DIRECTV Names 39 New Local Channel Markets

[John Corn]

Local Channels from DIRECTV to be Available in 100 Markets By Year End
More Markets May Be Added


EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2003--DIRECTV, Inc., provider of the nation's leading digital multichannel television service, announced today 39 new markets where it plans to launch local channels by year end, bringing the total number of markets it will serve with local channels to 100, representing 84 percent of U.S. television households. DIRECTV also said it is evaluating plans to add more markets beyond the additional 39 markets by year end or early 2004. DIRECTV today offers local channels in 52 markets.
"We expect that 'cable service switch-out' will become the favorite pastime for consumers in many more cities and towns across America once local channels are available from DIRECTV," said Roxanne Austin, president and COO of DIRECTV, Inc. "The expansion of DIRECTV local channel markets this year is a linchpin of our strategy to be more competitive and continue to grow profitably at the expense of cable. The announcement of these new markets is a clear signal to cable providers that we're not conceding TV viewers in the medium size communities."

Earlier this year DIRECTV announced it would launch local broadcast channel service in up to 50 additional markets by year end, including 10 markets by mid-year, beginning with Richmond, Va., which launched on Jan. 16. Other markets scheduled for launch by mid-year include Colorado Springs, Colo.; Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Roanoke, Va.; Green Bay, Wis.; Tucson, Ariz.; Shreveport, La.; Jackson, Miss.; Louisville, Ky.; and Des Moines, Iowa.

The next scheduled 39 local channel markets are:

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.
Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Ark.
Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M.
Madison, Wis.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Medford-Klamath Falls, Ore.
Baton Rouge, La.
Mobile, Ala., Pensacola,
Charleston-Huntington, W. Va.
(Fort Walton Beach), Fla.
Chico-Redding, Calif.
Monterey-Salinas, Calif.
Columbus-Tupelo-West Point, Miss.
Omaha, Neb.
Columbia, S.C.
Paducah, Ky.,
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Portland-Auburn, Maine
Dayton, Ohio
Reno, Nev.
Duluth, Minn.,
Superior, Wis.
Rochester, N.Y.
El Paso, Texas
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Mich.
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Fort Myers-Naples, Fla.
Savannah, Ga.
Fresno-Visalia, Calif.
South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.
Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville- Spokane, Wash.
McAllen, Texas
Tallahassee, Fla.,
Thomasville, Ga.
Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon- Tulsa, Okla.
York, Pa.
Tyler-Longview, Texas
Lafayette, La.
Wilmington, N.C.
Lansing, Mich.
Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Lexington, Ky.
Kennewick, Wash.



Rest of the story (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030319/195419_1.html)

[James_F]

Originally posted by John Corn
Charleston-Huntington, W. Va.
That should make some of you very happy huh?

[Jacob S]

Heck Yeah it should, me me me, lol. Actually I wish Dish was the one adding the locals because this will cause LOTS of churn and customers to leave Dish to DirecTv as a result unless they decide to add the market soon.

I WILL be getting DirecTv just because of the locals if Dish does not add them. Looks like Dish is going to lose a bundle of customers in this state. I will make plans on the result of this, will have to prepare for customers swapping out, and trust me, THEY WILL in bounds and leaps and in herds. The new promotion they would get, the new hardware, and the new locals.

Which networks are they adding in these cities? How can one find out? Also can you order just the locals and that is it without a basic package or just a very small package like they used to have?

[DCSholtis]

Jacob the most basic package that they offer would be in your case once these locals come up would be Total Choice/locals for $38.99 (115 channels included) Attached is the page link:

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Packages_TotalChoice_Plus.jsp%20

Personally I have Total Choice Plus w/locals for $39.99 (130 channels) + Sports Pack+ HBO.

[JWT]

Speaking of the Charleston-Huntington, W. Va. DMA.

Jackson County ( Ohio ) is a part of it right? just curious as it doesnt qualify for Columbus, OH on Directv.

[Geronimo]

I guess the rest of my family goes with DirecTV.

[Keith4USC]

Finally....... I see my locals are on the 39 list......

Columbia, SC

[bills976]

If Directv keeps adding new locals at this rate, Dish will be forced to overlap or get stuck with Glendive, MT ;)

[Mark Holtz]

Hmmmm.... how many of these annouced markets are already served by Dish Network? I know that Reno, NV is a 11x DMA that is already served by Dish Network.

[Brett]

Originally posted by JWT
Jackson County ( Ohio ) is a part of it right?
Yes.

[Chris Freeland]

My guess is that more of these smaller markets are going to be on both D* and E* then many of us originally thought. If I am not mistaken E* will likely do an additional 18 or 19 markets on their current spotbeam birds and may do up to 60 additional markets with a larger dish on the KU FSS band on the E9 121 bird being launched this May, this adds up to possibly as many as 140 markets on E* and 100 markets on D* between D4S at 101 and the new D7S coming soon to 119. With this many markets their is bound to be more medium size markets that will receive locals from both DBS providers. Several of those small to medium size markets that D* recently announced already receive locals from E* and I suspect some future E* local additions will be in markets already on or announced by D*.

[Jacob S]

I thought the 121 bird was not going to be for video services? Also I would think that one would not serve certain smaller markets that the other is offering because they would want to dominate certain markets having that advantage. If two would serve the same market then it would be less profitable and less meaningful to do so than a market in which the other does not serve if the market is small enough.

[Mike123abc]

I doubt that there will be much overlap on markets below 100. But, some markets will be picked up by both below 100 just because there is nothing else to put on the spot.

[ramcm7]

I thought the only way we would get all these locals was for the merger to go through?! Finally - Albany locals!
:grin:

[lee635]

I wonder if all these smaller market locals will spell death for these smaller, high priced, low channel cable outfits?

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by Jacob S
I thought the 121 bird was not going to be for video services? Also I would think that one would not serve certain smaller markets that the other is offering because they would want to dominate certain markets having that advantage. If two would serve the same market then it would be less profitable and less meaningful to do so than a market in which the other does not serve if the market is small enough.

You have missed some press releases, Charlie announced a few days ago that the KU TP's on the 121 bird would be used for either 60 HD TV channels or 60 additional LIL Markets or a combination of both. Since their are not 60 National HD channels available I suspect most of this bird will be used for additional locals, the only drawback is we will need a larger dish, possibly as large as a 36" dish to allow us to receive locals and HD on that bird as well as the core programing on 119 and 110. Perhaps this is were E* will place my Chattanooga TN and your Charleston WV locals at since the E* spotbeam over Charleston is full and for all practical purposes Chattanooga is missed by E* spotbeams ;) .

[Jacob S]

Why would it be only 2 inches bigger from 18 inches to 20 inches for 2 more degrees when it only took 2 inches bigger for the dish to get an additional 9 degrees on the orbital slots in the first place? DirecTv's ParaTodos Dish is not that big and it covers 101, 110, and 119 which is an 18 degree difference while Dish's would only be 11 difference so it would be about the same size dish, am I correct?

Couldn't they just add an lnbf to it or have some kind of upgrade kit to use the same dish? I know there owuld have to be an additional switch attached.

Would the dish's of the future all have it to where you could access 121?

Would there be problems with rain fade since I had read before about Ku band being more sensative to weather conditions?

Doesn't Ku band require a smaller dish? Rainbow's dish that they are going to use is going to be 13 inches, so theirs is Ku band that they are going to use, right?

Could the smaller dish requirement for picking up the Ku band make up for the larger dish requirement for the extra 2 degress to pick up 121 or would the larger dish make up for the additional rain fade that may happen?

What about those that would want 61.5, 110, 119, and 121? There is no switch yet for that is there?

Would the older receivers be able to use this additional slot?

There are a lot of questions about using 121 and as a Ku slot as well. How about interference? Would there be none even though it is so close to the other slots they use such as 119 because of the different frequency they will be using?

[Tibruk]

So does this mean then that I will have to spend $100 and upgrade my dish in the 4th quarter?

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by Jacob S
Why would it be only 2 inches bigger from 18 inches to 20 inches for 2 more degrees when it only took 2 inches bigger for the dish to get an additional 9 degrees on the orbital slots in the first place? DirecTv's ParaTodos Dish is not that big and it covers 101, 110, and 119 which is an 18 degree difference while Dish's would only be 11 difference so it would be about the same size dish, am I correct?

Couldn't they just add an lnbf to it or have some kind of upgrade kit to use the same dish? I know there owuld have to be an additional switch attached.[QUOTE]

Because the KU on 121 is in the FSS range of frequencies and not the DBS range. A larger dish in addition to the additional LNB and switches is required because the FSS orbital slots are closer together then the DBS slots, which means the satellite will put out less power, thus the need for the larger dish.

[QUOTE]Would the dish's of the future all have it to where you could access 121?[QUOTE]

No, only those who need 121 to receive their locals or possibly to receive some HD programing, most people in most markets would need nothing more then todays Dish 500 or the 2-dish set-up.

[QUOTE]Would there be problems with rain fade since I had read before about Ku band being more sensative to weather conditions?[QUOTE]

No, you are confusing KU with KA, which E9 at 121 also has, if anything these KU-FSS channels will have less of a rain fade problem, however the KA band is more susceptible to rain fade. The KA band is what E* plans on using for a future broadband internet by satellite service if all tests out ok.

[QUOTE]Doesn't Ku band require a smaller dish? Rainbow's dish that they are going to use is going to be 13 inches, so theirs is Ku band that they are going to use, right?[QUOTE]

Yes, Rainbow is using KU band, however it is the DBS range of frequencies, 121 is the FSS range.


[QUOTE]Could the smaller dish requirement for picking up the Ku band make up for the larger dish requirement for the extra 2 degress to pick up 121 or would the larger dish make up for the additional rain fade that may happen?[QUOTE]



Once again you are confusing the KA band with the KU band, yes the KA band satellites are more powerful then DBS, thus the possibility for even smaller dishes. For someone who wanted the KA band Internet service from E* and not the TV services could possibly go with a smaller dish, however if they also want the TV service it will still require either a Dish 500 with the KA band added on or the larger dish if their locals are on the 121 KU-FSS band they will need the even larger dish.



[QUOTE]What about those that would want 61.5, 110, 119, and 121? There is no switch yet for that is there?

Would the older receivers be able to use this additional slot?[QUOTE]

It would depend on how old the receiver is, if it is one of the newer 301, 501/508, 721 or 6000, these will support 4 orbital locations, older receivers would need to be replaced for those who want their locals at 121. Philadelphia is already doing this because some of their locals are on a KU-FSS band satellite located at the 129 orbital location. Some of the switches can be cascaded in such a way to allow this.





[QUOTE]There are a lot of questions about using 121 and as a Ku slot as well. How about interference? Would there be none even though it is so close to the other slots they use such as 119 because of the different frequency they will be using?

No, because the 121 KU is a FSS range of frequencies and 119 is a DBS range of frequencies, they would not interfere with each other.

[Hunting Girl]

I wish Dish Network or DirecTV would add The Sportsman Channel. I watch it on the Internet right now. Anyone interested in hunting and fishing should check out www.thesportsmanchannel.com. i would switch my cable or satellite to anyone that had the channel.

[SouthernSky]

Is there something new on this list? These appear to be all previously announced.
As a dealer, we've already started preparing these markets several months ago when we first heard.

[Mike123abc]

This is a very old thread read the original post date was in March.

[Greg Bimson]

Well,

DirecTV does have three markets on their LRF page that weren't announced:

Eugene, Oregon
Fargo, North Dakota
Wichita, Kansas

So it appears there will be new markets, but we don't know when they will appear...

[ERSanders]

Well, Rochester, NY (market #71) is finally on a list...the wrong one for me. I was hoping Dish would put it up!

I spoke to a close friend who is a senior manager at a local Major TV station. He said that they have not yet even been approached by Dish for carriage.

It looks like I will have a hard decision to make next spring!