Specified Local Channels vs. Significantly Viewed Channels

[freewriter89]

Hello,

I used to watch WALB out of Albany, Georgia on an antenna signal. Recently, their tower was destroyed due to demolition of another tower nearby. DISH says that my local channels are channels out of Macon, Georgia. WALB has given DISH permission to carry their signal out of the DMA. Can I specify to DISH that I'd rather have the Albany, GA locals?


Thanks,

Freewriter89

 

[jegrant]

If you physically reside in the Macon, GA DMA, DISH is only legally allowed to provide you with Macon locals. However, WALB could be added by DISH to a list of "significantly viewed" channels that would be available for Macon area locals subscribers in addition to the existing Macon channels.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5041664

Apparently, WALB has not yet been added to this list. You may need to contact Dish Network and see if they plan on doing so.

Alternatively, if you truly don't want Macon locals at all, and would be happy only with Albany locals, some other DISH subscribers have had success by giving a service address in the DMA they want locals from, and keeping their billing address as is. I wouldn't recommend this, but others have found this to be a useful option.

 

[jhamps10]

Speaking of Significantly Viewed channels, Is there any word on when or if we will get signficantly Viewed stations on dish? I know that directv offers some, but not much. same on Dish, but I heard that there is supposed to be a national launch, something mentioned at team summit scott???? Please correct me if I am wrong, but I am really wanting tv stations not from more than one area, and that would make dish the perfect thing since sliced bread.

 

[Derwin0]

Unfortunately WMGT-41 would probably object to WALB being brought in, since they are the "local" NBC affiliate, even though most of the Macon DMA probably watches WXIA-11 out of Atlanta.

But as it is, both providers seem to be dragging their feet on SV.

 

[ngriffin]

As an aside to the WALB situation, the station has actually posted a letter on their website from the General Manager stating that they have permission to carry the station in significantly viewed counties (http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5041664). Of course Dish is under no obligation to do so outside of the Albany DMA. Given the current situation with the court, they probably won't, lest they have to take it away in a few weeks or months.

WALB is in the situation where a significant part of its viewership lives outside of the Albany market. NBC is on UHF in Tallahassee, Macon, and Columbus, and is not carried in Dothan (Alabama viewers watch Montgomery). Although the UHF stations now have fairly good coverage, it was not that way many years ago. I live in one of those "significantly viewed" counties and WALB is definitely considered the "local" NBC station here, since they regularly cover our news, unlike the Tallahassee affiliate (which has no news).

 

[cheddarbob]

I have some friends going through the same dispute here in califonia, I live in turlock california, and our local DMA is Sacramento, but my Friends in Delhi, just 2 miles south of turlock, just across the county line, is in the fresno DMA.. Now Delhi is a small town, It uses Turlock Phone Numbers, Turlock Utilities and the Turlock Cable system, so If you have cable in delhi, you get the sacramento locals, If you use an Antenna, the sacramento locals come in better, But Dishnet seems to think that the correct DMA is Fresno... so They use my address so they can get their local programming, that carries their local news. I think There should be some play in the DMA game, the Sat company should be allowed to offer the same locals as the local cable company, and this is why many people in this town spend way too much money on cable.