I am currently eligible and receive distant network service for CBS and FOX from DirecTV. I also get CBS-HD. Next month, a new privately-owned local CBS affiliate is scheduled to start broadcasting in this area. Will I lose my distant network service for CBS when the new affiliate goes on air?
SHVIA Question
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gmu77 said:
You should not lose it. You are grandfathered in to the old blanket waiver. Now if you go to add receivers, change packages... then things could change (although I doubt it).
All in all, you should be fine.
Casey
I think it depends on whether you currently have a waiver and/or how vigilent the new CBS affiliate plans to be.
Certainly under SHVIA, you SHOULD lose your CBS HD, unless the new station gives you a waiver.
The grandfathering, as I understand it, survives neither a new affiliate in your market, nor a change of ownership (assume CBS were to buy or sell a station in your market).
The only true protection you could have would be a waiver signed by the new CBS affiliate. On the other hand, probably nothing will change unless someone complains to D*.
Certainly under SHVIA, you SHOULD lose your CBS HD, unless the new station gives you a waiver.
The grandfathering, as I understand it, survives neither a new affiliate in your market, nor a change of ownership (assume CBS were to buy or sell a station in your market).
The only true protection you could have would be a waiver signed by the new CBS affiliate. On the other hand, probably nothing will change unless someone complains to D*.
I believe there's a chance the new SHIVA will make an exception for HD. I know at one time the House markup had a clause saying that satellite could provide the HD distant network if the affilliate was not yet broadcasting HD. The bottom line on this pending legisation is whether it treats HD different from SD or lump them both together .fredfa said:
WaltinVt
Walt
The actual answer is yes, you will probably lose your CBS feed, although maybe not as soon as the new affiiliate is broadcasting. Any change in broadcast power, tower, or network affiliation, will change your qualification.
HOWEVER, if you are only in the Grade B contour, and have been a customer since 1999, then you may fall under the gradfathering rules. If not, the clock is ticking.
HOWEVER, if you are only in the Grade B contour, and have been a customer since 1999, then you may fall under the gradfathering rules. If not, the clock is ticking.
Walt, I am not sure if the distant HD provision remains in the House bill.
I know there are those in the Senate who believe if DBS (and cable) companies are allowed to import distant HD signals for areas not served by HD, it will speed the DTV transition.
But the broadcasters are fighting it very, very hard.
They feel (with some accuracy, I think) that once people get distant network HD, they are going to be pretty unhappy if they have to give it up a few months (or even years) down the road.
I know there are those in the Senate who believe if DBS (and cable) companies are allowed to import distant HD signals for areas not served by HD, it will speed the DTV transition.
But the broadcasters are fighting it very, very hard.
They feel (with some accuracy, I think) that once people get distant network HD, they are going to be pretty unhappy if they have to give it up a few months (or even years) down the road.
Fred,fredfa said:
It would be interresting if an accurate poll could be had about that. I know, as a Vermonter, there are many of us in the country hills that have very limited OTA viewing options.
Even though I get all my locals, the SD distants of NBC and Fox and the NY feed of CBS HD from Dish, when all things are equal, I choose my local affilliate. For instance Fox and the Nascar races or NFL games. Unless there's a problem with PQ or the local prempts the national feed, I would watch the local. Similar with CBS; unless it's in HD, I watch the local CBS out of Burlington.
I my particular case, apparently all the local network affilliates (all in Burlington) have formed some sort of coalition in their efforts to construct new towers and say the earliest they expect to do any HD is sometime in '06.
They site enviormental issues that have to be worked out, etc. That may indeed be valid but my point is, because they're are approaching HD as a "coalition", they've taken competition out of the equation. There's no incentive to "beat" the other network. There are similar situations throughout the country.
Local broadcasters and cable have been protected from satellite providers for years and all it's done is stiffle competition and growth. We have a situation where networks can send HD, viewers want HD but the the two can't get together because of politics. Doesn't seem fair to me.
WaltinVt
If the networks are that important to you, walt, why not try to Canadian Expressvu satellite system?
It is easy to purchase it in the US and friends of mine whi have it love it.
It offers ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS stations from both Boston and Seattle, as well as WGN TV from Chicago. I forget if WGN is UPN or the WB, but it carries lots of sports, too.
It is easy to purchase it in the US and friends of mine whi have it love it.
It offers ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS stations from both Boston and Seattle, as well as WGN TV from Chicago. I forget if WGN is UPN or the WB, but it carries lots of sports, too.
Yes they are the HD versions, and it is kind of, winked at, gray-area legal.
(And no one will come after you like you had a hacked DirecTV card.)
(And no one will come after you like you had a hacked DirecTV card.)
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