Distant Locals (Waiver)

[drew2005]

Okay, i've posted about this before, but I am trying again to get a waiver. I get all four major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) in my area (I live in the same city they are based in). And I want to get Portland, Oregon (In the same state I am in) locals as well. So far I have sent a request for FOX 12 Portland (in July of last year) and got denied. Now I have requested KATU ABC 2 Portland and I am waiting for it to process.

My question is: Is it my local stations that decide whether of not I can get distant locals? And if so, why?

What are my chances of being approved? Should I call the station and talk to them about it?

 

[Tower Guy]

Okay, i've posted about this before, but I am trying again to get a waiver. I get all four major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) in my area (I live in the same city they are based in). And I want to get Portland, Oregon (In the same state I am in) locals as well. So far I have sent a request for FOX 12 Portland (in July of last year) and got denied. Now I have requested KATU ABC 2 Portland and I am waiting for it to process.

My question is: Is it my local stations that decide whether of not I can get distant locals? And if so, why?

What are my chances of being approved? Should I call the station and talk to them about it?

Waivers will not let you do what you are trying to do. You have your local stations already. If the stations in your market decided to give you a waiver, E* would be able to give you stations for Los Angeles. Unless you actually live in the Portland market or you can receive Portland over the air, the Portland stations have no ability to allow you to do anything. There is a special provision in the SHVERA bill that pertains to a couple of small counties in Oregon. That allows E* to sell Portland stations in those counties, but they are not required to do so. It is also possible that some of the Portland stations are considered significantly viewed in your county. If so, E* can transmit them to you if they decide to provide the proper notification to all of the affected stations.

 

[NightRyder]

Okay, i've posted about this before, but I am trying again to get a waiver. I get all four major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) in my area (I live in the same city they are based in). And I want to get Portland, Oregon (In the same state I am in) locals as well. So far I have sent a request for FOX 12 Portland (in July of last year) and got denied. Now I have requested KATU ABC 2 Portland and I am waiting for it to process.

My question is: Is it my local stations that decide whether of not I can get distant locals? And if so, why?

What are my chances of being approved? Should I call the station and talk to them about it?

drew2005:

1. Yes. Because congress has given them exclusive rights to broadcast network content in your DMA. Even with waivers I believe Dish limits you to networks from NY, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver or LA.

2. Even with approval I think the chances of getting what you want are next to zero. Also, Portland locals are on a spot beam that does not cover all of Oregon, so even if you managed to get everyone to say OK, you still might be SOL.

Good luck.


NightRyder

 

[mike123abc]

1. Yes. Because congress has given them exclusive rights to broadcast network content in your DMA.

Actually it is the networks that have given the local station the exclusive right to broadcast the network feed in your area. Congress is upsurping this and saying if you cannot get OTA you can get a distant network and pay $XX to the distant station and not violate the copyright to the content that the distant station is providing. If it was up to the networks there would be no distants at all.

 

[waltinvt]

<snip>..... If it was up to the networks there would be no distants at all.

Actually if it was up to the afilliates, no one would get any distants. As for the networks, they could care less except to the extent it violates any contracts they have with particular afilliates. That's why there's usually not a problem with anyone getting distants in O&O areas.

I believe the networks are now growing a little impatient with a lot of these afilliates. They spend the big bucks to aquire all the primetime programing, most of which is now in HD, only to have the afilliate destroy the quality of the broadcast. This is why they're getting into VOD which bypasses the afilliate all together.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I believe the networks are now growing a little impatient with a lot of these afilliates. They spend the big bucks to aquire all the primetime programing, most of which is now in HD, only to have the afilliate destroy the quality of the broadcast.

Truth!

Hopefully, the networks are rewriting their affiliate contracts to deal with the local SOBs.

P.S. KRDO SUCKS!

 

[TNGTony]

My question is: Is it my local stations that decide whether of not I can get distant locals? And if so, why?

What are my chances of being approved? Should I call the station and talk to them about it?

Just to be complete about the answers:

1) The local channels grant waivers. The local channels own the exclusive (as in to exclude all others) rights to show a particular network's programming by contract with that network. The reason it is called a "waiver" is because that is what it does. When you are granted a "waiver" the local station that owns the exclusive broadcast rights to the programming you want to get from another source is waiving their exclusive rights.

Why would they care if you get distant network? Because they would lose your eye balls for the commercials they show. Ratings would be impacted if they granted these willy-nilly. This means less revenue for them.

A reminder, if the networks wanted to sell their feeds directly, they could do it tomorrow (or when the contracts with locals are renewed). They own the programming shown. The laws congress passed give particular circumstance when it is legal to break copyright law and sell something that does not belong to the seller!

2) Your chances of being approved are strictly dependant on the local channels' station managers. But in general I would not hold my breath.

And Portland, Oregon IS available on Dish as a distant network city as long as you are within the Portland spot beam. Kansas City is another "regional" distant city..

See ya
Tony

 

[waltinvt]

Truth!

Hopefully, the networks are rewriting their affiliate contracts to deal with the local SOBs.

P.S. KRDO SUCKS!

Hey Simon, hadn't seen any posts from you for a few weeks - glad to see you back.

 

[long_time_DNC]

I can't get any of the Seattle stations OTA due to a huge hill north of me. So, I get my locals via Dish and at one point also had all of the distant nets, both East and West (NY and LA). Dish took all the NY distant nets away from me late last year (around September).

I got on Dish's website and applied for distant (East) nets for Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS. Fox and NBC were both approved within a few days and so now I get 241 and 247 again. ABC and CBS were denied and have been denied every time I reapply for them. Anyone have any ideas as to why this might be? Thanks!

 

[dfergie]

Contact your Abc and Cbs engineers on the phone or in person and ask for waivers...

 

[long_time_DNC]

Thanks, dfergie! I'll try calling them. An hour plus drive to Seattle isn't much fun...the traffic is nasty...

 

[SimpleSimon]

Hey Simon, hadn't seen any posts from you for a few weeks - glad to see you back.

Thanks Walt!

I've been pretty busy lately (about time!), and my available forum time has been pretty much limited to dishretailer.com.

 

[BlackHitachi]

Truth!

Hopefully, the networks are rewriting their affiliate contracts to deal with the local SOBs.

P.S. KRDO SUCKS!

AMEN one day us small town or Hicks will get to see HD LOCALS!! I can only hope!!