[William_K_F]

Hello,

I am visiting my parents in Santa Barbara who recently got Dish service.

Much to their chagrin, the one station they wanted more than anything, PBS, is supposedly not available! 500 channels and no PBS!

I wonder if this is accurate? There is an ABC affiliate here in Santa Barbara which won't grant a network waiver, but they are getting NBC and CBS from Los Angeles via west coast feed. Isn't there a PBS from the East Coast feed? If they can get NBC and CBS out of LA, why not PBS out of NY? What about San Francisco area, up there I have about 4 local PBS stations, could they get SF locals with ABC blocked?

Thanks for your help! My parents are very disappointed with my recommendation at this point being the one station they wanted is not available and are talking of canceling once the one year commitment is up.

-William

 

[AJ2086]

I think you need a waiver for PBS and then you can only get the National Feed.

 

[BrettR]

They might need lifeline cable. Or they can watch Discovery, History, TLC, Biography and eventually just forget about PBS.

Thats interesting. There is no PBS station in the Santa Barbara television market even though they have network affiliates, but Allentown has its own PBS station, but no network affiliates.

IMO, PBS needs to work with DirecTV over member PBS station carriage issues. DirecTV worked to carry PBS Kids for them, PBS you also.

WHYY 12 is the PBS member station for all of Delaware, but Sussex County, DE is Salisbury TV market and they cannot get WHYY on satellite. Even though WDPB is a repeator of WHYY.

Fairfield County, Connecticut DBS subscribers cannot get the CPTV Connecticut PBS station even though DirecTV is carrying it but for Hartford locals. Instead, Fairfield County is getting NJN the New Jersey PBS station. And DirecTV has to carry 2 NJNs which are repeators of each other. WNJS and WNJN, no difference in phone #s to make pledges, no program schedule difference, no advertising difference. That is space that could be used for something else.

 

[William_K_F]

Cable is not an option due to high cost of installation (~$1000) due to under ground issues with running the cable.

Since there is no Santa Barbara PBS, do I still need a PBS network waiver?

Also, the ABC over the air is a really bad signal. Can one get around the local ABC refusal to give a network waiver if the signal is too weak even with a roof antenna?

 

[Guest]

Call and ask for PBS. All they can do is say no you don't qualify. I think it would be $1.50 a month. I got PBS when it was part of the Dishnets and they never took it away and I don't pay $1.50 for it.

 

[Guest]

Dish was supposed to be signing a contract with PBS where they could sell the national PBS feed for $1 anyplace

 

[RJS1111111]

Originally posted by boba
Dish was supposed to be signing a contract with PBS where they could sell the national PBS feed for $1 anyplace

...according to the CSR I spoke with. I plan to add it back as soon as it is offered.

 

[William_K_F]

Success, we got it! Just had to call again and ask again.

 

[Nick]

Congrats. I know your folks are happy and you are relieved.

 

[RJS1111111]

Does anybody know the current status of the National PBS feed
on DISH?

I was told earlier by a CSR that they would offer it again to everyone for $1 extra. Then, I was told by another CSR that
it wasn't going to happen. Should I play CSR roulette until
they tell me what I want to hear again?

 

[TNGTony]

PBS itself has asked Dish NOT to provide the national PBS feed to anyone who has access to a local PBS via DBS. So Dish has nothing to say about it. PBS has to change its stance and there is no sign of that.

See ya
Tony