Question About PBS, WB, UPN?

[Crazee Carroll]

Hello gang! A few weeks ago in the uplink activity report Rockford IL was being tested. Once these channels become active for purchase we will be missing PBS, WB, UPN. Those three networks are available on cable only unless you have a good OTA antenna and can pick up the missing networks from Madison WI. What does Dish do to supplement missing networks. Do they give any kind of price break or is it full price if the big four networks are onboard? Kinda curious??? CC

[FritzM]

WGN out of Chicago has a lot WB stuff. You can order PBS from Dish (Ch. 249) for $1 a month. Stuff on there is more or less delayed 24 hours from what you might expect.

[TonyM]

If the Big 4 are all on board, its 5.99. if one of those are missing, then there is a $1 price break.

Once these channels become active for purchase we will be missing PBS, WB, UPN.

Are the UPN & WB in your area cable only channels?? Does your area not have a PBS station? (seems weird that there wouldnt be a PBS)

UPN & WB you could get for $1.50 each. It would be one of the "Superstations" (WPIX, WWOR, WSBK, KWGN, KTLA). Unless you're within the OTA range of WGN Chicago.

PBS is available for $1, but the stuff is delayed a day.

[gor88]

crazee,

As to WB and UPN, they will not offer anything in the locals package if there is no WB and UPN stations broadcasting within the market. However, you can purchase the superstations package for $3 (when combined with locals package) and get 3 WB and 2 UPN stations.

As to PBS, the Illinois PBS system may add a PBS from a nearby city. It is their option. Mississippi has already created a statewide available PBS for Dish, which you can get even if locals aren't available in the area yet. However, you qualify for a National PBS for $1.50 if you want it. My bet is that the IL PBS org will work with Dish to have an IL PBS station added soon. PBS typically strives to be available to as many people as they can.

Dish should allow those who subscribe to a locals package without WB and/or UPN to add one of the superstations in place of each at no add'l charge.

In any case, your locals package will still be $5.99, since CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX are included.

Hope this information helps.

[gor88]

Sorry, PBS is $1 per month. My goof.

[Crazee Carroll]

Sorry, PBS is $1 per month. My goof.


Thanks guys that helps a lot and thanks for the quick replies... Rockford is a strange city for TV... In town we have Insight cable which carries Channel 11 out of Chi Town but they use an OTA antenna to rebroadcast PBS to its cable customers. For the two brief months we had Insight the picture was bad with the rebroadcast and very fuzzy almost like their OTA antenna was loose and just was there on a pole. As for WB and UPN those are cable only channels with WREX channel 13 owning the rights to both of them on cable. It will be interesting to see how Dish will do things. I like the idea of using the supers package at no cost for the missing networks, but Charlie and Co would never go for that... Then again anything is possible.

[Adam Richey]

According to the research I did, Rockford SHOULD have a full power WB affiliate that IS eligible for must carry. Does WBUW ring a bell for any Rockford people out there? There is not even a low power PBS repeater in Rockford, according to the broadcasting information site I go to. Same goes for UPN.

[ehren]

WB 57 might be hard to reach from Rockford. I heard the tower is closer to Madison now and it's full power but Rockford is like 60 miles from Madison!

[TNGTony]

WBUW TV 57 is licenced to Jamesville, WI which is in Rock County and part of the Madison, WI TV Market. The transmitter is also in Rock County Wisconsin so I don't see how it could be part of the Rockford TV market.

See ya
Tony

[Adam Richey]

It's listed as part of the Rockford market at http://www.100000watts.com and TVRadioWorld. Maybe it's one of those that claims BOTH markets, kinda like KWGN.