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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Local TV Stations On Dish Network Starting June 3rd

Joe,

Not sure if you or your readers know about this, but starting next thursday (June 3rd), people that have Dish Network will be able to get their local channels (WBOC, WMDT, FOX21, PBS, and WBAL). I dont know why the local channels have not let their viewers know about this. So instead of having to use an antenna, they will now be able to have them provided from Dish Network. The NBC station will be imported from Baltimore (WBAL). I have copied the press release that Dish Network released earlier this week and the satellite up-link report that shows Salisbury stations are linked to Dish Networks system.

From:
http://dish.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=474211

DISH NETWORK TO BECOME FIRST PAY-TV PROVIDER TO OFFER LOCAL BROADCAST CHANNELS IN ALL 210 LOCAL TELEVISION MARKETS IN THE UNITED STATES

Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA) Signed into Law by President Obama

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – May 27, 2010 – DISH Network L.L.C., the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in America, today announced that it plans to launch local broadcast channels in 29 new markets on June 3, 2010, becoming the first and only pay-TV provider to offer local channels to consumers in every market nationwide. The announcement comes moments after President Obama signed the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA) into law, which paved the way for DISH Network to take this historic step.

“We are proud to announce that every American will soon have access to their local channels from DISH Network,” said Charlie Ergen, Chairman, President and CEO of DISH Network. “While our nearest competitor offers local channels in only 75 percent of local markets, DISH Network is committed to offering consumers in all markets – particularly those living in smaller and rural communities – a full complement of satellite TV services. All Americans, regardless of where they live, deserve access to key in-state news, sports, weather and other programming.”

On June 3, DISH Network plans to launch local channels in 29 new markets, introducing to many consumers a choice in television service for the first time ever. These markets include: Alpena, Mich.; Biloxi, Miss.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Bluefield, W.Va.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Columbus, Ga.; Elmira, N.Y.; Eureka, Calif.; Glendive, Mont.; Greenwood, Miss.; Harrisonburg, Va.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Jackson, Tenn.; Jonesboro, Ark.; Lafayette, Ind.; Lake Charles, La.; Mankato, Minn.; North Platte, Neb.; Ottumwa, Iowa; Parkersburg, W.Va.; Presque Isle, Maine.; Salisbury, Md.; Springfield, Mass.; St. Joseph, Mo.; Utica, N.Y.; Victoria, Texas; Watertown, N.Y.; Wheeling, W.Va.; and Zanesville, Ohio.

The passage of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 was made possible through the hard work and dedication of many members of Congress, including Chairman Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary; Chairman Jay Rockefeller, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Senator John Kerry, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Chairman John Conyers, U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary; Chairman Henry Waxman, U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Chairman Rick Boucher, U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

“For far too long, consumers in many small or rural markets didn’t have access to their local news, weather and sports. One of the principal goals of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act was to encourage local television to be made available to all consumers via satellite,” said Chairman John Conyers, U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. “Implementation of the legislation will help make television markets more competitive, and serve the interests of consumers nationwide.”

“My major goal in reforming the Satellite Home Viewer Act has been to bring to all 210 local television markets across the nation what we call local-into-local television service through which local TV signals are transmitted by satellite to homes in the market where the TV stations are located,” said Chairman Rick Boucher, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. “Today, we have taken the final step in achieving this long held goal, and as a result, satellite TV subscribers everywhere will soon be able to receive both national programming and the local TV stations that serve their area. With today’s presidential signature, on June 3, DISH Network plans to begin serving the many rural markets that lack vital local TV signals. I want to commend the leadership of DISH Network for making this commitment. Millions of homes in America’s most rural regions will be the beneficiaries.”

From: http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-uplink-center/214713-5-27-2010-9-19am-uplink.html

6520(47) - WMDT [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar14 119W TP 02 Spotbeam A18 (NA)(Salisbury, MD-ABC)6521(16) - WBOC [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar14 119W TP 02 Spotbeam A18 (NA)(Salisbury, MD-CBS)6523(21) - WBOCD [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar14 119W TP 02 Spotbeam A18 (NA)(Salisbury, MD-N/A)
6525(28) - WCPB [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar14 119W TP 02 Spotbeam A18 (NA)(Salisbury, MD-PBS)

The first set of numbers is the channel number, followed by the station call sign, followed by the encoding type (MPEG2 standard definition), then the satellite and spotbeam location and lastly the city and station affiliate. Again NBC will be imported and is already up-linked since Baltimore already gets their locals (this is why it is not listed)

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugh, at 480i standard def, woo hoo. I think I'll stick to my DTV receiver.

Anonymous said...

I hope Comcast is aware of this! Watch their prices come down now.
Joe, can you do a poll of people who are dissatisfied with Comcast and why?

Anonymous said...

would be nice if we could get the HD broadcast

Anonymous said...

COMCAST they are a bunch of Robbers..Totally over priced for their crappy service...You try and call for help and they would rather go thru prompts about how you have a bill to pay...No CRAP!!!...I always have a bill to pay even if it is up to date...the HD service gets all funny and messes up at times...The ONLY good thing about cable is any bad storm that comes along doesnt black out like Dish Network or any other satellite service

Anonymous said...

COMCAST prices keep rising and we keep getting less and less amounts of channels. We get BET but not CMT... and now you have to pay extra to watch the church channel.I think we will be switching Joe thanks for bringing this to my knowledge!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for input----had heard nothing about this.

R. Budd Dwyer's .357 said...

To Anon 12:42,

Go to Lowes and pick up a video amplifier that allows for 2 way communication, it's in the electrical department. I had the same problem with the HD signal shuddering and getting all pixelated, hell sometimes I got nothing at all. The device cost about $30 and is well worth it because Comcast doesn't seem to think it's a problem.

Anonymous said...

I wish Direct TV would do the same...

Anonymous said...

Comcast, are you listening????

Chimera said...

Good news-finally something I can thank Obama for.If Directv doesnt follow suit, I will be one of their customers who switches to Dish Network.Why buy expensive antennaes to get locals when you already pay through the nose for a dish?

Anonymous said...

Yes Joe please do a poll on comcast and expose on on how crooked they are. They raise raise every 6 months and remove channels to digital and add channels no one wants. They justify with rate increases. About time to be able to have another choice of local channels than Comcast.

Anonymous said...

Well I guess wboc is holding out for more money...the manager announced in tonights (6/4) nightly news report that the negotiations broke down. wboc won't be going onto dishnetwork. He better tell dishnetwork because I just got off the phone with them (trying to the local channels loaded to my line up) and they say that wboc is still in their "line-up card"...

i'm not sure who i dislike more, dishnetwork or wboc...grrr..
that's why I come here for the news. Thanks for being there.

Unknown said...

Locals are still not available on Dish, although any sales person or their website tells you otherwise. I had an install scheduled for today and had to cancel after they showed up because neither WBOC/FOX or ABC was available. The only locals available were 28 and 11.

Thank goodness their installer was honest and upfront before he started work. He said I was the second person today that had to cancel because of no locals being available.

I talked to someone at Dish and they said it will likely be 2 months before locals are available in the Salisbury area.

Anonymous said...

Whoever you talked to that said it would be two months didn't know what they were talking about. It could be two days or two weeks no one knows when the two sides will reach an agreement. The customer service center's autmated screens say locals are available but if you ask the rep to check there Intranet there is a note

Anonymous said...

Yes! Finally something about make money.