Metv and FMC launched today
- Thread starter jamieh1
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What's the alternate programming the stream and normal version of H&I? Was I right about FETV paying to be on DTV and that is why it's not on DTV Stream? Thanks.
The stream version has alternate programming in place of programming that can only air on the normal version because they don't have the streaming rights. If they were to use the "normal" feed, you'd see a "broadcast provider restricted access to this program" message whenever you tuned in to something you'd find out they don't streaming rights for. And it's not just H&I, CBS doesn't have streaming rights to it's annual showing of Frosty the Snowman (but Freeform does), and TCM doesn't even have streaming rights for some movies on its schedule, but neither provide alternate programming in place.
I don't have stream, so I'm not sure what alternate programming is shown on H&I streaming, but my guess is that it's just programming they already do have streaming rights for.
You are right, FETV is paying to be on satellite, but a stream for it is on stream's backend servers yet no one (either a satellite customer using the stream app, like me, or a stream customer) can see it.
Doing some research for my DMA and find WMJQ has MeTV as it's predominate channel on 40-1, in Syracuse, NY. Should I approach Directv and argue the point that this over the air station should be added to the locals channel because it really isn't a subchannel? If it were any one of you, how would you proceed in arguing the point with Directv?
WMJQ-CD is a Class A station, so it's not eligible for must carry status, and their owner Renard doesn't have any full power stations or Big 4 affiliates to get their foot in the door for retrans negotiations.
Syracuse's Spectrum systems also get MeTV via the national feed instead of WMJQ-CD.
Syracuse's Spectrum systems also get MeTV via the national feed instead of WMJQ-CD.
And like I said in one of my last posts, it's not just H&I that doesn't have streaming rights to all their programming. CBS doesn't have the streaming rights to their annual showings of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, while TCM doesn't have the streaming rights to some movies on their schedule. However, neither substitute alternative programming, and instead just display the "broadcast provider restricted access to this program" message.
But I did recently discover through the thumbnail server that they didn't internally replace all the CBS streams with a message or alt programming during the last Frosty showing which was on 11/25/22 (The station the thumbnail is from is WCBS because WYOU was already gone back then!):
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I did contact Directv over this and they are going to study it. I also asked them about neighboring local channels that are actually closer, but in another DMA. There is presedent for adding neighboring locals and I applied for this status, since the Watertown, NY locals are actually closer than the Syracuse local transmitters. I'm about 5 minutes walking distance to the DMA borderline and made it clear about their policy. I'm sure they'll find some grey area reason not to allow it. The weird part about this is a third DMA not too far to the east in Utica/Rome. Throw enough mud at the issue and something might stick.
My market has a similar situation. Many counties here in the scranton DMA that border other DMAs get neighboring locals through cable (especially Blue Ridge) but DirecTV does not carry any of them!
DIRECTV is legally required to give you what Nielsen assigns as the DMA for your county or zip code, they can't individually move you to a different DMA or add neighboring locals to specific accounts.
The rules changed involving neighboring locals and DNS feeds, where before they could import any affiliate or DNS feed for "short" markets that are missing a network, now the only thing they can offer is stations on the FCC's signficantly viewed list or stations that were granted a market modification, which is usually limited to "orphaned" counties that have no in state locals. If the location in your profile Belleville is correct, the only Watertown stations classified as significantly viewed are Gray's WWNY and Nexstar's currently in dispute WWTI. Even then, they still need to have out of market carriage as part of the retrans deal with the station owners. (Cable providers have different rules where in addition to the SigVew list, they can offer additional neighboring stations that provide a certain grade of coverage over the system, and they have some leeway on DMA borders based on how the system serving a given community is wired.)
There's no way DIRECTV is going to negotiate a retrans deal for carriage of a Class A MeTV station in a smaller market like Syracuse when their owner doesn't have any Big 4 affiliates to get their foot in the door, and their deal with Weigel already allows them to offer the national feed in markets where the network is on a non-carried subchannel or LPTV/Class A station.
The rules changed involving neighboring locals and DNS feeds, where before they could import any affiliate or DNS feed for "short" markets that are missing a network, now the only thing they can offer is stations on the FCC's signficantly viewed list or stations that were granted a market modification, which is usually limited to "orphaned" counties that have no in state locals. If the location in your profile Belleville is correct, the only Watertown stations classified as significantly viewed are Gray's WWNY and Nexstar's currently in dispute WWTI. Even then, they still need to have out of market carriage as part of the retrans deal with the station owners. (Cable providers have different rules where in addition to the SigVew list, they can offer additional neighboring stations that provide a certain grade of coverage over the system, and they have some leeway on DMA borders based on how the system serving a given community is wired.)
There's no way DIRECTV is going to negotiate a retrans deal for carriage of a Class A MeTV station in a smaller market like Syracuse when their owner doesn't have any Big 4 affiliates to get their foot in the door, and their deal with Weigel already allows them to offer the national feed in markets where the network is on a non-carried subchannel or LPTV/Class A station.
There are/were some instances where they gave customers all the locals from another market in addition to their home market. Like apparently:
some Roanoke DMA customers could also get Greensboro, NC locals
some Norfolk DMA customers can also get Raleigh, NC locals
some Indianapolis DMA customers could also get Dayton, OH locals
some Rapid City DMA customers could also get Denver, CO locals
some Wichita Falls DMA customers could also get Dallas or Abilene locals
some Waco DMA customers could also get Houston locals
some Portland, OR DMA customers could also get Boise, ID locals
