DIRECTV to Offer Local Channels in 190 Markets

[SamCdbs]

Parkersburg, WV consists of only one legitimate station, WTAP, which was and is historically NBC, a UHF station. In the digital era, it has used its "sidebands" to also carry Fox and MY. The original plan was that WTAP would join the two (historic) station 70 miles to the east in the Clarksburg area to form a market, however the signals in the mountanous area simply did not work and WTAP ended up as a station that serves little purpose. Without it there is little doubt that the two WV counties in the market would have been incorporated into the Huntington-Charleston market and the single Ohio county into Columbus. In reality, on the ground, cable carries the rest of the stations from those markets anyway. Given the tiny size of the market, there are pretty much zero people that cannot receive WTAP in market OTA anyway.

Without matching that, the DirecTV offering is good money after bad.

 

[Mr Tony]

I wonder which fill in's they'll use? The 2 from Clarksburg...or something else?

St Joe, Missouri is just a ABC...the rest come from Kansas City

 

[harshness]

Dang it!! No love for Medford OREGON!!!????

Probably not before Eugene, but you never know.

 

[SamCdbs]

I wonder which fill in's they'll use? The 2 from Clarksburg...or something else?

Cable uses Huntington-Charleston in WV, and Columbus in Ohio.

The Clarksburg stations are very amateurish in news content, due to the tiny maket size and thus news budgets. They would not work anyway, as Clarksburg is also a "short market" with the two historic stations being CBS and NBC, in modern times with NBC carrying an ABC as sideband and a station added in the 90s being Fox, with CW as sideband.

The Clarksburg CBS station has a construction permit for a repeater in Parkersburg (on VHF 2 with the transmitter placed on the local public radio tower, where PBS has had a translator for years). Given the small geography of the market, there is no place actually in the market that could not receive it just as well as WTAP. With sidebands that would give the market NBC, Fox, and MY, via WTAP, CBS via WDTV repeater and PBS via the statewide repeater and via WOUB in Athens, leaving only ABC an issue.

 

[bacchus101]

Here in MN Mankato gets Minneapolis as fill in for HD. So if Bangor is in HD they might get the Isle added

Honestly, the production value of my local news is so bad that I think they possibly use cable access channels as a benchmark/idea farm for their broadcasts, lol.

If you are a fan of 80's onscreen graphics and it makes you nostalgic, Newscast 8 has it all!


I'm happy with "living" a bit further south.

 

[Mr Tony]

Mankato is like that....seems like every month you see new reporters
Is your news in HD yet? They aren't....but then again other than primetime, TPIR, Y&R and sports HD is non-existent there

 

[cebbigh]

Really hope Fargo HD gets into the mix soon. "Moving" to Minneapolis is fine as far as it goes. But this winter and following flooding has proven to me that local channels are a necessity here. I get the news I need OTA, so I'm fine. But if I had the choice I'd prefer the locals in HD from D.

 

[jwhite6069]

I really don't know what the deal with the Bowling Green Ky locals are....The Bowling Green market is larger than some of the markets added.....not that it matters.....I "moved" to Nashville years ago. From where I live the Nashville Locals cover my area's news and weather about as good as the Bowling Green locals anyway. BTW WTVF has got some of the best weather graphics I have ever seen.

 

[Mr Tony]

I think the reason these other markets are being added before one like Bowling green is easy

spotbeam capacity....that and some of those above are "short markets" so the missing nets are already available like St Joe, Parkersburg, Jackson TN

But honestly its probably spotbeam coverage. Think about it. They (BG) has Louisville to the north, Lexington to the East and Nashville to the south. Thats a lot of locals to put up in a small area.

 

[Mr Tony]

DIRECTV to Offer Local Channels in 190 Markets Including 16 Additional Markets in HD

More than 99 Percent of U.S. TV Homes will have Access To Local Channels from DIRECTV by End of 2011

so I wonder what 20 are left then? I can think of a few like Glendive and Helena, MT...I know Presque Isle, ME was mentioned. Rapid City, SD is on the D* list on the website but not above. Bowling Green was mentioned.

 

[delfonix]

channel 2 or 5

Cable uses Huntington-Charleston in WV, and Columbus in Ohio.

The Clarksburg stations are very amateurish in news content, due to the tiny maket size and thus news budgets. They would not work anyway, as Clarksburg is also a "short market" with the two historic stations being CBS and NBC, in modern times with NBC carrying an ABC as sideband and a station added in the 90s being Fox, with CW as sideband.

The Clarksburg CBS station has a construction permit for a repeater in Parkersburg (on VHF 2 with the transmitter placed on the local public radio tower, where PBS has had a translator for years). Given the small geography of the market, there is no place actually in the market that could not receive it just as well as WTAP. With sidebands that would give the market NBC, Fox, and MY, via WTAP, CBS via WDTV repeater and PBS via the statewide repeater and via WOUB in Athens, leaving only ABC an issue.

so if i wanted to watch that station...how would i do that? tune to 2 or 5 in the marietta/parkersburg area

 

[Mr Tony]

you can't

Parkersburg right now gives you the NY stations (Big 4), CW from Wash DC and National PBS. Its agreement right now with D* in some areas. There is a blanket waiver to get NY stations. When Parkersburg is added then they'll import a staton. But right now they dont have those locals yet

 

[jstorm42]

Is the Duluth,Mn/Superior,Wi market the largest not to have HD locals. We are at least 150,000 with surrounding suburbs. Any idea why we aren't on the list Iceberg? I'm tired of waiting.

 

[Mr Tony]

Duluth not being in HD has to do with spotbeam coverage and capacity. Believe me I'd love to see Duluth get HD then I can "move" back there

I dont know if a spotbeam even covers it...they cant put it on the Minneapolis ones as those are full

 

[harshness]

Is the Duluth,Mn/Superior,Wi market the largest not to have HD locals. We are at least 150,000 with surrounding suburbs. Any idea why we aren't on the list Iceberg? I'm tired of waiting.

Not even close. Lansing (253,380) is the largest market that doesn't yet get HD from DIRECTV. Duluth-Superior is #13 in the population rankings of markets not served.

 

[delfonix]

are there any ideas on when the pburg market will be added to d-tv

 

[Mr Tony]

last I checked Parkersburg is still this year

 

[acar1944]

I just came from Dish network where we had our local Channels in HD over a year ago. I'm told by Direct that it will be a while before we get local HD in the Tupelo, Columbus Ms area.
That sucks after being able to watch local HD as that is what we watch most of the time. Very disappointed.

 

[bacchus101]

I'm told by Direct that it will be a while before we get local HD in the Tupelo, Columbus Ms area.

So they hinted they have plans one day to bring your locals to you in HD? Wow. They hinted to me that they handn't even heard of my DMA - and have no plans to ever offer locals in any capacity, lol.

Like basic HD, I get the impression that D* figures if they have the majority of bases covered, there is no need to put resources into areas that E* is already the leader.

Rather, stick with the upper tier market (sports, ppv and premium channels.)

You could always head over to your "summer house" with your equipment and at least get the major networks in HD via sat and pull your actual locals via an AM21.