Adding Locals - procedure?

[finniganps]

I was curious as to what the process was to add locals to a particular market. It seems that it takes a LONG time to add these and a lot of areas without it don't have cooperative affiliates willing to sign waivers to get the distant locals?

I think that when I signed up in 1999, there were around 15 or so local markets, but you'd think that after 5 years there would be a lot more. Just curious about the process.....w/o the locals I wouldn't have switched because I really like the local news.

[TNGTony]

Well...there's a lot of factors. Right now Dish has 142 of the 210 markets plus Puerto Rico locals up (143 total) with more coming tomorrow. (http://ekb.dbstalk.com/19)

What does it take?

1) The satellite company has to contract a site for a Point of Presence (POP).
2) The POP has to have the equipment necessary to receive all the local stations, "StatMux" all the local channels and feed them by fiber to Dish's head end.
3) There has to be a dedicated fiber line run from the POP to the uplink center (where ever that might be...Cheyene? Gilbert? Somewhere in Washington soon?) That usually takes FOR EVER!
4) Dish has to contact all the stations in a market or the station group owners and let them know they plan to carry that local market.
5) The stations have to elect "Must Carry" or "Retransmission Consent".
6) a) If the stations elect retransmission consent, the satellite company has to deal with the station to set up compensation or whatever contractual terms the station demands.
6) b) If the stations elect "must carry" the stations must provide a "good quality" signal to the POP.
7) (this is critical) There has to be enough satellite capacity for ALL the stations in the market. This has been the major hold-up until now. (See http://ekb.dbstalk.com/5 the years with only one or two cities added Dish has NO ROOM!)

And none of this takes into account the "pioneer" effect and financial outlay required. Up until very recently, it was thought that smaller markets just wouldn't "pay" to be on. Well...it has been proven that even small markets have enough new customer aquisition with locals to make it worth while.

See ya
Tony

[Mike123abc]

And none of this takes into account the "pioneer" effect and financial outlay required. Up until very recently, it was thought that smaller markets just wouldn't "pay" to be on. Well...it has been proven that even small markets have enough new customer aquisition with locals to make it worth while.
Tony

I remember when people were saying top 50 markets, then top 100, then top 150, now looking like maybe it would be profitable for them to carry them all. It should really help small markets when(if) satellite companies can start importing stations.

[TonyM]

The only thing right now stopping Dish from putting the real small DMA's are the fact that most of these don't have the Big 4 (some are one or two channel areas). Dish doesn't want to add somewhere like Mankato, MN (which has only a CBS) when most people wouldn't get locals.

Until significantly viewed is a reality, Dish (and Direct) will have problems with the smaller 1 & 2 channel DMA's