Carriage of Pax stations

[Link]

Why is it that Directv is carrying low power Pax stations which mainly carry paid programming and are identical to the Pax station on satellite. Most Pax stations do not qualify for must carry.

This would free up more satellite space so they could carry other markets. I read where new markets added will have to add a second dish at 72.5 to get their local channels.

[Greg Bimson]

PAX filed a must-carry complaint against DirecTV. This in turn forced many of the local PAX stations onto the DirecTV system. This is the FCC order forcing carriage of the PAX stations on DirecTV. (http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/Orders/2002/da020102.doc)

PAX stations do qualify for must-carry. However, PAX has an agreement with Dish Network where local PAX channels will not assert their must-carry rights.

[garypen]

PAX filed a must-carry complaint against DirecTV. This in turn forced many of the local PAX stations onto the DirecTV system. This is the FCC order forcing carriage of the PAX stations on DirecTV. (http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/Orders/2002/da020102.doc)

PAX stations do qualify for must-carry. However, PAX has an agreement with Dish Network where local PAX channels will not assert their must-carry rights.I get the local SF Bay Area PAX station in addition to PAX satellite feed on my Dish Network subscription. Someone is asserting their must-carry rights.

[jdspencer]

Yeah, DirecTV has to carry PAX, yet can't carry national versions of WB and UPN. :(

[garypen]

Yeah, DirecTV has to carry PAX, yet can't carry national versions of WB and UPN. :(
Personally, I can never get enough of those Gunthy-Renker infomercials. :nono2:

[Msguy]

I live in the Memphis Tennessee Viewing Market and WPXX PAX 50 carries alot (Most) Memphis Grizzlies games and Direc Tv has yet to add this station to my local Memphis Channel Lineup. And "The Grizz" are going to more than likely make the playoffs this season and are actually doing quite well under Hubie Brown.

[pez2002]

I have a local pax station WPPX in phildelphia
and i get the nationwide feed too Why am i not blacked out from the nationwide feed ???

[Greg Bimson]

I get the local SF Bay Area PAX station in addition to PAX satellite feed on my Dish Network subscription. Someone is asserting their must-carry rights.Maybe PAX asserted retransmission consent. After all, Dish Network is now cherry-picking the PAX stations that show sports content in select markets.I live in the Memphis Tennessee Viewing Market and WPXX PAX 50 carries alot (Most) Memphis Grizzlies games and Direc Tv has yet to add this station to my local Memphis Channel Lineup. And "The Grizz" are going to more than likely make the playoffs this season and are actually doing quite well under Hubie Brown.WPXX is one of the stations in the FCC order above. It is simply possible that a few of the PAX stations have not provided a strong enough signal to the local receive facility. I believe that occurs with the Tampa Bay PAX affiliate as well.I have a local pax station WPPX in phildelphia and i get the nationwide feed too Why am i not blacked out from the nationwide feed ???PAX network owns most of their own stations. PAX doesn't need to sign affiliates for market exclusivity, and PAX programs their stations for all but an hour of the day. Therefore, PAX can sell their programming nationwide as the PAX channel, and can also demand must-carry for their affiliates in each market, where the local PAX affiliate generally carries the local NBC news at 11:30/10:30 Central.

[TNGTony]

The Miami and West Palm Beach Pax stations are now being uplinked on Dish. They still aren't available to subscribers, but it looks like they are coming.

See ya
Tony

[skaeight]

If PAX can get must carry status, why can't WB and UPN?

[TNGTony]

WB and UPN stations can get Must Carry if the individual station qualifies. (http://ekb.dbstalk.com/20)

The thing is that unlike UPN and WB, the PAX network owns many if not most of the Pax affililiates. Dish made a deal with the Pax Network to carry the national channel in exchange for the promise that Pax-owned stations would not ask for Must Carry.

Daystar did the same thing. I think FamilyNet also did the same thing.

UPN and WB (and all the networks for that matter) could do the same thing, but they chose not to.

See ya
Tony

[Greg Bimson]

Tony's got it.

PAX sold a national feed to Dish Network and DirecTV, included in the AT120 and Total Choice packages, respectively. It is PAX's prerogative to sell a national feed. PAX does not have contracts with their local affiliates that demand exclusivity in the market; PAX owns most of their affiliates.

PAX successfully argued to the FCC that they can demand to be carried on DirecTV by using must-carry for their owned and operated affiliates. The issue was that the contract for national feed of PAX, where DirecTV thought they didn't have to uplink the PAX local affiliates, was not executed properly. This allowed DirecTV to remove the PAX national feed. PAX ran scared, and then secured an agreement with DirecTV not to remove the national feed.

WB and UPN do not sell national feeds of their network. Their affiliates have market exclusivity with the networks in their contracts. Therefore, WB and UPN do not sell a national channel of their programming to the DBS companies.

WB and UPN do have an outlet where they sell their programming to cable companies, creating a cable-only affiliate. However, WB and UPN will not do this on a national scale. As Tony points out, none of the networks will sell a "national channel" for distribution in basic programming packages. The other networks need to maintain their exclusivity relationships with their affiliates, most of which are not owned by the network.

[jdspencer]

Then explain to me again and to others how Dish can have the Superstation pack and that DirecTV doesn't? Other than the fact that DirecTV doesn't care to. :D

[garypen]

The thing is ... Dish made a deal with the Pax Network to carry the national channel in exchange for the promise that Pax-owned stations would not ask for Must Carry.

See ya
Tony
Again, then why do I have both the local PAX stationand the national PAX feed on my Dish Network subscription?

[Greg Bimson]

Because Dish Network is cherry picking some of the stations they want to broadcast. If PAX did not request must-carry for their stations, then PAX has retransmission consent. It is probable that some of the PAX stations have been added to locals packages on Dish Network. I know for a fact that the Tampa Bay affiliate is on; WXPX shows Devil Ray baseball games, and it isn't on DirecTV.

[Greg Bimson]

This would free up more satellite space so they could carry other markets. I read where new markets added will have to add a second dish at 72.5 to get their local channels.I forgot to mention this.

DirecTV added these PAX stations. If they were dropped, DirecTV would reduce channel count by about 30 local channels. The problem is that they are all over many different spot beams. So, for example, for the DC locals, one channel would be removed from that spot beam. For Sacramento and San Francisco, that would be two channels from that spot beam. You'd be hard-pressed to be able to add any markets in that manner.

[bonscott87]

gary,it was already explained to you. Dish *chooses* to carry that local PAX station for one reason or another. Perhaps they show some sports, have high ratings in the market or that station manager is Charlie's brother in law or something. It really doesn't matter.

[garypen]

gary,it was already explained to you. Dish *chooses* to carry that local PAX station for one reason or another. Perhaps they show some sports, have high ratings in the market or that station manager is Charlie's brother in law or something. It really doesn't matter.It makes no sense for them to choose to do this. That is what I don't understand. It makes no difference to Dish what the local stations ratings are. It wastes bandwidth for no useful purpose. The only reason I can imagine is if those local PAX stations pay Dish for it. That would be consistent for Dish.

[Greg Bimson]

Like I said, it depends. I don't know why Dish Network is only adding PAX to certain markets. WXPX in Tampa Bay was added because of the Devil Rays.

I just checked the San Francisco locals page on Dish Network, and the PAX station isn't listed. Could you tell Tony what channel it is on? He'll need it for his list.

[TNGTony]

Greg,

There is an open channel (8238) available for the Pax station and for a short time when the Must Carry situation was being ironed out that the San Fran Pax affiliate was listed there, but right now not even an EPG listing exists for the Pax stations KKPX channel 65 is not being carried on Dish.

Gary, the reason Dish CHOOSES to carry some Pax affiliates is due to market demand. Some Pax stations have quite a bit of local programming that is highly rated. The reason for the Tampa Bay Pax being carried is because of the Devil Rays. The Miami and WPB Pax stations are being added because of the Marlins.

Now, there may be other reasons driving Dish to adde these Pax affiliates. I haven't confirmed it, but I think that the addition of the Pax stations has to do with MLB extra innings. Not for the package itself, but for people in the area who subscribe to the package also get their local game! As long as the price is right, why not? Also, it's a matter of the spot beams. There are no more markets in the southern Florida spot beam to add. No more local channels. There was room there for two more channels...there you go!

Here in Cincinnati there is no room on the spot beam so adding a low power channel that carries UK basketball and is an overflow for the local Fox station as well (when there is a UC game on local Fox, the local UPN will carry the Fox 19 Ten O'Clock news) will not get added. EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULD!! :) There is no room at the inn no matter how free the signal is.

See ya
Tony

[garypen]

Like I said, it depends. I don't know why Dish Network is only adding PAX to certain markets. WXPX in Tampa Bay was added because of the Devil Rays.

I just checked the San Francisco locals page on Dish Network, and the PAX station isn't listed. Could you tell Tony what channel it is on? He'll need it for his list.
Well slap me silly and call me Nancy. I was completely 100% incorrect. I'm getting the local PAX channel OTA not from Dish. I apologize for being such a knucklehead. Jeez, what a stupid mistake! :blackeye:

[asmith]

The only problem with Directv not carrying my PAX station in Memphis, Tn is the NBA Memphis Grizzlies is carried by them. However it is uplinked by Directv on the 101. I guess this is for the NBA package. Which in my area is blacked out because I live too close to Memphis. What can we do to get this station carried? I have email Directv several times with no answer.

[amit5roy5]

no prob :)

on www.pax.tv , pax acts like a channel of great entertainment, but really only has paid programming. :(