Poke, why do you keep singing this same old tune? Yes, most of the channels that can be added will be local, just because they will have the capacity to do up to 1500 local HD channels once all four Ka satellites are launched and operational this year, according to their schedule. They will have capacity for only 150 national channels. How are they getting this capacity, but using the 64 Ka band transponder frequencies that they're licensed to use at 99 and 103.
Now D* has put their PR maching to work saying that they will add 100 NATIONAL (not local) HD channels in 2007. Let's say for arguments sake that the program providers come up with only 40% of those channels, 40, and E* doesn't have those channels now, so they will need to add 40 new channels to match D*. At 4 HD channels per transponder, where does E* have the capacity to do this? Do they have the capacity of 10 transponders laying around doing nothing to add these channels in 2007? Remember, E11 is to be an in orbit spare. If E* has this capacity available that's great but you keep saying that E* will continue to be the HD leader, please back it up with some numbers on how they can do this. Please don't fall back to the there won't be all these national HD channels in 2007, lets assume that D* isn't blowing smoke up everyone's a** and the content providers come through.