DirecTV May Fight Retrans Fees with Antennas

[Scott Greczkowski]

[h=1]DirecTV May Fight Retrans Fees with Antennas[/h] By Kevin Eck on May 16, 2013 1:43 PM

For viewers, hearing the two words “Retrans fees” can conjure up nights spent not being able to watch their favorite network shows or local news because their cable provider/satellite provider/network/sports network/local channel can’t agree on how much showing the program is worth.

Now, DirectTV is looking to avoid paying millions in retrans fees by adding an integrated antenna into its set top boxes to grab over-the-air signals for free. According to an article in Multichannel news, “retrans fees could top $6 billion annually by 2018, with satellite TV service providers paying an estimated $2 billion of that bill.”

In an e-mail message, DirecTV spokesman Darris Gringeri said no dates for testing are scheduled at this point and that the satellite giant has always had integrated tuners in some of its set-top boxes. He added that the company is “just exploring any options that could help get programming costs under control.”

​

Multichannel News has more details on DirectTV’s plan. Click here to view the article.



http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/directv-may-fight-retrans-fees-with-antennas_b90690

 

[StephenJC]

Most broadcasters have cheaped out on their transmitting facilities so that those that are more than about 20 miles away will be forced or compelled to subscribe to a provider that pays them a retransmission fee. Compare the ability that the public had to receive analog signals to the current digital ones and you will see what I mean. Most broadcasters could put up taller towers and put out more ERP but they don't want to, they are better off putting out a weaker signal so that most people will need to pay a provider to retransmit it to them thus giving them more subscriber fees. This idea of an OTA tuner is not the silver bullet they think it is.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Thats a dumb idea. Not everyone gets good reception with a small indoor antenna.

 

[Jimbo]

I would be HAPPY if they would put the OTA tuners back in the recvrs that they took out after the HR20 went away.

It would avoid having to buy a AM 21 for EVERY TV.

 

[StephenJC]

I wouldn't be surprised to find broadcasters sabotaging their own OTA signals during fee fights to force viewers to switch providers due to an inability to receive an OTA signal. "Technical problems have caused us to operate at reduced power while our, engineers work on fixing the problem"

 

[Jimbo]

I wouldn't be surprised to find broadcasters sabotaging their own OTA signals during fee fights to force viewers to switch providers due to an inability to receive an OTA signal. "Technical problems have caused us to operate at reduced power while our, engineers work on fixing the problem"

Nope, you won't see this happening .... Too many others would be effected to make it an advantage for the stations.
Instead of the D* subs suffering, ALL people watching the channel would be effected.

 

[tigerfan33]

Thats a dumb idea. Not everyone gets good reception with a small indoor antenna.

Hell. I can't pickup any kind of reception with ANY antenna. I've got to rely on my provider.

 

[Liquidforce88]

Here is how I feel about it. We as tax payers subsidise these stations. They are to provide their signal for free as part of that agreement. Personally these stations should not be getting these retransmitt fee's. If anything the Satco's and cableco's should be charging the TV stations for getting the signal out to people. I think it is rediculous that I have to pay for something that is supposed to be provided to me free. The whole idea of this that they would make their money on advertising. It's time we as consumers stand up and say no more.

 

[Teehar]

Unless dtv is willing to go the aereo route,its a moot point.If it were as simple as sticking a lil antenna to a tv and getting ota people would already be doing it en masse.

 

[Jillian]

Hell. I can't pickup any kind of reception with ANY antenna. I've got to rely on my provider.[/QUO

Me either

 

[Jimbo]

Unless dtv is willing to go the aereo route,its a moot point.If it were as simple as sticking a lil antenna to a tv and getting ota people would already be doing it en masse.

They already tried that with the antenna that mounted on the Sat Dish, witch worked great IF your tower happened to point to the S/SW ...

 

[TheTechGuru]

They would probably use some antenna mounted to the dish and feed it into SWM somehow.

I always though it was totally stupid of them to discontinue the built in ATSC tuner after the H20, I liked having it when I had a H20.

I would have addresses in "Grade A" areas use dish mounted antennas and default to OTA only with option to get sat feed for a extra fee and have "Grade B" addresses default to local channels over sat.

There is another advantage to this, subs using the OTA tuners will get all of the local sub channels that are not uplinked to the satellite.

I'd love a free AM21...

 

[spokybob]

My AM21 has a very poor tuner especially on VHF-LO. So I must rely on Directv for CBS on rf4. The tuner on my TV sets bring in all the channels OK when I connect to the OTA antenna directly.

 

[Tampa8]

I think the idea is being missed by some. This would be a newer technology, incorporated into the dish, somewhat like what was tried before but better implemented and I'm guessing involving an amplifier. Of course it would not work for everyone, but enough to keep the pressure on the networks by even Direct TV talking about it. Alot of credit to all the posters who long ago put up the red flags on every individual affiliate trying to hold the carriers hostage.

 

[TheTechGuru]

My AM21 has a very poor tuner especially on VHF-LO. So I must rely on Directv for CBS on rf4. The tuner on my TV sets bring in all the channels OK when I connect to the OTA antenna directly.

Um, VHF-LO is OBSOLETE and no longer used, VHF-LO was freed up for use by public service. You may have a virtual 4, but it's not using RF4. Few channels use VHF-HI (7-13) but most in most areas are on UHF.

Go to www.tvfool.com or pull up your station's call sign on www.wikipedia.org to see what actual RF channel they are using.

 

[bobvick]

Um, VHF-LO is OBSOLETE and no longer used, VHF-LO was freed up for use by public service. You may have a virtual 4, but it's not using RF4. Few channels use VHF-HI (7-13) but most in most areas are on UHF.

Go to www.tvfool.com or pull up your station's call sign on www.wikipedia.org to see what actual RF channel they are using.

VHF low is still in use in certain areas. For instance in the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa Market, WUOA broadcasts on RF 6, it is virtual 23. Reception is not good in a fringe area, but VHF low is not "obsolete."

 

[Claude Greiner]

I would be HAPPY if they would put the OTA tuners back in the recvrs that they took out after the HR20 went away.

It would avoid having to buy a AM 21 for EVERY TV.

The problem is with HD locals in so many markets, and the fact people refuse to invest In a good antenna, why waste money installing an OTA tuner in every receiver when less than 1% of the time it's actually used.

Dish actually had the right idea with the 6000 and 722k where the OTA unit slid inside the receiver as an add on modual.

The other issue with OTA is that it's hard to sell customers on the fact locals are free and there is a chance they may not get them all.

 

[Claude Greiner]

But another thing to consider Is this. Is Directv concerned about eliminating the fees they pay to the broadcasters, to eliminate fees to the consumer? Or is this a move to put money in their pocket?

The locals are up linked already, and are included free in your package.

If directv gave away free antennas, and your price remained the same, who is really saving the money?

 

[TheTechGuru]

VHF low is still in use in certain areas. For instance in the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa Market, WUOA broadcasts on RF 6, it is virtual 23. Reception is not good in a fringe area, but VHF low is not "obsolete."

News to me, they must have a special waiver from the FCC to operate because the article I read back during the transition to digital said VHF-LO was going away to be reclaimed for more public service band.

 

[TheTechGuru]

But another thing to consider Is this. Is Directv concerned about eliminating the fees they pay to the broadcasters, to eliminate fees to the consumer? Or is this a move to put money in their pocket?

The locals are up linked already, and are included free in your package.

If directv gave away free antennas, and your price remained the same, who is really saving the money?

Probably no one, because instead of using the money to pay the fees it's being used to pay for OTA equipment, so it's more of a sock it to the broadcasters thing than a money saving thing, because the only result is the broadcasters loosing retransmission fee income.