Newbie local questions

[warrenpa]

I tried to search for this, but only found information regarding HD locals and information about people nowhere near a local station.

According to D*, it's illegal for me to recieve local channels since we (16365) aren't in a market. While I am closer to Erie, PA (which D* doesn't carry), our cable and digital cable providers have always broadcast the Erie and Buffalo stations - and now DishNetwork is offering both to their subscribers in this area, also (as well as an overlapping area that recieves Pittsburgh).

Remembering that D* doesn't carry Erie, how is it legal for DishNetwork to offer customers around here (16365) Buffalo and Pittsburgh? Why isn't D* also doing this in my zip code?

 

[charper1]

It could be a number of factors such as transponder space, costs, no contractual agreements, choice, lack of subscribers/viewership, etc.

According to D*, it's illegal for me to recieve local channels since we (16365) aren't in a market.

Either they misspoke or you misunderstood, but I don't think its "illegal", but just that they just do not carry them yet. My research shows that although DirecTV does not serve you via LIL, you are in perfect shape for DNS and surely full HD network services; they way I read & understand it.

Qualifying for Non-Local Network Feeds

Did you know that a limited number of DIRECTV customers may be eligible to receive non-local feeds of major broadcast networks? Eligibility is governed by federal law†, but some factors that may affect your eligibility include:

• You don't live near a metropolitan area
• You can't get any TV reception whatsoever
• You live more than 70 miles from TV station broadcast towers

To find out your eligibility to receive L.A. and New York TV stations for ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC: CLICK HERE

Local Channels via Antenna

If DIRECTV doesn't provide local TV channels in your city, you may still be able to access them with an off-air antenna connected to your DIRECTV receiver. (Reception will vary based on your geographic location.) Some manufacturers offer DIRECTV-approved antennas under well-known brand names. Which antenna is right for you — rooftop, attic-mount or set-top? CLICK HERE

 

[warrenpa]

I guess I didn't qualify my statement - I can get the NY/LA feed, but I'm not interested in DNS. That news and advertising doesn't concern me, for obvious reasons. What I don't understand is why they're telling me that this area isn't in a local market.

100% of the households in this area that have cable or digital recieve Buffalo (and have since the 1960's) and Erie, and some households in this area that have D* are recieving Buffalo and Pittsburgh locals.

If D* doesn't carry Erie, why can't we recieve the next best (and closest) thing? After all, the Buffalo news channels cover this area of Pennsylvania...

I guess I'm just looking for clarification on the laws, and why cable markets are so different than the satellite markets.

 

[charper1]

I guess I'm just looking for clarification on the laws, and why cable markets are so different than the satellite markets.

Because they (cable and the affiliates) have lobbied and fought against the level playing field for those same decades, and they, along with the NAB, continue to do so, so they can contiune to enjoy an unfair and illegal advantage.

DMAs are laid out for DBS and they must adhere to those rules, they do not make the rules. DirecTV having your locals or not can be any or all of the factors I listed before, but because of the reasons I just stated above, you are not entitled to another DMA, only DNS. Cable gets to play by seperate rules.

I love having the DNS, I get my local news from a news paper when I want it (when there is REAL news) and local weather from looking out the window or the internet (even though its the same 99.9% of the time here).

90% of all your local news is "brokered" national and international news stories now anyway that is manufactured & distributed by central news clearing houses, but I can see some small needs for local when there may be super extreme weather, even in those rare cases the weather channel is always on top of that too.

 

[warrenpa]

Thanks for answering my questions.

Who designates the DMA? Someone sitting behind a desk, most likely, who has no understanding beyond simple geographical and zip code boundaries...

And why hasn't someone suggested (especially in the wake of the new Homeland Security laws) that the closest local provider being broadcast by D* is better than a distant provider? That alone makes sense, not to mention advertising (which from Buffalo I pay attention to, but NYC, a nine hour drive, I do not).

I just don't understand how these laws are applied, and why some people are left out via satellite. I do appreciate local news, which isn't as brokered as you would imagine, and sports coverage (how difficult it is to turn on a Jets game, when they are my hated rivals in this division!).

 

[Newshawk]

That's because the DMAs are drawn up by the Neilsen Media Research company, primarily for the benefit of the TV stations to allow them to set their advertising rates using Neilsen's audience ratings. They are not drawn up with any consideration given for the viewers that are impacted by the market designations.

 

[TNGTony]

I think you have it a little backwards Newshawk.

Nielsen does extensive research on each market to determine where MOST of the people in the county work, do business and the way they spend their free time. Generally they look at which area they have more economic ties. In all but just a few cases the lines are drawn along the county lines. This means that in some cases, people on one side of a county may be included in the "wrong" TV market. It isn't that Nielsen is catering to anyone in particular. It is the fact that MOST people in that county have more economic ties to one market over another.

An example close to home here is Butler Co Ohio. The southern county line is only 20-some-odd miles from downtown Cincinnati and just under 20 miles from most of the transmission towers and home to two other TV towers. One a Butler County PBS station (Oxford), one a Richmond, IN station (TBN). The northern county line is within 5 miles of the Dayton, Oh antenna farm and 20 some-odd miles from downtown Dayton. What TV market is this county in?

Well... This county has three very large communities that are essentially part of the greater Cincinnati metro area (Fairfield, Hamilton which is the county seat and West Chester County). You ask anyone from these areas where they are from and many will say "Cincinnati" or mention their town name and say, "Near Cincinnati".

Middletown is just that, anything south of middletown is pretty much linked to Cincinnati. Anything north of Middletown (including MT) is linked to Dayton. The thing is that the northern part of the county is mostly rural. So it isn't even close. Most of the people in Butler county are economically linked to Cincinnati. So, the whole county belongs to the Cincinnati market. If you were to ask some one in Middletown, they'd say you were NUTS!

The same thing goes for Warren county. There are many, many large communities in this county that are part of the Greater Cinti area including the fastest growing city in Ohio, Mason. To the north....wheat and cattle. Again the population split to Dayton is not even close. But ask some one in Springboro or Carlisle and they will argue the county is in the wrong market. These people can litterally see the Dayton antenna farm from their back yards!

See ya
Tony

 

[Newshawk]

I think you misunderstood the thrust of my post. NMR is most definitely catering to one group-its customers, the TV stations who use its services. What I'm getting at is that NMR doesn't care about what we, the viewers might prefer or want to see-to them, we are just a commodity to be marketed to TV stations. For the FCC to use thier market determinations as the basis for their regulations has always bothered me-should a government agency that's supposed to be protecting the public interest be dependent on a private company whose focus is on the interests of its clients to the potential detriment of the public interest?

 

[NiFi]

The way D* qualifies their locals really needs fixing, and how "informed" their CSR's are about why and why not you qualify is a joke.

As a sales/Installation company in the Buffalo NY area, i see this in the field quite abit. For example we had an install we picked up as a sub for one of the big box chains, the residence was in a township where the zip code was different on one side of the street from the other. Upon completion of the install we call in for activation, at which time the customer was advised that he could NOT get buffalo locals, when asking why, the CSR used their limited knowledge of the spot beam, to which i refuted with my meter clearly showing a 100% signal strength on the Buffalo Locals. The zip code across the street was eligible but not him. LOL

Anyways the customer was not too happy, but really only wanted the Buffalo locals so they could watch the Bills football games, so he says to the CSR, seeing as though you are telling me i am not eligible for Buffalo locals because your system says i am out of the Buffalo market, i will just subscribe to the NFL ticket for the games, so she checks on that, and comes back with that he can, but will still be subject to Blackouts due to "being in the Buffalo Market"

I understand they have to go by all the FCC rules and guidelines, its just the average Joe homeowner doesnt and really doesnt care. They just want their TV.