide seemed to indicate me, (and perhaps the DISH reatailers this was shown to) that on 3 June DISH would be providing the missing stations.

I'm not sure why DISH would tell it's retailers this if that wasn't what there intention was.

Clearly DISH was aware of the legal hurdles that needed to be cleared in order to meet this date..... but it was there date that was provided.

It probably would have been better to have said that DISH was working on providing the missing stations to those short markets, and after the Distant Network legal hurdle was cleared, that it could/would be perhaps another 90/120 days (after all the FCC filings etc..etc...) before those stations may be available.

Do I have this about right......or am I missing something?

 

[bill42]

jacobm69- the reason Salisbury, MD is not on Dish is that they are still in negotiations- the owner of the local CBS and FOX outlets as reported on WBOC on last night news

 

[JohnH]

And yet, in another post in an Uplink Activity thread the poster states that his retailer told him about the 120 day thing. It seems we did not all of the comunications that the retailer got either at the retailers git together or directly. The 120 day thing is not a minimum requirement but a maximum length for the temporary waiver unless the court is convinced there are allowable circumstances to justify extending the temporary waiver. DiSH needs to use the time to make sure they have everything correct because there will be no second second chance onder STELA. STELA also states a Special Master will be appointed to monitor compliance.
In short do not expect any special channels. If you are subscribed to Local Channels DiSH will provide the Network "fillins" where and when they can. If you are not paying the full amount for Locals because of missing Networks, they will increase your bill for each one they add.

 

[Skip06]

If you're correct as to all of a counties of a DMA or none. Is anyone getting the Jonesboro AR locals? I see uplink reports as 3 Memphis staions as SV + ABC from Jonesboro. Sharp Co AR is in the Jonesboro DMA and only has KARK (NBC Little Rock ) and WMC (NBC Memphis) listed as SV channels by the FCC. 30 years ago the cable used to carry CBS & NBC from Little Rock AR and Springfield MO, ABC & NBC from Memphis TN and ABC from Jonesboro.

Dish lists Jonesboro + the 3 Memphis stations as available locals

 

[joecap1946]

I can't/won't speak fro Joecap1946, or larry55, but for me I think the confussion/frustration of providing our missing stations on 3 June got started by this one slide from the May 19, 2010 Retailer Chat Recap.

This slide seemed to indicate me, (and perhaps the DISH reatailers this was shown to) that on 3 June DISH would be providing the missing stations.

I'm not sure why DISH would tell it's retailers this if that wasn't what there intention was.

Clearly DISH was aware of the legal hurdles that needed to be cleared in order to meet this date..... but it was there date that was provided.

It probably would have been better to have said that DISH was working on providing the missing stations to those short markets, and after the Distant Network legal hurdle was cleared, that it could/would be perhaps another 90/120 days (after all the FCC filings etc..etc...) before those stations may be available.

Do I have this about right......or am I missing something?

You are right. When that slide first appeared I said piece of cake. These are both working channels, come June 3 just switch them over. I had never given any thought of the legal ramifications. So I will let this play out. I have already checked out other options should this become a major fiasco.

Thank goodness for AAD. Thank you Bruce.

Joe

 

[Mr Tony]

Now..... is anyone aware of whether or not DISH and the FCC are working on this whole distant/SV issue???

yes they are. They applied to the FCC to offer distants in cases like this. They can do SV right now but the WHOLE market it has to be SV. I know they recently turned on Mankato, MN (90 miles down the road from Minneapolis). They have 1 station KEYC CBS (and Fox subchannel). NBC & ABC are from Minneapolis and all 4 counties in the Mankato DMA qualify as SV for those 2 locals so they got turned on Thursday.

 

[Mr Tony]

Also, it should be stated that some significantly viewed Network stations will never be offered to a complete market. A case in point would be WGAL NBC Lancaster market into Philadelphia market. It would only be offered in Berks county and possibly a couple others because there is an NBC already in the Philadelphia market. Stations like this may never be offered at all but they are worthy of consideration due to weather and/or news coverage.

but the rule on that is satellite doesnt have to carry more than one network in the DMA unless they are licensed to 2 different states. That is how Duluth, MN got 2 NBC's in the market
KBJR the mothership and KRII which is mainly a satellite station sans some commercials and a 10 minute part of the news. But since KBJR is licensed to Superior, WI and KRII is licensed to Chisholm, MN both are carried on Dish & Direct. I know there are some other examples where it is the same state like WDAY in Fargo/WDAZ in Grand Forks.

 

[Mr Tony]

I live in Dothan too but would rather have WSFA out of Montgomery for NBC rather than the Panama City channel. With the distants thing could I apply for Montgomery instead of PC?

no you couldn't

The reason you would get PC NBC is that station and Dothan CBS are same owners so of course they want to cross promote

 

[Hogwild]

I have questions about "distant" stations. What qualifies as distant stations? Does a neighboring DMA qualify as distant? I'm one of these people who live in Arkansas that gets Louisiana news/sports. All of the Shreveport, La. stations are offered in my "locals" package....but there are no Little Rock, Ar. stations I would qualify for as significantly viewed. So, when Dish IS able to offer "distants", am I going to be able to call them up and say I want Little Rock stations..even if I'm willing to pay for them..or am I still stuck with having to watch Louisiana news/sports?

 

[kstuart]

And yet, in another post in an Uplink Activity thread the poster states that his retailer told him about the 120 day thing. It seems we did not all of the comunications that the retailer got either at the retailers git together or directly. The 120 day thing is not a minimum requirement but a maximum length for the temporary waiver unless the court is convinced there are allowable circumstances to justify extending the temporary waiver. DiSH needs to use the time to make sure they have everything correct because there will be no second second chance onder STELA. STELA also states a Special Master will be appointed to monitor compliance.
In short do not expect any special channels. If you are subscribed to Local Channels DiSH will provide the Network "fillins" where and when they can. If you are not paying the full amount for Locals because of missing Networks, they will increase your bill for each one they add.

I have previously read through the distants portion of the STELA (as well as the HD PBS portion) and John is exactly right.

I noticed that there has been an increase or a widening of Dish Audit activity, in terms of checking service addresses and I think that is related to the compliance monitoring - Dish wants to be sure that they are perceived as enforcing the regulations.

You can read the text of STELA in an easy format at:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-3333

 

[Mr Tony]

I have questions about "distant" stations. What qualifies as distant stations?

the word distant has been used 2 different meanings lately. The original meaning was folks who couldnt get locals through satellite and are too far away from the towers for OTA so they could subscribe to NY or LA (if they had Directv) or SF & NY (through AAD)
The new "distant" are locals in neighboring markets that would help "fill in" a market that doesnt have the full 4 networks

Does a neighboring DMA qualify as distant?

depends on the sitation

I'm one of these people who live in Arkansas that gets Louisiana news/sports. All of the Shreveport, La. stations are offered in my "locals" package....but there are no Little Rock, Ar. stations I would qualify for as significantly viewed. So, when Dish IS able to offer "distants", am I going to be able to call them up and say I want Little Rock stations..even if I'm willing to pay for them..or am I still stuck with having to watch Louisiana news/sports?

no you would still have to stick with Shreveport. The only way to get LR would be to "move"

 

[Mr Tony]

If you're correct as to all of a counties of a DMA or none. Is anyone getting the Jonesboro AR locals? I see uplink reports as 3 Memphis staions as SV + ABC from Jonesboro. Sharp Co AR is in the Jonesboro DMA and only has KARK (NBC Little Rock ) and WMC (NBC Memphis) listed as SV channels by the FCC. 30 years ago the cable used to carry CBS & NBC from Little Rock AR and Springfield MO, ABC & NBC from Memphis TN and ABC from Jonesboro.

Dish lists Jonesboro + the 3 Memphis stations as available locals

Jonesborto is active according to thelist
Memphis fill ins on 110
Jonesboro on 129

 

[Skip06]

Jonesborto is active according to thelist
Memphis fill ins on 110
Jonesboro on 129

Yes but you said "They can do SV right now but the WHOLE market it has to be SV." on an earlier post. I'm just wondering since Sharp Co doesn't have 2 of the 3 Memphis stations listed as SV on the FCC list, is something going to hit the fan when more checking is done.
Just like Hogwild in an above post I'd much rather have the Little Rock stations though only KARK is listed (FCC) as SV in Sharp Co.

 

[Hogwild]

Iceberg, thanks for the reply.
I'm really glad that the folks who haven't had their locals until this week are now able to get them. STELA helped...but as everyone can tell from this discussion, there's still a LONG ways to go in getting satellite tv on the same playing field as cable. There's something wrong..when folks in Greenwood, Mississippi are able to watch an Arkansas tv station (KARK)..and yet, I live in an Arkansas county that doesn't even touch another state line, and I'm forced to watch Louisiana programming!!!!!!!

 

[Mr Tony]

sadly cable has rules from the 1960's as to what locals they can carry
Satellite has them from 1998 with SHVA

Cable's rule was "pick it up OTA? show it"...thats why in some markets that are near nothing you'll see 2 or even 3 sets of locals on cable. That is why in some areas in Southwestern MN/Northwestern Iowa they get 3 ABC/NBC/CBS on cable from neighboring markets

 

[Mr Tony]

Yes but you said "They can do SV right now but the WHOLE market it has to be SV." on an earlier post. I'm just wondering since Sharp Co doesn't have 2 of the 3 Memphis stations listed as SV on the FCC list, is something going to hit the fan when more checking is done.
Just like Hogwild in an above post I'd much rather have the Little Rock stations though only KARK is listed (FCC) as SV in Sharp Co.

actually WMC is listed as SV in Sharp county

Sharp
KAIT-TV, 8, Jonesboro, AR
KARK-TV, 4, Little Rock, AR
WMC-TV, 5, Memphis, TN

there are some markets where it doesnt make sense. I posted before about Glendive, MT. They have a CBS & NBC subchannel. Cable gets Billings Fox & ABC. The only station that is SV there is KUMV NBC North Dakota....yet Dish gives them ABC & Fox from Rapid City, SD and they're active right now

 

[larry55]

You are right. When that slide first appeared I said piece of cake. These are both working channels, come June 3 just switch them over. I had never given any thought of the legal ramifications. So I will let this play out. I have already checked out other options should this become a major fiasco.

Thank goodness for AAD. Thank you Bruce.

Joe

i feel the same way.very misleading.

 

[r424chevy48II]

What is the Chance of the Terre Haute Dma getting WTTV channel four, since it is listed as a SV channel on that list!!!!

 

[JohnH]

Is WTTV listed for all of the counties of the DMA? It would be good addition as it has CW and the IHSAA is returning this year. Of course, they lost the Pacers to FSN Indiana and IU to Big Ten Network.
Although they have gone digital and are now on channel 48 instead of 4 their tower is still the tallest structure in the state.
Back in the days when antenna choices were made, we put up bigger ones just to enhance the possibility of receiving WTTV in Illinois.

WTTV is also one of those stations with a sub-channel that carries "thistv". Seems that would be a good addition in any market that has it. Sort of keep AMC on their toes.