My son got a letter from Dish Network today, says he has to choose local or distant

[Bobby]

April 17th????......I read SatelliteGuys everyday, but missed that one some where. What is going to or supposed to happen April 17th, a link to a website with more info would be nice.

Thanks

This is a copy of the letter I received. It speaks for itself.

 

[NightRyder]

Question

Has anyone that lives in a genuine white (no waivers) area that is also within a Dish LIL DMA received a letter?


Thanks


NightRyder

 

[jscribe]

I'm still confused about the waivers and SHVERA...

An executive asst called me from Dish and I explained my situation (grandfathered since 97 and have lost 2 of the 4 network feeds last spring). She told me that I would lose NONE of my stations..both local and long distance and even added ABC west coast saying I had a waiver from them (ABC has consistently refused to sign a waiver locally...and why would I only get west and not east also?). I ended up being more confused than ever about the situation. I 'think' I should be happy but I am afraid come 4/7 that they will pull everything and lose my grandfather status since I did nothing. She was very clear that I needed to do nothing to maintain my current channels.

 

[Mr Tony]

Iceberg

What about Star Choice?

NightRyder

They actually follow the rules and only simsub when you are within a Grade B of a Canadian OTa station

So since I "live" near Toronto, I get simsubbed for all SD programming but not HD (so I'm told)

If you lived in The Pas, Manitoba you would have no simsubs as you are out of the Grade B of the OTA station

 

[NightRyder]

They actually follow the rules and only simsub when you are within a Grade B of a Canadian OTa station

So since I "live" near Toronto, I get simsubbed for all SD programming but not HD (so I'm told)

If you lived in The Pas, Manitoba you would have no simsubs as you are out of the Grade B of the OTA station

Good info. Thanks!


NightRyder

 

[NightRyder]

I 'think' I should be happy but I am afraid come 4/7 that they will pull everything and lose my grandfather status since I did nothing.

I don't blame you for being worried. I've had experience with Dish and loosing something that was grandfathered. It took many hours and a threat to cancel service before I had it resolved despite the fact that it was their screw-up! If I were you I would see if they would send a letter confirming what she told you. Good luck.


NightRyder

 

[GaryPen]

Here is the issue:

You could have distant networks due to one of three reasons:

The new law, the Satellite Home Viewers' Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA), signed by Presdinent Bush on 9 December, 2004, changes the qualification, as follows [changes are in brackets, in italics]:

2) You have a waiver, meaning the database states you are in at least the Grade B area for a given network affiliate, and the local network affiliate has decided to waive their rights, which allows you to purchase the Distant Network Service (DNS) for that network solely because of the waiver [if your satellite company is offering the local channels from your market, you will probably not be able to receive a waiver at this point. if you currently have DNS, you will keep receiving DNS along with your local channels until you a) elect not to receive DNS; b) move; or, c) no longer have service through your current satellite company. once DNS is gone, you cannot get it back if you are in a market that is available via satellite. other qualifications are as in point (1).]

I still don't understand. Does this state that one can't get DNS in addition to his local affiliate, even if the affiliate has granted a waiver? That makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Greg Bimson]

If you have a waiver, you can keep the DNS for the network in question, until:

a) the station revokes your waiver
b) you move (waivers are for your place of residence)
c) you no longer subscribe to the same satellite service
d) you remove your DNS programming (this is a guess, but you'd have to reapply for the waiver, which is impossible at this point)

 

[roadrhino]

I've not yet received the letter. Sort of wondering whether I will or not.

Let's talk about those "white areas". My service address is in exactly such a white area. When moving (in 2004) I was given the option of receiving distant networks as well as the "locals". Oddly enuf, I happen to have moved to a location within a DMA which is served by "locals" but is a location where there is no hope of a grade B signal ever making it to my house.

Here is the issue:

You could have distant networks due to one of three reasons:

1) You qualify, meaning the database states you are in a white area for a specific network affiliate, and you could purchase the Distant Network Service without any other qualification;

...

The new law, the Satellite Home Viewers' Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA), signed by Presdinent Bush on 9 December, 2004, changes the qualification, as follows [changes are in brackets, in italics]:

1) You qualify, meaning the database states you are in a white area for a specific network affiliate, and you could purchase the Distant Network Service (DNS) without any other qualification [if your satellite company is offering the local channels from your market, you no longer qualify for DNS. if you currently have DNS because you qualify and your local channels, you will keep receiving DNS until you a) elect not to receive DNS; b) move; or, c) no longer have service through your current satellite company. once DNS is gone, you cannot get it back if you are in a market that is available via satellite. if you qualify and have DNS and your local channels are available, but you do not subcribe to your local channels, you will lose your DNS once you elect to receive local channels. if you have DNS and your local channels are not available on your satellite carrier, you can keep your DNS and your local channels once they are available];

Not having a thorough understanding of the law or how the FCC will implement the law, I am just guessing here but ...

It pretty much sounds like the "white areas" are being defined out of existence ... the previous legislation divides up the entire US into DMAs then requires locals into locals. The current legislation says that you can't now get distant networks if you can receive locals.

So, the status of new people is pretty clear ... no distants.

My question about those who live in white areas is this ... will we be forced to choose? Greg's concise summary above doesn't clearly say so.

Just wondering ...

Roadrhino

 

[dishrich]

Has anyone that lives in a genuine white (no waivers) area that is also within a Dish LIL DMA received a letter?

I "moved" (a couple years ago) to a white area for all 4 networks that is still within the Denver DMA, so that I could get Denver locals, plus NY & LA distants & supers. I am still getting everything to this day & have yet to get one of these letters.

I was under the impression that if you lived OUTSIDE grade B, but within a LIL DMA, you would be able to keep distants AND locals, but if you ever got rid of distants at your current address, you could never get them back - it's within grade B that you have to pick one or the other.

 

[JohnC]

Crazy Law!

When I read a post of the almost finished new law, I thought it said that people grandfathered with distant networks (had them before about October 2004) could keep them as long as they subscribed to the local DMA package. That makes sense and would benefit the local stations because we generally watch them.

We use the LA distant networks to tape programs when there are 2 programs on at the same time that we like as we just have the 508 and do not have a dual tuner DVR. I have not received a letter, but if I do I think that I will follow the suggestion to use the OTA digital locals, drop the Atlanta locals, and keep the LA networks. I do not see how this new law benefits the local stations at all!

 

[richmondr]

Well for one thing, there is not such thing called an 'RV' waiver, i don't have any clue where that came from, there are waivers, but depending where you live and your local network affiliates it depends on if you need waivers or not. RV waiver, you customers come up with some funny things...

richmondr
jdpower #1 csr

oops forgot something the new restriction was set up by the federal communications commision i would suggest going to www.fcc.gov and search for 'shvera'

 

[n0qcu]

Well for one thing, there is not such thing called an 'RV' waiver, i don't have any clue where that came from, there are waivers, but depending where you live and your local network affiliates it depends on if you need waivers or not. RV waiver, you customers come up with some funny things...

richmondr
jdpower #1 csr

I think YOU should do a little research before you make incorrect comments.

Check out HERE

 

[richmondr]

I think YOU should do a little research before you make incorrect comments.

Check out HERE

its the same thing as a waiver for your house, but we don't call it that internally at dish we just call the things waivers, and don't tell me that i am posting incorrect statements, i am trying to help you people, on my damn day off, if you don't like it than block me, i'll just find something else to do

 

[TuxCoder]

If you are in fact an EchoStar internal employee, isn't it against company policy to post on this site?

 

[NightRyder]

its the same thing as a waiver for your house, but we don't call it that internally at dish we just call the things waivers, and don't tell me that i am posting incorrect statements, i am trying to help you people, on my damn day off, if you don't like it than block me, i'll just find something else to do

So you don't differentiate between a waiver that requires a signed consent form plus a copy of the current vehicle registration and one that doesn't?


NightRyder

 

[gpflepsen]

Gee, I have a CDL and a vehicle with a commercial registration... Hmmmm.

Would I qualify for the distant HD's too?

 

[astrotrf]

Nothing about switching services ...

In the quote of the new law, it just says you have to have received distant networks in October of 1999 or so to qualify to continue to receive them. It doesn't say *anything* about which satellite service you have.

So if I switch from E* to D*, can I get distant networks from D* by proving to them that I have them now with E*?

Terry

 

[NightRyder]

In the quote of the new law, it just says you have to have received distant networks in October of 1999 or so to qualify to continue to receive them. It doesn't say *anything* about which satellite service you have.

So if I switch from E* to D*, can I get distant networks from D* by proving to them that I have them now with E*?

Terry

No. If you ever drop distant networks or change providers, you lose them for good.


NightRyder