[Steve Mehs]

In an on-going case concerning DirecTV's non-carriage of television station, WWDP-TV, the FCC has approved the station's filing and has ordered DirecTV to carry WWDP in the Boston designated market area (DMA) upon the station's provision of a sufficient signal to a DirecTV local receive facility (LRF).

DirecTV had denied Norwell Television's must-carry request for the Norwell, Mass station due to the broadcaster's failure to provide a quality signal to the LRF in Medford, Mass. Several weeks later, WWDP discovered that the owner of the LRF in Medford was declaring bankruptcy. This in turn forced the station to search for a new DirecTV LRF (later finding one in Somerville, Mass.).

DirecTV representatives were unable to comment as of press time

From SkyReport (Used with Permission)

 

[TNGTony]

I wonder what the deal is with Dish and why they weren't ordered to do the same.

See ya
Tony

 

[bryan27]

This FCC order was very interesting. D* aparently broke several carriage rules. 1: Not informing all stations in the DMA that the POP moved. 2: Requiring that a station build it's own headend at the POP.

Basically when the POP moves a new must carry election cycle begins. When D* moved the POP the new location was in WWDP's Grade B contour.

WWDP was granted access to the POP and tested their signal using an antenna tuned to channel 46, a pre-amp and a ghost canceler and found the signal acceptable under FCC rules. D* tested but didn't tell what the findings were and just said they were unacceptable by D* Standards arguing that OTA reception wasn't good enough. D* told WWDP that since it would use a special antenna, an amp, and ghost canceler that it must obtain roof rights and build it's own receive facility at the POP. The FCC stood by it's clarification that if a station provides the antenna and other devices to the provider that the provider has to use and maintain them and must let the station install them on the providers antenna mast.

The FCC said that it will decide what rules were proken and any fines to D* in another ruling.

IMHO the whole ruling made it sound that D* uses the most simple residential outdoor reception antenna to base their tests on and still rejects stations even if the use of a commercial antenna yelds an acceptable signal strength.

 

[BrettR]

Originally posted by TNGTony
I wonder what the deal is with Dish and why they weren't ordered to do the same.

See ya
Tony

Possibly Dish's POP is out of their Grade B contour.

This station doesnt seem interested or cant afford running a direct fiber connection to the DirectTV and Dish Network local receive facility.

In Philly DMA,
Ch. 39(PBS) & 69(Ind.) from Allentown
and Ch.53(Ind.) & 62(TMO) by Jersey Shore have run fiber at their own expense so DirecTV is carrying them without much grief.

Ch.51(Ind.) from Reading maybe coming soon. They can afford running fiber also. Verizon, Comcast Business Solutions, ATX are some of the companies that handle this.