MISSING SAN DIEGO LOCAL CHANNELS ON DIRECTV

[sdwulfdawg]

Today I made the realization that despite all of their advertising, DirecTV does NOT carry any of the local Univision (KBNT Channel 17), Telemundo (XHAS-TV Channel 33), or TV Azteca (KZDF-TV Channel 41, or for that matter, the main Latino independent channel, XEWT Channel 12 in Tijuana.

Interestingly, they carry XETV-TV Channel 6 which is the local FOX TV affiliate, XDTV-TV Channel 49 (MyTV), and that KBNT-TV Channel 17 is owned by Entravision (which owns this station cluster).

Yet they bring in KFTR-TV CHannel 46 from Ontario, CA.

Dish Network only carries KZDF-TV Channel 41.

 

[dhett]

KBNT and KZDF are low-power stations, which cable and satellite systems are not required to carry. Further, I doubt either station has any local content that would make them attractive for carriage. Mexican stations don't qualify for must-carry, and I doubt that XHAS carries any local programming either. I suppose if enough people wanted XEWT, which is the local Televisa station, (as opposed to the Mexico City repeaters), they would carry it.

XETV and XDTV, being English-language channels, have a higher potential audience, but should XETV go Spanish after losing the Fox affiliation, who knows if it would continue to be carried?

 

[Garrett]

but should XETV go Spanish after losing the Fox affiliation, who knows if it would continue to be carried?

Interesting suggestion!

 

[Stitch]

KBNT and KZDF are low-power stations, which cable and satellite systems are not required to carry. Further, I doubt either station has any local content that would make them attractive for carriage. Mexican stations don't qualify for must-carry, and I doubt that XHAS carries any local programming either.

KBNT-CA does air a competitive local 6pm and 11pm newscast against it's English-language counterparts, though in all essence it's likely the LPTV factor as to why DirecTV isn't carrying it. Then again, aside from the evening & late local newscasts and local spots, the national Univision feed carried by DirecTV is exactly the same as KBNT, and nearly every other Univision O&O or affiliate for that matter.

 

[fybush]

KBNT-CA does air a competitive local 6pm and 11pm newscast against it's English-language counterparts, though in all essence it's likely the LPTV factor as to why DirecTV isn't carrying it. Then again, aside from the evening & late local newscasts and local spots, the national Univision feed carried by DirecTV is exactly the same as KBNT, and nearly every other Univision O&O or affiliate for that matter.

And XHAS does local news at 6 and 11 as well, with news (and advertising) from both sides of the border.

I was just in San Diego a few weeks ago, and noted that the Time Warner system where I was staying (Solana Beach) now has 4SD and XHAS, neither of which were on the system a few years ago (they picked up the Padres games from 4SD, but nothing else, and had the national Telemundo feed), as well as XETV, XHDTV, KZDF, UCSDTV and KBNT, but no XEWT, which appears to be only on the Cox systems.

 

[Garrett]

I know this is somewhat off topic, but the dichotemy between the Cox and Time-Warner offerings have always been interesting. Its kind of upsetting too; IIRC, if you live anywhere north of I-8, you MUST use Time-Warner, and anywhere south of I-8, you have to use Cox (unless you have DISH or DirecTV). I never understood that, and I always liked Time-Warner better.

 

[SDRadio]

I know this is somewhat off topic, but the dichotemy between the Cox and Time-Warner offerings have always been interesting. Its kind of upsetting too; IIRC, if you live anywhere north of I-8, you MUST use Time-Warner, and anywhere south of I-8, you have to use Cox (unless you have DISH or DirecTV). I never understood that, and I always liked Time-Warner better.

dichotemy = dichotomy

No one is forcing you to use TW or Cox. There's an antenna, or Dish Network or DirecTV. But wait, there's more: AT&T Uverse is coming to save us all! Then Verizon is the horizon about FIOS. Qualcomm will like you to believe their method is better. Netflix wants you to buy movies too.

There used to be rules about markets; after all the company laid the copper line and sought to have a return on the investment. That made the markets as you described above. Certain areas of Sandy Eggo county have both cable systems in the area. As much as they (the cable companies) want a return. Now, it's all going fiber. Cox has an extensive outlay of fiber as does PacBell/SWB/AT&T.

Me? I just have an old fashioned antenna with one of the satellite services. Works for me.

 

[azumanga]

No one is forcing you to use TW or Cox. There's an antenna, or Dish Network or DirecTV. But wait, there's more: AT&T Uverse is coming to save us all! Then Verizon is the horizon about FIOS.

I thought FIOS is available only in areas wired for Verizon phone service -- as far as I know, all of SD County (at least along the I-5 / I-15 corridor) is AT&T territory.

 

[SDRadio]

Available where I live in Norte County.

 

[SDRadio]

Part of the deal that SBC did when it bought Ma Bell and Southern Bell was to offer naked DSL lines (no phone required) and let others in on the fiber. Hence the Verizon. It is easy to have service delivered, it's the last mile from the central office that is the expense.

As for local channels, the only ones required to be carried are KPBS-TV, KFMB-TV, KNSD-TV, and KGTV-TV.

After that, others may show up on marketing deals (like XEDTV, XETV, and XHAS). NBC has the same thing: carry our channel (the network) and you have carry our Espanol service (Telemundo).

There you go, hope that adds to the confusion.

 

[Garrett]

Part of the deal that SBC did when it bought Ma Bell and Southern Bell was to offer naked DSL lines (no phone required) and let others in on the fiber. Hence the Verizon. It is easy to have service delivered, it's the last mile from the central office that is the expense.

As for local channels, the only ones required to be carried are KPBS-TV, KFMB-TV, KNSD-TV, and KGTV-TV.

After that, others may show up on marketing deals (like XEDTV, XETV, and XHAS). NBC has the same thing: carry our channel (the network) and you have carry our Espanol service (Telemundo).

There you go, hope that adds to the confusion.

Clear as mud!

 

[fortmill]

As for local channels, the only ones required to be carried are KPBS-TV, KFMB-TV, KNSD-TV, and KGTV-TV.

After that, others may show up on marketing deals (like XEDTV, XETV, and XHAS). NBC has the same thing: carry our channel (the network) and you have carry our Espanol service (Telemundo).

There you go, hope that adds to the confusion.


[/quote]
Absolutely not true---KUSI and KSWB are also legally must carry stations in SD, and for competitive reasons XETV and maybe a few more Mexican stations are "virtual must carry" as well.

 

[SDRadio]

Absolutely not true---KUSI and KSWB are also legally must carry stations in SD, and for competitive reasons XETV and maybe a few more Mexican stations are "virtual must carry" as well.

Yes, KUSI and KSWB are in there too. XETV does NOT have to be carried, but is, as you suggest, competitive reasons.

It's all going to be moot as the 'net casts a wider throw over the population and local tv stations will become obsolete. Newscasts will be on-demand and programming just an IP switch away. I would have read that in the paper -- but who in the frack buys them anymore?