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Why certain "low-powered" stations are not on Dish Network or DirecTV?

T

tothedj

I was doing some research on Dish Network and DirecTV and noticed in the areas
that have local channels, can't receive "low-powered" stations that are on cable,
i thought this would change sooner or later, there are many on the air that have
good "local" programming that should be part of the lineup, i would interested to
know why this takes place.
 
I have never been able to get a direct answer for that. Their "stock" answer is that they do not have the available bandwidth to allow them to do that, but I would REALLY like to see some proof on that.

The fact is, that unless the LPTV is a network affiliate, or has some exclusive sports rights, or is the only TV station receiveable for a great distance, DirecTV and Dish have no interest in carrying it, and for the time being, no legal requirement to force them to do so.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
I concur. When I lived down there, I always wondered why you guys were listed in the N&R's listings when you weren't on the cable system and most Greensboro residents couldn't pick up the station if they relied on broadcast TV (I know I certainly couldn't with my rabbit ears). Time Warner needs a swift kick in the pants and orders to carry WGSR.
 
There wasn't even close to enough signal in G'Boro for the must carry. Wasn't even enough to pick it up even if they wanted to.
Click to expand...

Actually, that problem has been taken care of. TWC services the digital cable services for the entire region out of Greensboro now, and they send our signal by fiber link from Rockingham County down to the digital head end.

All they really have to do is program all of the region's cable boxes to offer us, and we're there...but will they do that? Again...not enough bandwidth. And besides, the N&R no longer carries our program listings. They removed us last year to make room for the listings of Time-Warner's government channel.

It's all part of a vast, full-service broadcaster conspiracy to limit the viewing choices of people in the market, and thereby preserve their market shares. It's a battle we fight with the cable companies, the newspapers, the FCC and with Congress. Like the starfish eating the clam, slowly but surely we will win this one.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
Gosh Matt. I find it hard to believe that companies like Ganett and Hearst and Fox are afraid of a LP TV station with small time owners from Reidsville? You sound kinda paranoid, dude. Not good. Other LP's compete in other markets. What makes the Triad different from Wilmington with WILM-LP? They are on Time-Warner cable there? I just don't buy your theory based on Wilmington.
 
rf_chaser, you call a low power in Reidsville a Triad station? What kinda map are you working with? You compare this to Wilmington? I bet Wilmington doesn't have 5 other normally high power stations to give what appears like a full selection. In Wilmington the cable system probably needed to add anything local they could.
 
RF, the very fact that there are Triad residents who want to see WGSR proves that Gannett, Hearst and Fox DO have something to worry about. If people seriously want to see WGSR, that's legitimate competition for them no matter how "small time" the station may be. Those are still viewers the full-power stations would be losing. You think that doesn't concern them in today's broadcasting environment?
 
Nothing personal here, but Broadcast Television is so "2009"...

Sorry, it's not dead yet. Look at what the networks are doing NOW - get your favorite TV Shows on the Internet for Free, by passing the millions of dollars in local TV transmitters, antennae, cable and satellite! It's no wonder that the "experts" say that 25% of all programming will be watched off-line (Tivo, Internet, etc.) by 2012.

As for Reidsville Low Power - hook up with UStream.TV or other free streaming service. Who needs cable or satellite when the Internet is offering thousands of entertainment programs and channels - guess what, some are actually good!
 
WILM-LP is the CBS affiliate for Wilmington. After channel 26 went to Fox in the mid 90s, the cable system began carrying WNCT from Greenville for CBS. Capitol bought channel 10 and made it the CBS affiliate. So yes, they don't HAVE to carry it, but I think it makes a lot more sense to carry CBS on an LP from Wilmington than a full power 90+ miles away.
 
As for Reidsville Low Power - hook up with UStream.TV or other free streaming service.
Click to expand...

One of our independent program producers is doing that. He uses it for one of his websites, so I have no control over what he shows, but most of it is either our live stream or programs he produces for us. Take a look.....

[url]http://politicalsoup.tv/playlist2.m3u [/url]

We have seen enough evidence that, were we significantly more viewable in the Greensboro market as a whole, we would draw sufficient audience to worry the big guys. My "stock" answer to why we don't do it..."We're working on it."....and we are.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
But if I am understanding the rules, it is the CABLE company that decides WHO is on their cable system, not the other stations. If that is true, that shoots a BIG hole in the conspiracy theory because the "big guys" have no say on who is on cable or not.

My senses tell me that when someone throws up a "conspiracy theory" that tells me that they are trying to either "hide something" or that is the best they got. To me, if Matt's reasoning is a "conspiracy" against his station, then maybe he doesn't have much to offer in the first place that the cable company feels they can market. If that is true, then no one has ANYTHING to be afraid of.

Sorry Matt, just don't buy it.
 
The FCC Reg on cable coverage is that the television station must provide a signal of sufficient quality to the cable head-end. That can be met by broadcast reception or other means (fiber, microwave, etc.). If a station's signal does not meet that requirement, the television station is out-of-luck. Even if they spend the money to get their signal to the cable head-end, the cable company can drag their feet on carriage.

Once that requirement is met, the TV and Cable must negotiate - MUST CARRY or RE-TRANSMISSION. MUST CARRY says that the cable must carry the station - but not where they carry the channel. RE-TRANSMISSION Is where the parties negotiate for channel position, payments (to or from), and other things.

Local channels without local content are going to lose in the next few years as the cable companies get more power in their negotiations when DTV makes it nearly impractical for consumers to watch local TV for free. Let's face it, people don't put antennas on their houses anymore. No outside antenna - no HDTV!

Dish and DirecTV use the same head-end measurement for their channels. It's a WASTE of bandwidth as there are over 1000 Dish and DirecTV channels showing effectively the same programming - the viewer is ocked out of receiving 200 copies of ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and others - but the channels are still in use.
 
Thanks for the explanation. No where did it say anything about other stations having a say in who is allowed on cable so again, the conspiracy theory that ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox could block Matt's LP station that he put forth doesn't hold water like I suspected.
 
I think most people reading this thread realize that I paraphrased Hilary Clinton's statement about "vast conspiracies", and (I hope) laughed as much at my comment as the world laughed at hers.

Gotcha!

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
Local Stations can not block carriage of another station. That would result in Federal racketeering charges. Stations are so freaked about the implication of racketeering that personnel are actively discouraged from meeting with employees of other stations. Engineers and Accounting staffs have local groups that meet regularly; but they are reminded not to share information.

The problem with most LP stations is that they can't get their signal to the head-end. WGSR missed an opportunity (probably long before Matt Smith arrived) when they were broadcasting on Channel 14.

WHKY-TV14 in Hickory used their channel position - Channel 14 - to negotiate a better carriage deal so that Time Warner could launch News14. The low-power WHKY only covered a few counties in the Charlotte Market. TW wanted market-wide Channel 14 for News14. So they negotiated complete market coverage for WHKY in return for not demanding carriage on Channel 14 on cable.
 
DubbaDon said:
Local channels without local content are going to lose in the next few years as the cable companies get more power in their negotiations when DTV makes it nearly impractical for consumers to watch local TV for free. Let's face it, people don't put antennas on their houses anymore. No outside antenna - no HDTV!
Click to expand...

Most channels in the Raleigh/Durham area have good local content. (Weather, news, and special interest programming.) One of the problems I foresee with HD via cable is the only way to receive true HD content is through digital cable. An HD set with rabbit ears picks up most local stations in HD just fine, no outdoor antenna needed. (My cousin-in-law lives out in the boondocks and they get their HD channels clear as a bell with rabbit ears.) I've even considered switching to dish and installing (gasp!) an outdoor antenna for local HD broadcasts (if I can ever save up for a new TV :p). I know, I'm probably an exception to the rule, and all the kids on our street would be asking what that funny thing was on top of our roof that looked like a mechanical clothesline.

Still, I've read several positive comments about HD via rabbit ears.
 
WHKY-TV14 in Hickory used their channel position - Channel 14 - to negotiate a better carriage deal so that Time Warner could launch News14. The low-power WHKY only covered a few counties in the Charlotte Market. TW wanted market-wide Channel 14 for News14. So they negotiated complete market coverage for WHKY in return for not demanding carriage on Channel 14 on cable.
Click to expand...

Another thing that worked in WHKY-TV's favor was a power increase in 2004, which put acceptable levels of signal into Mecklenburg County, where TWC's main head-end is located.

The complication on our being able to work out something similar here was that, being an LPTV and a "secondary" service, our Channel 14 operation was already "marked for demolition" as far back as 1999 because the channel was already earmarked as the digital channel for WGPX-16. Our move to 39 took place less than one week before WGPX began digital program testing. TWC knew that and just waited until the change was long past in order to avoid any accusation of "trademark infringement" regarding their use of "News 14", which is what the former owners called their news operation.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
Matt Smith said:
The complication on our being able to work out something similar here was that, being an LPTV and a "secondary" service, our Channel 14 operation was already "marked for demolition" as far back as 1999 because the channel was already earmarked as the digital channel for WGPX-16. Our move to 39 took place less than one week before WGPX began digital program testing. TWC knew that and just waited until the change was long past in order to avoid any accusation of "trademark infringement" regarding their use of "News 14", which is what the former owners called their news operation.
Click to expand...

Let be sure you are not saying what I think you are saying. Time-Warner got the FCC to give WGPX channel 14 to get you guys to move so they would be able to use News 14? Surely that is not what saying, is it?
 
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