DirecTv is really going after the folks who legally qualify for distants

[Mr Tony]

DirecTV is really cranking out the ads in markets who (as of right now) legally qualify for distants

Went to Mankato today, which is about 75 miles SW of Minneapolis. They are their own DMA with just CBS. ABC is Grade B in most of the market but they legally qualified for NBC, Fox & PBS throught Dish.

On the radio, I heard on 4 different stations DirecTV commercials letting people in Mankato know they are losing thier distants on Dec 1 and to get DirecTV to see the networks. DirecTV does have Mankato locals (well, Mankato CBS and the other 3 from Mpls, Nat'l CW & PBS). They are also offering $150 to change by Dec 1.

Got the paper from there and there are 2 full page ads. One on the back of the main section mentioning that you will lose access to "Lost, CSI, ER & House" and on the back of the sports page saying you will lose access to NFL, MLB & Nascar.

What I find amazing (and we all know how companies can slam the competition) is that I find the DirecTv ads informative. It mentions theat "This affects all Dish Distant Network customers, including those customers who followed the appropriate eligibility and waiver process"

Anybody else live in or near a market that is affected and has seen/heard these ads? This is the first I've seen & heard these ads.

 

[webbydude]

DirecTV is really cranking out the ads in markets who (as of right now) legally qualify for distants

Went to Mankato today, which is about 75 miles SW of Minneapolis. They are their own DMA with just CBS. ABC is Grade B in most of the market but they legally qualified for NBC, Fox & PBS throught Dish.

On the radio, I heard on 4 different stations DirecTV commercials letting people in Mankato know they are losing thier distants on Dec 1 and to get DirecTV to see the networks. DirecTV does have Mankato locals (well, Mankato CBS and the other 3 from Mpls, Nat'l CW & PBS). They are also offering $150 to change by Dec 1.

Got the paper from there and there are 2 full page ads. One on the back of the main section mentioning that you will lose access to "Lost, CSI, ER & House" and on the back of the sports page saying you will lose access to NFL, MLB & Nascar.

What I find amazing (and we all know how companies can slam the competition) is that I find the DirecTv ads informative. It mentions theat "This affects all Dish Distant Network customers, including those customers who followed the appropriate eligibility and waiver process"

Anybody else live in or near a market that is affected and has seen/heard these ads? This is the first I've seen & heard these ads.

Oh yes... ! Many, many times over. The Zanesville,Ohio market is totally screwed up (and screwed over). Zanesville would qualify for the Columbus, Ohio locals except for one thing...Z'ville already has a NBC affiliate in town. Matter of fact, it's the ONLY station that town has. Consequently, no Columbus locals. Which really sucks since Columbus is only 30 minutes west of there.

I'm really not sure how...but somehow D* is able to finagle things and grant those customers living there the Columbus market. And much like your experience, the advertisements are VERY informative and pretty much tell it like it is. E* can't give you folks Columbus, but we sure can. And just prove it, we'll even buy out your contract with E* if you sign onboard.

 

[ThomasRz]

No, Zanesville is Zanesville. Columbus is Columbus. E* doesn't carry Z-ville but D* does. Even if there were no affiliates in Zanesville, it would not be local to Columbus. The DMA boundaries have nothing to do with the number of affiliates serving the communities. I would guess though that Columbus might be SV. If so, getting D* to add them would be the functional equivalent of having Columbus locals. It might be easier to get Nielsen to redraw the map but the chances of that happening are .00000000000000000000000001. Have you considered a really big, highly directional OTA antenna? Just checked SV's are:

WHIZ-TV, 18, Zanesville, OH
WCMH-TV, 4, Columbus, OH (formerly WLWC)
WSYX, 6, Columbus, OH (formerly WTVN)
WBNS-TV, 10, Columbus, OH
+WTTE, 28, Columbus, OH

Oh yes... ! Many, many times over. The Zanesville,Ohio market is totally screwed up (and screwed over). Zanesville would qualify for the Columbus, Ohio locals except for one thing...Z'ville already has a NBC affiliate in town. Matter of fact, it's the ONLY station that town has. Consequently, no Columbus locals. Which really sucks since Columbus is only 30 minutes west of there.

I'm really not sure how...but somehow D* is able to finagle things and grant those customers living there the Columbus market. And much like your experience, the advertisements are VERY informative and pretty much tell it like it is. E* can't give you folks Columbus, but we sure can. And just prove it, we'll even buy out your contract with E* if you sign onboard.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

No company has ever had more time to put together an advertising campaign. They may have gone through several different ideas over the years while watching this play out in super-slow motion.

 

[webbydude]

No, Zanesville is Zanesville. Columbus is Columbus. E* doesn't carry Z-ville but D* does. Even if there were no affiliates in Zanesville, it would not be local to Columbus. The DMA boundaries have nothing to do with the number of affiliates serving the communities. I would guess though that Columbus might be SV. If so, getting D* to add them would be the functional equivalent of having Columbus locals. It might be easier to get Nielsen to redraw the map but the chances of that happening are .00000000000000000000000001. Have you considered a really big, highly directional OTA antenna? Just checked SV's are:

WHIZ-TV, 18, Zanesville, OH
WCMH-TV, 4, Columbus, OH (formerly WLWC)
WSYX, 6, Columbus, OH (formerly WTVN)
WBNS-TV, 10, Columbus, OH
+WTTE, 28, Columbus, OH

Ahhh! Ok. That explains a lot.

No, it's not for me...I don't live there. I've been busy working that area, trying to get E* subs updated. Not to mention I feel and and understand the grumblings of all the E* customers who are grumbling about losing distant networks. I've always wondered HOW D* was able to accomplish Z'ville and Columbus for those particular customers.

 

[Mr Tony]

webby
Zanesville probably has what Mankato had. DirecTv is utilizing sig viewed to give Mankato the rest of the nets

CBS from Mankato (CBS)
ABC from Minneapolis (KSTP)
NBC from Minneapois (KARE)
FOX from Minneapolis (KMSP)
National CW (Baltimore I think)
National PBS

Cable in the area has All 4 + PBS from Mpls, CBS from Mankato, cable only CW and another PBS from the market

 

[Poke]

Yeah but if anyone went to Direct that would still be a step backwards.

 

[ThomasRz]

This raises an interesting question. If a DBS provider offers SV for this purpose, is it permitted to pick and chose for each DMA? In other word - suppose DMA 1 doesn't have a CBS affiliate, so D* provides an SV CBS from nearby BigCity (NBC, ABC, Fox have locals - so no problem). Suppose also that adjacent DMA 2 is in a similar situation but lacks an NBC local. While D* can choose whether or not to offer SV, if they do offer BigCity CBS to DMA1 can the refuse to offer BigCity CBS to DMA2 (where it is also SV) solely on the basis that DMA2 has a CBS local? Assume that all necessary permission are in hand.

webby
Zanesville probably has what Mankato had. DirecTv is utilizing sig viewed to give Mankato the rest of the nets

CBS from Mankato (CBS)
ABC from Minneapolis (KSTP)
NBC from Minneapois (KARE)
FOX from Minneapolis (KMSP)
National CW (Baltimore I think)
National PBS

Cable in the area has All 4 + PBS from Mpls, CBS from Mankato, cable only CW and another PBS from the market

 

[Mr Tony]

Thomas
If there is a cable company in the DMA, they probably pick the same channels (that they are allowed to) as cable does.

But that does raise a good point. The ABC in Mankato that is Grade B isn't KSTP from Minneapolis. Its KAAL from Austin, MN. No stations from Minneapolis make Grade B in Mankato (that's why until 12/1 Fox & NBC legally qualify in Mankato). As I mentioned above, cable carries all the Big 4 Mpls but I forgot to mention they also carry KAAL from Austin. Both KAAL & KSTP are owned by the same company (Hubbard) so maybe the reason they took KSTP is because it was probably easier to put 3 stations from the neighboring market instead of 2 from one and 1 from another.

But when it comes to these one & 2 channel DMA's that legally qualify for some of the distants, how is Direct and Dish (assume they will let them later on) going to do SV?

 

[webbydude]

webby
Zanesville probably has what Mankato had. DirecTv is utilizing sig viewed to give Mankato the rest of the nets

CBS from Mankato (CBS)
ABC from Minneapolis (KSTP)
NBC from Minneapois (KARE)
FOX from Minneapolis (KMSP)
National CW (Baltimore I think)
National PBS

Cable in the area has All 4 + PBS from Mpls, CBS from Mankato, cable only CW and another PBS from the market

Thanks Ice!

I never claimed to understand SV or DMA's...I just install the damn equipment

 

[Mr Tony]

Webby
I ran a zip in Zanesville through DirecTV and here is what they get for "locals"

Available Channels
Network Affiliate Local Channel # 3-Digit Channel # (older receivers)
ABC WSYX 6 894
CBS WBNS 10 895
CW CW 14 918
NBC WHIZ 18 933
FOX WTTE 28 896
PBS PBS 384 384

I assume CBS, FOX & ABC are from Columbus? NBC is the only Zanesville station. CW & PBS are the "national" feeds...so its just like Mankato....add the DMA's local, pipe in the rest of the big 4 via SV and add nationa PBS & CW

 

[cobra2225]

directv had a big add here in w.ky this past week with same offer