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Satellite TV Offers 1st amendment and distant local stations ban» 1st amendment and distant local stations banI’m a little ticked off to say the least about the federal ban on being able to view local network affiliate stations from other cities. The basis for the ban is some but not all local ABC, FOX, NBC station got congress to pass a law that gives network stations exclusive rights to network programming within their respective markets. In other words in you live in San Antonio you can only watch Who Wants to Marry a Complete Stranger from the local San Antonio station and not Los Angeles. It boils down to making sure the San Antonio station can continue to make money from the local Ford dealership when the network breaks away for local commercials. I can understand this and will grant the local stations their exclusive rights to network programming. What I do no agree with is the 100% of the time total ban on out of town stations even when they do not carry national network programs, which is currently the case. Because of the going overboard to protect market exclusivity on national programs local newscasts and other local programming is banned if you don’t live in the city of origin. Suppose you relocated from Miami to Atlanta but wish to keep up with the news from back home. Its illegal for you to watch the 6 o’clock LOCAL news from New York if you are not physically in the Miami area. IMHO this is a direct assault on the 1st amendment to the constitution. Congress shall make no law that abridges freedom of the press. The way most people in 2005 get their news is via the electronic media. The fair solution is to get the law changed as to allow distant market stations on a schedule. If national network programming is being broadcast then block the out of town station from being viewable. But if local programming is being broadcast then let satellite subscribers see the channel. • DirectTV seems to care less and is in fact a signatory to the petition asking congress to be more restrictive. Please pass the word and contact your congressman and anyone else who you think could change this. It looks like our only hope is to got to federal court and ask the courts to look at this in light of the constitution but that costs money. Comments (5) -> “1st amendment and distant local stations ban”
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Interesting Post,
As far as i know it has always been that if local network are available you are not able to receive distant locals or local stations from another city.
Now that Dish Network and Direct TV have local networks available for most states it seems as if this law is useless.
I can also understand some might want locals from a distant city or even dual locals. (I would)
I should also state that I have never been a fan of this type of government regulations, i don’t see how this protects a consumer in anyway and i thought that is what the government is supposed to do (Protect The Consumer)
It is kind of a “catch 22″, we want the government to protect us from unfair practices, but when the gov. starts regulating they go to far.
Thanks for your post, I’m not sure if i totally agree with you, but i do think regulations are out of control.
dave
AKA - kapsat
You are right to an extent. Local TV stations started having convultions about 10 years ago when satellite TV started getting big. They felt they would be marginaliged into insignificace if people in their respective cities could tune into New York or Los Angeles for network programming. They got congress to pass a law called the Satellite Home Viewer Improvment Act or SHVIA which among other things prohibits DISH Network, DirecTV, Voom or whoever else from feeding ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC into anyone’s home except from the local stations that serve the subcriber’s city.
My argument is the false assumption that supposes ONLY network programming is featured on network affiliate stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week keeps NON-NETWORK programming from other cities prohibited as well. A good comparrison is since the New York Times features Parade Magazine, congress has made it illegal to read the New York Times in Houston because the Houston Chronicle also features Parade Magazine. Any newstand caught selling the New York Times in Houson or anywhere outside of the New York City area will be assesed a federal fine of $20,000. This is the current law not in North Korea or Afghanistan but in the United States of America as it relates to the number one way Americans get their news, television. In protect you local city’s station’s rights to being the exclusive provided of Eat Bugs and Worms for $50k at 8pm, the locals news at 6pm at 11pm is illegal to watch from other cities from all stations that also happen to broadcast Eat Gross Stuff for $50k.
I’ve pleaded with DirecTV, Dish Network and my congressional representatives and nobody cares that the 1st amendment is being violated. I agree that Netork programming can be made market exclusive offered only by one’s local stations. I cannot agree that the non-network programming should also be banned. Then I learned DirecTV signed a letter sent to every member of the Senate asking congress to extend that prohibition to stop your local station from giving you permission to watch stations from other cities.
I just replied. Any reason why it didn’t post?
hi, I have everything set to approve post. Only to help stop the spammers.
dave
Please forgive my typos. Thanks for letting me rant.
Quote: Now that Dish and Direct have local networks available for most states it seems as if this law is useless.
Yes, if all you care about are the network programs. No, if you live in Atlanta but wish to catch the local newscasts from Washington before and after network shows.