[lucky13]

I believe recent Federal law allows D to provide local channels from a nearby secondary market, if the latter signals can be viewed with a typical OTA antenna. For example, I live in the DC suburbs, but can get a decent OTA signal from most Baltimore stations.
Does anyone know if/when D will start feeding secondary-market local stations to subscribers?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

They have secondary SD feeds... Called Significantly viewed.

As of right now, they are only in SD.

You would need to check DirecTV's website, if zip code is specifically assigned to a Significantly viewed area.

 

[lucky13]

They have secondary SD feeds... Called Significantly viewed.

As of right now, they are only in SD.

You would need to check DirecTV's website, if zip code is specifically assigned to a Significantly viewed area.

Thanks, Earl.

If I can bug you one more time--

Entering DC and Baltimore turned up no results. Sicne those DMAs are only 40 miles apart, there certainly are areas where primary vs secondary market is a matter of map drawing, not signal strength. Any idea if more areas will be added to the Significantly Viewed list?

 

[Greg Bimson]

Oh, I feel your pain, brother.

There is a list from the FCC that describes exactly which counties and areas have locals which are significantly-viewed.

On the DC market side of Maryland, there aren't any Baltimore stations.

On the Baltimore side of Maryland, there are plenty of DC stations. Dish Network has had them up for a while, but will have to take those same stations down due to a court-ordered injunction being enforced on 1 December.

Meanwhile, it appears that something is preventing DirecTV from offering the DC stations to areas like Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.

There is no way to receive the Baltimore channels in PG or Montgomery Counties, as they aren't on the list.

 

[lucky13]

Oh, I feel your pain, brother.

There is a list from the FCC that describes exactly which counties and areas have locals which are significantly-viewed.

On the DC market side of Maryland, there aren't any Baltimore stations.

On the Baltimore side of Maryland, there are plenty of DC stations. Dish Network has had them up for a while, but will have to take those same stations down due to a court-ordered injunction being enforced on 1 December.

Meanwhile, it appears that something is preventing DirecTV from offering the DC stations to areas like Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.

There is no way to receive the Baltimore channels in PG or Montgomery Counties, as they aren't on the list.

Thanks.
You'd think the folks at the FCC would know how close Baltimore is to M and PG.
I get a decent enough OTA signal, but sat transmisson would be nice.

 

[Greg Bimson]

It has less to do with the FCC than you think. There was some arcane rule that puts a station on the significantly viewed list if more than three percent of a given "municipality" was watching the station via antenna. Because of the high penetration of cable in PG and Montgomery Counties, no one was watching the Baltimore channels via antenna. Those channels were removed from Montgomery and PG systems over the past three years or so.

 

[akron05]

Oh, I feel your pain, brother.

There is a list from the FCC that describes exactly which counties and areas have locals which are significantly-viewed.

On the DC market side of Maryland, there aren't any Baltimore stations.

On the Baltimore side of Maryland, there are plenty of DC stations. Dish Network has had them up for a while, but will have to take those same stations down due to a court-ordered injunction being enforced on 1 December.

Meanwhile, it appears that something is preventing DirecTV from offering the DC stations to areas like Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.

There is no way to receive the Baltimore channels in PG or Montgomery Counties, as they aren't on the list.

I find it interesting that DC penetrates quite a bit (as significantly-viewed) into Baltimore's DMA but Baltimore doesn't do the same. It's as if DC-area viewers are too snooty for Baltimore stations. :lol:

(BTW I live in Howard County.)

 

[lwilli201]

I would not count on any HD Significantly Viewed stations being available. If it is available it will be limited to areas where adjoining spot beams overlap.

 

[tuff bob]

The other reason there isnt much SV is because the FCC did not prevent local stations negotiating with providers on the availability of SV stations in their market. You can guess that the local stations have a vested interest in not allowing SV stations in their market

 

[Jon Ellis]

If a station is listed on the FCC's Significantly Viewed list for a particular county, DirecTV and DISH are allowed to offer the station in that county, with consent from the station. Here is the list (warning: huge PDF file)

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/significantviewedstations.pdf

DirecTV and DISH have shown little interest in adding SV stations, possibly because of the reason described above or because they don't want to worry about having diffrent channel lineups for every county.

I agree, though, it would be nice if they'd add more SV stations. I used to live in the Wisconsin portion of the Minneapolis market. The only way to see TV from Wisconsin there is to get cable, and the local company was small enough that it didn't have to offer a lifeline package.