WHY?

[rc811002]

Why don't Fox and others jump on the local transmits and count on the advertising that Fox News and Fox Sports, for example, would yield. Why do we have to go to Dish or Direct or Cable for these channels? I know there are reasons but I can't find a good source for the reasons or laws.

I would buy ads on a local Fox Sports Midwest showing Blues or Cardinals games... Quality eyes!

 

[FaT Air]

Is no 'law'. It's the 'business model'.
Why be free on OTA when they get $$$$ 'as is' from subscriptions???? If they went OTA that resource would be dry.

 

[ejb1980]

FS1 was seemingly created to take stuff from OTA Fox...

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

I imagine it would cost a LOT to have the channels on a huge number of transmitters all over the country in order to reach people OTA. Through cable, Direct, plus Dish, they potentially reach pretty much everyone.

 

[Mr Tony]

Why be free on OTA when they get $$$$ 'as is' from subscriptions???? If they went OTA that resource would be dry.

exactly. This isnt 1980 when OTA sports was still the norm

 

[raj2001]

I imagine it would cost a LOT to have the channels on a huge number of transmitters all over the country in order to reach people OTA. Through cable, Direct, plus Dish, they potentially reach pretty much everyone.

Not really. They're delivered via satellite and it could even be done with no additional equipment at most TV stations.

However it won't be done because of retrans fees and agreements with cable providers.

I believe one market had (has?) either FBN or FNC over the air.

 

[Mr Tony]

I believe one market had (has?) either FBN or FNC over the air.

not according to rabitears.info

 

[mike123abc]

Since Cable/Satellite is in 90+% of homes now, they can charge the cable and satellite companies a buck or two per sub and collect that money from everyone even if the channels are not watched. Then those that do watch also have the enhanced commercial viewing pleasure thrust upon them too. There is a good reason cable channels really want to keep the current model and not go a la carte or free over the air or internet.

 

[Jim5506]

There are a very few wireless cable systems out there that transmit cable programming encrypted OTA to subscribers with the proper decoding box on their TV.

They use low power OTA ATSC channels.

They may have all gone out of business AFAIK, I believe there was one once in Albuquerque.

P.S. - I've done some Googeling and can't find any that are still active.

 

[Mr Tony]

There are a very few wireless cable systems out there that transmit cable programming encrypted OTA to subscribers with the proper decoding box on their TV.

Minnesota has a couple
one west of Minneapolis in Granite Falls
http://www.mvtvwireless.com/our-products/digital-tv-service/

Redwood Falls has RFD, CNN, AMC and Fox Sports along with the Minneapolis stations

The most widely known one is SelectiveTV in Alexandria, MN (150 miles from Minneapolis) and its totally unencrypted. They have Reelz, FamilyNet, CTV2 from Canada, Tuff, Pentagon, Heartland (formerly TNN), Weather, CSpan, MSNBC and BizTV along with the Minneapolis stations piped in
http://selectivetv.org/channel-line-up/

Back pre-digital they had some decent stations
CBC, RFD-TV, Discovery, Hallmark, History, GAC, Outdoor Channel

They said due to the money it cost to get the stations they had to change what they can get....but looking at the new list other than Weather and MSNBC all the rest are free on C-Band