Can DIRT confirm Dish working on WMUR?

[kurzkaster]

On 4/19/12 I rec'd the following e-mail form my NH Senator:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding satellite television subscribers' access to local television programming. I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.
I share your frustration that some New Hampshire DISH Network customers have not been able to watch WMUR, the local ABC affiliate. Local broadcast stations play an important role in our communities, providing families with timely public service announcements, local news, weather forecasts and other valuable programming.

My office has been in contact with both WMUR and DISH Network on possible solutions to this problem. WMUR has given permission for their signal to be transmitted, and DISH Network is updating systems in order to provide the channel to all New Hampshire subscribers who wish to have it. It is my expectation that this issue will be resolved in the coming months.

Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this situation. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me, and please do not hesitate to contact my office with any future concerns.



Sincerely,

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator

Can DIRT confirm Dish is working on this?

Thanks

 

[robstudio]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-forum/272906-note-about-dirt-team.html

 

[R0ss]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-forum/272906-note-about-dirt-team.html

All the OP was asking is if DIRT could confirm that DISH is working on this. Seems that would be within the scope of what they can do.

Interesting that NH subscribers are having dificulty receiving a NH station. I am in BOSTON DMA and I have always received WMUR along with the Boston locals.

Ross

Sent from my rooted DROID RAZR Maxx using SatelliteGuys

 

[Mr Tony]

Ross
WMUR per a agreement/law whatever you want to call it is available to ALL NH residents regardless of location (basically a blanket Sig Viewed station). WMUR is in the Boston DMA but other parts of the state are in different DMA's. WMUR is available to all cable subs and Directv subs. But Dish is still hindered by the distants issue from 06. When dish was allowed to import stations to missing markets thats all they can do. So as of right now WMUR cannot be on Dish locals outside of the Boston market. They still need the FCC to allow them to be able to carry stations outside the local market (to expand on the "missing network only" thing)

 

[jscud]

On 4/19/12 I rec'd the following e-mail form my NH Senator:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding satellite television subscribers' access to local television programming. I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.
I share your frustration that some New Hampshire DISH Network customers have not been able to watch WMUR, the local ABC affiliate. Local broadcast stations play an important role in our communities, providing families with timely public service announcements, local news, weather forecasts and other valuable programming.

My office has been in contact with both WMUR and DISH Network on possible solutions to this problem. WMUR has given permission for their signal to be transmitted, and DISH Network is updating systems in order to provide the channel to all New Hampshire subscribers who wish to have it. It is my expectation that this issue will be resolved in the coming months.

Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this situation. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me, and please do not hesitate to contact my office with any future concerns.



Sincerely,

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator


Thanks

Last February I was told by Gov. Lynch's office that Sen. Shaheen was working on this. At the time they told me that this spring was the likely target. Since then Sen. Shaheen's office has sent me the same email that you received. We shall see.......

 

[R0ss]

Ross
WMUR per a agreement/law whatever you want to call it is available to ALL NH residents regardless of location (basically a blanket Sig Viewed station). WMUR is in the Boston DMA but other parts of the state are in different DMA's. WMUR is available to all cable subs and Directv subs. But Dish is still hindered by the distants issue from 06. When dish was allowed to import stations to missing markets thats all they can do. So as of right now WMUR cannot be on Dish locals outside of the Boston market. They still need the FCC to allow them to be able to carry stations outside the local market (to expand on the "missing network only" thing)

So the answer from the senators office should have been more in line with your explanation and that the FCC was the issue not DISH or WMUR...do we know what DMA the OP is in? Locations don't show on mobile forum...

Ross

Sent from my rooted DROID RAZR Maxx using SatelliteGuys

 

[Tampa8]

I'm unclear if Dish still needs permission. I had thought the conditions of the court had been lifted, Dish had to cover 99% or whatever of the country with locals. Dish then got their own distants for RV's and could give significanlty viewed if they wanted to. But I defer to Iceberg, if he says Dish still has to get permission then I would go with that.
If dish needs permission, and it's at the FCC level, yes you could say it is the FCC that is holding it up, but you can stll blame Dish for being in that circumstance to begin with......

 

[Mr Tony]

do we know what DMA the OP is in? Locations don't show on mobile forum...

they dont have it posted

 

[Mr Tony]

I'm unclear if Dish still needs permission. I had thought the conditions of the court had been lifted, Dish had to cover 99% or whatever of the country with locals. Dish then got their own distants for RV's and could give significanlty viewed if they wanted to. But I defer to Iceberg, if he says Dish still has to get permission then I would go with that.
If dish needs permission, and it's at the FCC level, yes you could say it is the FCC that is holding it up, but you can stll blame Dish for being in that circumstance to begin with......

From everything I have seen and read here and other places Dish can only import a station outside of the market if there is no network affiliate in that market. Thats how they got the "all markets covered" is most of the markets Dish had left to cover where markets with 1 or 2 networks in a market. They were allowed to import a neighboring station only if there is none. Since both the other markets in NH already have a ABC affiliate Dish can't give it to them.

This is probably also why when KNPN Fox in St Joe, MO launched (they started 6/2) Dish already had an agreement in place to carry it a week before the transmitter was turned on. Folks in St Joe were getting WDAF Fox from KC as "imported"

Whats interesting is I think the FCC considers WMUR "Sig Viewed" in the whole state yet the same FCC tells Dish they cant give it to the folks in the other parts of NH.

 

[Mr Tony]

just for fun I checked the most northern town in NH (Pittsburg)

cable gives them WMUR as the ABC. Directv does as SV even though they are in the Portland Maine DMA.

 

[Tampa8]

.......

Whats interesting is I think the FCC considers WMUR "Sig Viewed" in the whole state yet the same FCC tells Dish they cant give it to the folks in the other parts of NH.

You narrowed down my confusion in one sentence! The legislators intent certainly is for any NH resident to (be able) get it.

 

[kurzkaster]

I am in Lebanon NH. About 60 miles from Manchester. I used to receive The WMUR signal over the air before they went digital - now we are just out of their range.This is with a good roof mounted antenna, boosters and a rotor. (Interestingly WMUR continues to broadcast in HD on Ch. 9. Not a UHF frequency).

Isn't it strange that people in Natick Mass - probably 90 miles from Manchester can get it. I'll bet they get 3 ABC stations from Boston, Providence and Manchester. While we are stuck with a Burlington Vt. station whose weather and news focuses on VT and upstate NY.

As previously noted WMUR is the only NH station broadcasting news and weather in the state - and a lot of Dish subscribers are shut out.

 

[oldford]

You narrowed down my confusion in one sentence! The legislators intent certainly is for any NH resident to (be able) get it.

The trick is to get legislative intent turned in to FCC rules and policy. The .gov moves at a generally glacial pace.

 

[Jim5506]

And possibly the bureaucrats at the FCC have a mild resentment for the legislature interfering with their kingdom, ergo they interpret the law in the manner they wish it had been written, or as they had been doing business all along.

 

[The Fat Man]

I find it funny. I'm in a town neighboring New Hampshire and get WMUR. I thought that everyone got it in NH, who received the signal OTA. The only annoying part is it's SD only as channel 5 from Boston and channel 8 (if I'm correct) from Portland ME get ABC in HD.

 

[jscud]

Just received this email today from Senator Shaheen's office concerning WMUR in the North Country:

We’re being assured that this issue may finally be remedied this summer, which is the firmest timeline we’ve received since we started engaging the company.

Thanks for your advocacy and patience.

-Mike

Mike Vlacich
State Director
Office of United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen
1589 Elm Street, Floor 3
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone-603-647-7500
Fax: 603-647-9352
E-Mail: mike_vlacich@shaheen.senate.gov
Jeanne Shaheen - United States Senator for New Hampshire

Sounds promising.

 

[Tampa8]

Till you realize that's the infamous Dish "Soon."

 

[jscud]

Major breakthrough on September 13, 2012...after a six year absence, WMUR is now available to ALL NH viewers. Folks in Coos, Carroll, Sullivan and Grafton counties can now watch NH's only news station. Too bad Bob Hale (n1wbd) did not live to see this.

 

[Mr Tony]

Its been available for a month now
uplink dated 8/15

6250(9) - WMUR [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar10 110W TP 26 Spotbeam 04 (Mktortland, ME-Manchester, NH-ABC) (A) (H)
6250(9) - WMUR [MPEG4 SD] added to Echostar12 61.5W TP 09 Spotbeam 2 (Mktortland, ME-Manchester, NH-ABC) (A) (H)
6252(9) - WMUR [MPEG2 SD] added to EchoStar10 110W TP 26 Spotbeam 04 (Mkt:Burlington, VT-Manchester, NH-ABC) (A) (H)
6252(9) - WMUR [MPEG4 SD] added to Echostar12 61.5W TP 09 Spotbeam 2 (Mkt:Burlington, VT-Manchester, NH-ABC) (A) (H)

 

[Mr Tony]

Too bad Bob Hale (n1wbd) did not live to see this.

oh I'm sure he is watching WMUR up there