Question with locals & must carry?

I have a question that's probably been talked about long. What if in Janurary 2002 they start to carry the locals,but not all of them?What happens to those in smaller markets like myself who won't get(at all) their local channels?

I llive about 25-27 mile from the only translator station that carrys an abc feed and it's probably another 5-10 mile outside that city's limits. So i can't get ABC televison at all anymore. I was denied. So if smaller markets DON'T get thier channels what other options do we have? I know there's probably alot of guys on the board who get their locals.

I have emailed my locals in duluth,but they said probably not for 3-5 years. They said the costs are too much for them. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments?

You get screwed. Although I believe 100% LIL carriage is TECHNICALLY possible, although not fiancially a good profitable for DBS. But make it a condition of the merger, with a reasonable delay to overcome technical issues and watch it occur.....

Its coming, its ONLY a matter of time....

Bob,I seriously doubt i'd get them. I said it once and i'll say it again. The smaller markets will not get theirs,but the larger markets will. So if it comes to pass that i shall not receive mine. Can there a be an alternative to the solutuon? Like a closer city perhaps? (minneapolis)You'd think that both companies are making some serious money from customers. And people want programs they can view.

I'd like with locals,even turner south,america one network. But doens't the locals have to give their ok to have their channels viewed on satellite? If,so why don't get their channels on? As always lots of consumers loose in the end.

Actually, some channels want to be on, they have petitioned to be carried, but DBS is limited. When must carry comes, every channel in New York will be carried. But if you are in Podunk North Dakota, nothing will be carried. Unless DBS can get the law changed, my understanding is that for each market its "all or nothing." Once they carry any station in a market, they must carry them all (after "must carry" of course). But if they never carry any station in a market, they don't ever have to carry any of them.

The regulators could REQUIRE 100% LIL for the merger to be approved.

They would be doing DBS and the combined E&D a favor, although short term it would be a $ looser. Long term however it would make E a powerhouse and isTECHNICALLY possible by the combined company with the in orbit satellites that are up or planned for the next year.

And what do you think the cost to subscribers in Bismark ND for their locals would be? I have no idea how many DBS subs are currently signed up in the Bismark area, but if every home in North Dakota was to become a sub, it probably still wouldn't be economically feasible. If 100% must carry became a stipulation for the merger, I would guess that the merger would be even less likely than it is already.

I forgot mention that i had directv & dish for a waiver for abc networks and still not heard anything from them. all i can truly say is if they have enough room for must carry,the pq won't be great. And only larger markets can feasibly afford to have their own locals on. If you live farther away in a smaller dma you suffer & don't get nothing. I know a few guys just move to the area where they have locals. Boy is that stupid. Bob do you have comments or idea how the locals will eventually pan out? Anyone else have ideas on what will happen in janurary 2002? I still have not heard from 2/4 local stations i have written to as well.

With the merger there will be excess satellites thanks to elminating duplicates and the 2 spot beam birds. As a example 2 western slots 148 and 157 could be paired with a 500 dish.
With better compression and receivers, technology thats out today 14 channels per transponder are possible. This requires the replacement of the installed receiver base, something that is anticipated with the merger. So ont the WESTERN 500 dish it would be renamed the 900 dish, the marketing department would love that. At least room for 896 channels.
Now with 250 or so of core that would leave about 650 of LIL. Please note that this would NOT impact carriage at the full conus slots at all.

Now nationwide pricing would HAVE to be required by regulators. E&D would include LIL for all subs in their base package prices. Smaller markets would bleed red ink, but universal pricing would carry the load. BIG markets would subsidize the small ones. With business there are ALWAYS some customers who loose money, you just TRY to minimize there number.

This is possible and likely today, and really the only way to bring the rural areas equal service as their big towns already get.

To ME this is the most exciting possiblity of the merger.

I wanted to add that with both spotbeam birds at full conus there woud be more than enough room for ALL LIL plus expanded core. There are around 1500 LIL stations in the US. It would take several years to fully implement this. Plus I think the nmber of locals is going to fall for competive reasons and the costs of the digital conversion. Consolidation is coming with groups of citys combining DMAs