When will SE Arkansas ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX be in HD?

[slicked25]

This is the million dollar question that's hard to find an answer too. You'd think or at least I thought before buying the HDTV and Dish 222 that the local channels would be in HD. I've searched here for weeks with no luck but for the people that live out in the sticks would need to get an OTA to receive local channels. Please, after going through my 4th OTA in 2 weeks I decided that they're as overrated as Notre Dame.

I live in SE Arkansas and wanted to get my locals which come out of Little Rock not Jackson Mississippi or LSU country. I bet I went up on my roof 100 times trying to zero in on the azimuth of my zipcode without much luck only picking up ABC and Fox and some regilous network. I believe the OTA also caused the receiver to lock up which that's how I found this place but since unhooking the OTA two weeks ago, I haven't once had to reset the receiver. But I realize that I don't have much choice considering I live 85 miles from Little Rock other than to buy one of those 1970 tune in Tokyo poles but hopefully the big boy networks will eventually hook everybody up.

FWIW, I had bought the top of the line indoor/outdoor OTA Antenna at Best Buy, Radio Shak and Wal Mart with not much luck so I sent them back. But how long am I looking at a year or two?!sadroll Thanks and this site is pretty interesting that I never knew exsited.

 

[kg4ozx]

Just as a point of information KATV channel 7 in Little Rock lost their tower a week or two back. They were working on guy wires and the tower just collapsed. All 2000' of it. It was once the second tallest structure in the world.

Don't expect to get the ABC affiliate out of LR any time soon. They are at reduced power on a leased tower near their old site.

 

[digiblur]

FWIW, I had bought the top of the line indoor/outdoor OTA Antenna at Best Buy, Radio Shak and Wal Mart with not much luck so I sent them back. But how long am I looking at a year or two?!sadroll Thanks and this site is pretty interesting that I never knew exsited.

Interesting threads I've seen around this place:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-hd-discussions/113397-help-moving.html

 

[slicked25]

Funny thing is that I had just purchased an OTA Antenna when that 2000ft KATV Tower that was a landmark since the ‘60’s collapsed. Channel 4 NBC is UHF so there was no chance and couldn’t pick up KTHV 11 CBS either. I’m SOL and know it but somebody said today that by the time the Summer Olympics are hear, that NBC will be 100% officially in HD. I hope so because this stretch television is killing me. I either have to put it back on standard TV or put my sunglasses on to watch the local news.

 

[digiblur]

Funny thing is that I had just purchased an OTA Antenna when that 2000ft KATV Tower that was a landmark since the ‘60’s collapsed. Channel 4 NBC is UHF so there was no chance and couldn’t pick up KTHV 11 CBS either. I’m SOL and know it but somebody said today that by the time the Summer Olympics are hear, that NBC will be 100% officially in HD. I hope so because this stretch television is killing me. I either have to put it back on standard TV or put my sunglasses on to watch the local news.

There are other ways... Look back a post or two and read up.

 

[jerryez]

Move out of the boonies and into the city.

 

[JonUrban]

In this day and age the old "protection" of the local affiliate should be chucked out the window. A satellite dish owner should be able to PAY for any feed that is available, and as long as they get the local station feed should have an HD generic network feed to watch as well, be it NY, LA, Chicago or whatever. Just like it was another station on the dial.

These laws from the 40s and 50s have no bearing in the 2000's.

 

[harshness]

In this day and age the old "protection" of the local affiliate should be chucked out the window.

And this is in the public interest because:

1. Nobody wants to see local parades or election results.
2. If the local flower shop wants to advertise, let them pay for a national TV ad.
3. Local news is of little or no interest; give me Katie Couric.
4. We don't need no regional sports coverage.

 

[JonUrban]

And this is in the public interest because:

1. Nobody wants to see local parades or election results.
2. If the local flower shop wants to advertise, let them pay for a national TV ad.
3. Local news is of little or no interest; give me Katie Couric.
4. We don't need no regional sports coverage.

You did not read my post. I did not say the national networks should be offered as an alternative, they should be offered in ADDITION to the local stations.

If I don't want to see the local parade, the local election, the flower shop ad, the local moronic weather dude, or the local high school sports team then why should I be forced to?

Then again, if the local station was GOOD ENOUGH to EARN my viewership, then I would most certainly watch. But why should I be FORCED to watch?

 

[Van]

When will SE Arkansas ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX be in HD?

When it becomes illegal to marry your cousin and the last outhouse is closed.

 

[harshness]

I read your post. It doesn't take into consideration what it takes to operate a local station. The primary drive is local advertising. If everyone chooses to watch the national feed with its attendant national advertising, there isn't much left for what would otherwise be major revenue sources from local advertising. The local content would be sponsored, but the power of the national programming would likely go away unless some government agency came in and decided to impose subsidies on the networks to support lost viewership on the local channels.

We all know how well government subsidies work.

 

[JonUrban]

I read your post. It doesn't take into consideration what it takes to operate a local station. The primary drive is local advertising. If everyone chooses to watch the national feed with its attendant national advertising, there isn't much left for what would otherwise be major revenue sources from local advertising. The local content would be sponsored, but the power of the national programming would likely go away unless some government agency came in and decided to impose subsidies on the networks to support lost viewership on the local channels.

We all know how well government subsidies work.

I understand that. What I don't understand is that a local affiliate can chose to not provide it's HD signal to a local cable or satellite service. For example, I live in an area where I cannot receive an HDTV signal over the air. Therefore, I have to have both cable and satellite to get the channels I want to watch. Since Dish does not do local channel network HD, I have to rely on the cable. However our local ABC (LINN) affiliate does not provide it's HDTV signal to my cable company (nor does is allow DirectTV to carry it) because they feel they should be paid more for that signal.

I feel that since they are protected by these old rules, they should not be able to pick and chose the ones they like. Since they are providing the SD signal, there is no reason that they should withold the HD signal from the same providers that provide their signal in SD. The advertisers "deserve" this much, and the viewers should not have to seek other means to get an HD signal that they should be able to get without having to "cheat".

If the locals played by the rules, their would be less demand for the nationals.

 

[Pepper]

Contact the local companies that advertise on those stations. Explain to them what you have explained to us. Ask them to put pressure on the station to make the HD signal available to as many customers as possible.

 

[harshness]

The networks are pretty powerless as they face a huge national lobby known as the National Association of Broadcasters. The networks are even members in most cases.

As Pepper points out, if there is enough pressure, the station will cave because your issue lies almost entirely with the station itself (including its owners), not the network, satellite or cable.

As for the "playing by the rules" thing, there aren't many that apply to digital and what rules there are decidedly different for cable and satellite.

 

[chadzx11]

When it becomes illegal to marry your cousin and the last outhouse is closed.

Watch where you chucking stones or somebody might point out the cousin marrying utopia that is Rome, Ga.

Rome Ga, the only town in america where you can find a trailer park full of trash, an honest to god barrio, a ghetto, and a country club, all on the same street. All within a mile and right off the main drag.