Is Dish losing local channels?

Ok..this isn't HD related, but it is Dish Network related. A friend of mine had DirecTv installed today. The installer told him that in six months, all Dish Network customers will lose their local channels through their Dish. He said that the only way to get them will be through the OTA Antenna. Anyone know anything about this?

Dave
Pittsburgh

:( I think the directv installer gave your friend a bunch of phooey.
This is why dishnetwork has been acquiring the voom satellites. They
will bcst hd locals.

That sounds quite absurd.

That sounds quite absurd.

I just talked to him again. He said that each satellite company has to negotiate with the individual networks in order to broadcast their local signals through the dish. He said that Dish Networks agreements with the networks are up in six months and they aren't renewing. He was complaining that once Dish Network loses their local channels, he is going to be really busy. Don't shoot the messenger here. I'm just posting what a Directv installer said to my friend. I am just hoping that it's ridiculous.

Dave

Don't shoot the messenger here. I'm just posting what a Directv installer said to my friend.
I was not "shooting" you or what you said. I was merely commenting on what the DirecTV installer said.

If DISH gave up their locals, that would be company suicide, so I seriously doubt that's going to happen. I take what installers say with a grain of salt. Especially this guy. What, is he sitting in on these meetings with DISH? How does HE know that DISH's contracts are up in six months? And does it not strike anyone else that this guy is a DIRECTV installer? Oh, he COULDN'T POSSIBLY badmouth DISH, could he? :D

Geez, you give a guy a ladder and a pair of pliers and the guy acts like he's some sort of MSNBC analyst or something :D

I was told the same thing as downeaster, that Dish is planing on broadcasting the locals in hd in the near future (late 06).

Someone should shoot the directTV installer. :D

Charlie always tells us if a contract is up for renewal and who it will affect. Remember the Viacom mess two years ago? Most of his contracts are for multi years.

I agree with "calicogang" we would receive advance notice if this was to happen. There was a rumor (actually a scrolled message) that local stations owned by Sinclair could be omitted.

I had to exchange a 811 box and during the time of update I ask him about it and he said he doesn't know about losing locals but did say they were in negotiations with the fox network and he didn't know if it was resolved or not.

...then I can get out of my contract and get cable, with local hd channels included, without setting up any ota antennas,or amps,or diplexers, and, I won't lose my picture everytime there's clouds. :rolleyes:

...then I can get out of my contract and get cable, with local hd channels included, without setting up any ota antennas,or amps,or diplexers, and, I won't lose my picture everytime there's clouds. :rolleyes:

Good point. But you will pay more and get less and your picture will be analog, not digital.

... and, I won't lose my picture everytime there's clouds. :rolleyes:

Does anybody else have THAT problem? I've lost a signal for few seconds during a heavy downpour...but that's not often.

Satellite TV would be in the dumper wth that kind of performance.

During monsoon season here it will occasionally block up but not all th etime and it usually goes away. During the storms I'm usually outside waiting for my house to float away, HD isn't at the top of my list. :D

...then I can get out of my contract and get cable, with local hd channels included, without setting up any ota antennas,or amps,or diplexers, and, I won't lose my picture everytime there's clouds. :rolleyes:
If you have a contract then there may be a penalty involved. Also if you decide on cable and want HD then you'll need to subscribe to their complete digital package which generally cost $40-50 a month for what an OTA antenna would provide for free. If you really want everything off your roof than wait until your contract is up and try to get a special deal from cable. Often they will give you 1 year "All Channels" for (typically $30-50) for giving up your satellite equipment.

What about what the Directv and Dish Network people told me...they said I cannot receive HD from an off air HD antenna if I live in the 90272 area-which is Pacific Palisades,CA..they also said that it's the same in Malibu,California too. I have a feeling they are all lieing -because I would be able to get HD channels from the antenna for free and the satelite stations would prefer us to use them-not for free.

I went to a website called antennaweb.org and found out that my closest HD signal is about 29 miles away.Is that a good thing?


We use to have a neighbor in our condo building who had dish Network and a HUGE antenna next to his 2 satelite dishes on our roof.I'm just guessing..but I'm certain he got Off air HD channels with that antenna.

Where I live I have mountains and homes in back of my building and the ocean and homes in front. :confused:

If I can get off air HD channels from an HD antenna..I guess I'd have to hire an independent contractor to install it.

I was at the Dish Network website a month ago and it said that in the fall of 2005 Dish Network will be adding more HDTV Local stations to selected areas-Los Angeles-where I live... is one of those areas.

I was at the Dish Network website a month ago and it said that in the fall of 2005 Dish Network will be adding more HDTV Local stations to selected areas-Los Angeles-where I live... is one of those areas.
You live close enough to LA to get reception but the only problems would be if the mountains are in the way. If you have a small battery operated TV that accepts antenna input or at least has good rabbit ears you can conduct signal tests from your roof. If you get decent reception on UHF for analog stations then things look hopefull for digital channels.
Another idea is asking any of your neighbors that have outdoor antennas how good are they getting their channels.

thanks but ..I live next to other condo buildings without antennas.And the homes behind me don't seem to have antennas either...there might be one..but I don't know those people and feel funny about asking them.

Ok..this isn't HD related, but it is Dish Network related. A friend of mine had DirecTv installed today. The installer told him that in six months, all Dish Network customers will lose their local channels through their Dish. He said that the only way to get them will be through the OTA Antenna. Anyone know anything about this?

Dave
Pittsburgh
Don't you know 99.9 percent of the installers are total fools?

They are lucky to find your house, much less talk about technical or programming issues.

thanks but ..I live next to other condo buildings without antennas.And the homes behind me don't seem to have antennas either...there might be one..but I don't know those people and feel funny about asking them.
I gather you don't have a small portable TV that you can do signal tests on your roof with? The only other choice is to take a chance and buy an antenna anyway and run a coax from your roof through your window and connect it to your receiver. Someone would have to hold and move the antenna while you verify first analog then digital reception. If it doesn't work you might be able to return it back to Radio Shack for a refund else try selling it on ebay. I wouldn't invest more than $50 on a gamble.
PS: If other houses have antennas see which way they're facing. If none of them are facing LA then maybe they already tried it and are receiving reception from another location. Also if the antennas are in bad shape then they're probably not using them.

It is true that Dish (and Direct TV for that matter) must reaffirm with all local broadcasters their right to carry the local channels by October, I believe. There is that off chance that some local broadcasters may try and extort monies from the satellite providers for permission to carry their channels but that would be suicide in this day and age. Basically everything is status-Quo. One good thing comming out of the SHRVA is that local stations that are not in a persons DMA and currently not authorized to be carried by Dish or Direct may be authorized due to a "significant viewership" determination clause.

Yep, I called Dish twice and asked that question and they skirted around it and never gave me a final answer. If it wasn't true then they would just flat out say no.

Then again, DISH's (new) CSR's are some of the most ill-informed in the industry. Chances are that they just didn't know the answer! :D

Thank goodness for OTA HD channels!

Dish Network in the Seattle to Portland area is having a dispute with ABC tv. We haven't had any programming for ABC since December 17th.

This thread is a hundred years old, why revive it?:what:

I was wondering the same thing.

Because I'm new at this and looked at description not date!

Please can a Moderator lock this thread and put it out of our misery. :)

...then I can get out of my contract and get cable, with local hd channels included, without setting up any ota antennas,or amps,or diplexers, and, I won't lose my picture everytime there's clouds. :rolleyes:

It sounds like you need a tune up of your dish aim.

We had heavy rain and hail last night (tornadoes in the area, too) and we lost dish signal for about 20 seconds diring a heavy hail downpour.

If you dish is properly aimed it is more reliable than cable because when cable loses a trunk, it will be off for hours if not days.

It sounds like you need a tune up of your dish aim.

We had heavy rain and hail last night (tornadoes in the area, too) and we lost dish signal for about 20 seconds diring a heavy hail downpour.

If you dish is properly aimed it is more reliable than cable because when cable loses a trunk, it will be off for hours if not days.

Do you realize you answered a post from four years ago?

My time flys when you're having fun!!

Here in the NW, we haven't had ABC since December. Dish refuses to pay the increase contract cost.

So who thinks that installer was correct and we lost all of our local channels back in 2005?