Locals and DTV!

[Ronmort]

Locals help sell Directv!

http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9709079&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6

[Msguy]

Local channels are definatly a plus to be able to view on satellite. When you want to see Local News, Weather, etc. It's nice. My local area here in Northeast, Mississippi just got Columbus- and Tupelo Channels on Direc Tv and boy it's finally nice to see what's going on here locally instead of news from New York.

[durl]

The only option I'd like to see as far as local information goes is to be able to see local weather on The Weather Channel. I know that interactive receivers can pull this info, but I don't even see manufacturers touting that as a feature on their units.

[Brett]

Mr. Mercer writes:

People want to tune in for local news, weather and community events, and Mercer said DirecTV wants to be able to supply local channels in as many markets as possible.

He forgets to mention something important: that viewers want to see the national network and syndicated content, and the local stations are the only route. If DirecTV was carrying network and syndicated content through national feeds, would DirecTV still bother with launching spotbeam satellites, and carrying locals? Nope.


Mercer said satellite companies offering local stations is also a benefit to the stations themselves, because they are made more accessible throughout the market area, especially to customers who live further out in the country and don't have access to cable.


Thats true. Also the local stations are happy that DirecTV cannot sell local advertising time. Cable companies were becoming competitors locally. Local stations also like many multi channel providers, which gives the station more bargaining power for rate hikes for retransmission.

[Jacob S]

A lot of customers tell me that they just want to see their local news, and thats a BIGGIE!!! Others do want to see the syndicated programming so that is a good part of it too. Its a combination of both.

[Msguy]

I could not agree more that being able to see Local News is huge. This was needed a long time ago when Direc Tv first came out. I know they might not have had the channel capacity back then but they are getting more channel capacity now with additional satellites and more locals are now able to be launced.

[Jacob S]

Just imagine how further along they would have been on locals if they would have started a little sooner?

[Brett]

DirecTV would not be offering a full time UPN station in Scranton. WSWB carries few UPN programs on Saturdays.

All the Service Electric cable systems in Scranton market supplement WWOR 9 (UPN). Adelphia carries WPSG 57 from Philadelphia.

I'm not sure how important UPN is these days and especially in Scranton. The Scranton market has less than 5% black population.

The WB Network which is doing more successful would likely have more demand. DirecTV will have to find a solution when they launch Harrisburg Lancaster locals, the largest market not carried on DirecTV as of now. Cable systems in Harrisburg and Lancaster supply WPHL 17 from Philadelphia.