DIRECTV and DISH Support Passage of STAVRA by Senate Commerce Committee

[Scott Greczkowski]

DIRECTV and DISH Support Passage of STAVRA by Senate Commerce Committee

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DIRECTV and DISH issued the following statement regarding the passage today of the Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act (STAVRA) out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation:

"We thank Chairman Rockefeller, Ranking Member Thune and the rest of the Senate Commerce Committee for passing bipartisan legislation that makes important reforms to the outdated laws governing today's video market, while ensuring continuity of service to more than 1.5 million distant signal subscribers who would, otherwise, lose service at the end of this year. We look forward to working with Congressional leadership to see this reauthorization swiftly passed into law, and also look forward to continuing the important discussion regarding retransmission consent reform, and in particular protecting consumers from local channel blackouts."

 

[shkarter1985]

I've read the bill on S. 2799 (STAVRA bill) https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s2799/text

Can you explain terms that people will understand like

(l)
Market determinations
(1)
In general
Following a written request, the Commission may, with respect to a particular commercial television broadcast station, include additional communities within its local market or exclude communities from such station’s local market to better effectuate the purposes of this section.
(2)
Considerations
In considering requests filed under paragraph (1), the Commission—
(A)
may determine that particular communities are part of more than one local market;
(B)
shall afford particular attention to the value of localism by taking into account such factors as—
(i)
whether the station, or other stations located in the same area—
(I)
have been historically carried on the cable system or systems within such community; or
(II)
have been historically carried on the satellite carrier or carriers serving such community;
(ii)
whether the television station provides coverage or other local service to such community;
(iii)
whether modifying the local market of the television station would promote consumers' access to television broadcast station signals that originate in their State of residence;
(iv)
whether any other television station that is eligible to be carried by a satellite carrier in such community in fulfillment of the requirements of this section provides news coverage of issues of concern to such community or provides carriage or coverage of sporting and other events of interest to the community; and
(v)
evidence of viewing patterns in households that subscribe and do not subscribe to the services offered by multichannel video programming distributors within the areas served by such multichannel video programming distributors in such community.
(3)
Carriage of signals
(A)
Carriage obligation
A market determination under this subsection shall not create additional carriage obligations for a satellite carrier if it is not technically and economically feasible for such carrier to accomplish such carriage by means of its satellites in operation at the time of the determination.
(B)
Deletion of signals
A satellite carrier shall not delete from carriage the signal of a commercial television broadcast station during the pendency of any proceeding under this subsection.
(4)
Determinations
Not later than 120 days after the date that a written request is filed under paragraph (1), the Commission shall grant or deny the request.
(5)
No effect on eligibility to receive distant signals
No modification of a commercial broadcast television station’s local market pursuant to this subsection shall have any effect on the eligibility of households in the community affected by such modification to receive distant signals pursuant to section 339 of this Act.


or

(III)
whether modifying the local market of the television station would promote consumers' access to television broadcast station signals that originate in their State of residence;

BTW, I now support LOCALISM because it's more important to the community and the state they live, work, and breathe in. In my market (Greenville/Spartanburg, SC) serves 3 states (South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia) and I feel sorry for folks in Northeast Georgia (4 counties in this DMA are Stephens, Hart, Franklin, and Elbert) because they're DENIED to watch in-state news, weather, and sports in their home state they reside, plus they're FORCED to watch Carolina Panthers instead of Atlanta Falcons NFL games every Sunday unless saving some dough on NFL SUNDAY TICKET for example. Plus Northeast Georgians who have DirecTV are also DENIED to watch PBS from their own state (via GPB) and have to rely on non-commercial fare of DOWNTON ABBEY to SESAME STREET from South Carolina ETV and/or UNC-TV.

Yes, the Nielsen DMA system is messed up. I'm for reforming the broken Retransmission Consent regime.

Sorry NAB! Consumers won this time!

 

[larry55]

it still the same and we have no right as far we picking our locals. we got sold out again.

 

[shkarter1985]

it still the same and we have no right as far we picking our locals. we got sold out again.

BUMMER REPLY! DAMN IT!

#Pissed

I know #DontShootTheMessenger But #IHateBadNews and SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT for the NAB!

N=Naughty
A=Arrogant
B=Bullies

 

[dallascowboy]

By living in a free country we should be able and have the ability to purchase out of market locals. I say this with the understanding that Directv does offer local channels for my area and I subscribe to said local channels. However, I would like the option to additionally purchase local channels from the west coast as an ala carte option. The technology is there and available still; We must resort to measures such as "moving" and or subscribing to Canadian TV to obtain satisfaction. I would gladly pay for my locals and LA locals. Many times when you live in the east. Golf, Football, Basketball or some other event runs over and the settings on your DVR only catch part of the show that you were looking to record. as said previously the tech is there time to allow out of market locals is needed. Thanks

 

[raoul5788]

So you guys that want locals that aren't from your dma, are you aware that mostly they are on spot beams? Apparently you want them all moved to CONUS beams, thereby removing many national hd channels. Good luck with that!

 

[larry55]

i agree with you but in dothan al wsfa montogmery al was nbc for our ares and the spot bean it on will reach our area. Now we have wrgx that is our nbc. wsfa has better news than we have here.

 

[Radioguy41]

Where I live I'm considered, by the FCC, to be in three, yep 3, local markets; Phila, Scranton/WB, and NY yet I have no say as to which of those three markets I get to receive. The FCC, in it's infinite wisdom, has decreed that I shall receive the S/WB channels whether I prefer them or not, and I don't.

 

[raoul5788]

i agree with you but in dothan al wsfa montogmery al was nbc for our ares and the spot bean it on will reach our area. Now we have wrgx that is our nbc. wsfa has better news than we have here.

That only helps if you want a nearby dma. What if you live in Chicago but want Denver locals?

 

[raoul5788]

Where I live I'm considered, by the FCC, to be in three, yep 3, local markets; Phila, Scranton/WB, and NY yet I have no say as to which of those three markets I get to receive. The FCC, in it's infinite wisdom, has decreed that I shall receive the S/WB channels whether I prefer them or not, and I don't.

You can only be in one dma. What is your zip code?

 

[Teehar]

We are in a two market area here, but with satellite are only allowed to have Charlotte locals.The cable company since it began, has always carried Tri Cities Tn plus Charlotte.Wcyb typically has been the go to channel for our weather.Would be really nice if the sat providers were allowed to do the same as cable.

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[harshness]

Where I live I'm considered, by the FCC, to be in three, yep 3, local markets; Phila, Scranton/WB, and NY yet I have no say as to which of those three markets I get to receive. The FCC, in it's infinite wisdom, has decreed that I shall receive the S/WB channels whether I prefer them or not, and I don't.

The FCC does NOT decide what DMA you're in. That's uniquely Nielsen's responsibility and their surveys indicate that you and your neighbors shop primarily the Scranton/Wilkes-Booth area.

 

[Radioguy41]

18235

For purposes of sports blackouts, for instance, I'm in three markets as mentioned above. If the Phillies are at home and ESPN is carrying the game I'm blacked out. I'm also blacked out for both of the NY teams if they are at home. (S/WB's got nothing going for them.) I sent a query to the FCC a couple of years ago and their explanation was that they draw a radius around each market center and all three radii overlap directly over my home area. There is a difference between market definition and application of rules. Because of linear mileage (by just a couple) I'm defined as S/WB (which is their reasoning for confining me to the S/WB channels) but the practical application of rules is separate from that and the rules say I'm in three markets.

 

[harshness]

Would be really nice if the sat providers were allowed to do the same as cable.

There are provisions in the policy to carry significantly viewed channels but the DBS companies aren't really set up to do it across the board (mostly due to spot beam coverage) so they don't do it at all.

 

[harshness]

For purposes of sports blackouts, for instance, I'm in three markets as mentioned above.

It is imperative not to confuse sports team markets with DMAs. Sports markets have almost nothing to do with DMAs.

 

[Radioguy41]

The FCC does NOT decide what DMA you're in. That's uniquely Nielsen's responsibility and their surveys indicate that you and your neighbors shop primarily the Scranton/Wilkes-Booth area.

Not true, the FCC dictates TV market areas, not Nielson and I can assure you niether me nor my neighbor's shop S/WB which is more than an hour up the turnpike. Our shopping market area is Lehighton/Allentown/Whitehall. Nobody in their right mind would drive up to S/WB to shop.

 

[Radioguy41]

It is imperative not to confuse sports team markets with DMAs. Sports markets have almost nothing to do with DMAs.

Wow, you really don't understand how all this works. It's all controlled by the FCC, DMA and sports team market definitions are all related, you can't separate the two. Frankly I've explained it enough and wasted enough time.

 

[harshness]

Wow, you really don't understand how all this works. It's all controlled by the FCC, DMA and sports team market definitions are all related, you can't separate the two. Frankly I've explained it enough and wasted enough time.

Your explanation of how DMAs work is completely wrong.

• “Local-into-local” means the stations located within a particular “designated market area” (DMA) are retransmitted by satellite to subscribers in that same DMA. Your county is included in a particular DMA and that means the satellite company may offer you the stations located in your DMA as part of your local-into-local service.
• DMAs are determined by Nielsen Media Research and are based primarily on its measurement of local viewing patterns. Neither the FCC nor the satellite company plays any part in determining which counties are included in particular DMAs.

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/television-broadcast-stations-satellite