# DirecTV Dual Locals (2 markets of locals)



## mrbillpsu00 (Oct 28, 2004)

I remember seeing a post here last November (can't find it now, and searching didn't yield anything either) about DirecTV starting to operate like the cable companies where you'd be able to get both local markets if you were near them.

For example, I'm just over the border between Wisconsin and IL. I am in the Milwaukee Market, but if I were on cable TV, I'd get Milwaukee and Chicago Locals.

Anyone have any insight on this?


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

They are called "significantly viewed" stations close to your locale.


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## mrbillpsu00 (Oct 28, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> They are called "significantly viewed" stations close to your locale.


OK - That still doesn't bring up anything on DTV's site...


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## lee espinoza (Aug 21, 2002)

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=42303


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## HogarthNH (Dec 28, 2001)

mrbillpsu00 said:


> OK - That still doesn't bring up anything on DTV's site...


http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/see/SvChannels.jsp


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## crkeehn (Mar 1, 2005)

Still nothing for our area. I am supposed to be eligible for Washington DC as well as Baltimore stations, however DirecTV has not yet elected to offer them.


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## jmahone (Aug 1, 2002)

I guess this is can be considered a cross-post, but in searching for this topic, I found what I thought was the pertinent thread, only to find this one afterward.

So, I'll keep it short: I, too, live in between DC and Balitimore, and wanted to know what ever happened to DTV's rollout of significantly viewed local channels?


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## mrbillpsu00 (Oct 28, 2004)

Over a year later, and still no change...

And this page : http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/svLocalChannels.jsp?assetId=1200076

isn't showing anything helpful...


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## Nutiket (Sep 12, 2003)

Hmmm, I just moved to 21076 from 20850 and was stoked about adding the Baltimore Channels. Now I realize I really have traded my Washington stations for Baltimore stations. That won't make the wife happy. =(


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## tjperez (Jan 14, 2002)

I think I would get both Birmingham and Atlanta locals if I had an elliptical dish that can get 119, but since I just have a round one pointed at 101, I can't get them.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

tjperez said:


> I think I would get both Birmingham and Atlanta locals if I had an elliptical dish that can get 119, but since I just have a round one pointed at 101, I can't get them.


Your dish has NOTHING to do with this, as BOTH of these markets are on the 101 bird. Unless D* decides to specifically authorize & offer BOTH markets in YOUR area, you can only get the one you get now.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Nutiket said:


> Hmmm, I just moved to 21076 from 20850 and was stoked about adding the Baltimore Channels. Now I realize I really have traded my Washington stations for Baltimore stations. That won't make the wife happy. =(


 So "move" back to a 21076 address. DirecTV has no problem with differing billing and service addresses.


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## tjperez (Jan 14, 2002)

dishrich said:


> Your dish has NOTHING to do with this, as BOTH of these markets are on the 101 bird. Unless D* decides to specifically authorize & offer BOTH markets in YOUR area, you can only get the one you get now.


Actually, I was doing some research on Lyngsat AFTER I posted this and I discovered that. I thought it was on a different one because I didn't see it listed in the program guide; I have an old receiver that shows the local channels in the 900's. Apparently, Directv hides the other channels.


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## crowtoo (Dec 7, 2005)

Nutiket said:


> Hmmm, I just moved to 21076 from 20850 and was stoked about adding the Baltimore Channels. Now I realize I really have traded my Washington stations for Baltimore stations. That won't make the wife happy. =(


Nutiket:

Good luck getting a decent answer from DirecTV concerning significantly viewed channels. Back in October I contacted DirecTV to inquire about getting Baltimore locals in the Frederick area, to where I had just recently moved to after living outside Westminster and previously receiving Baltimore locals. I even quoted the FCC ruling that allows customers to receive the stations and gave them directions where to find the official ruling on the FCC's webpage.

Here is our correspondence:

My original inquiry:



> Customer
> 10/19/2006 02:41 PM
> DIRECTV FEEDBACK MESSAGE
> 
> ...


Their first response:



> Discussion Thread
> Response (Marge A)
> 10/19/2006 06:02 PM
> 
> ...


I responded to their email with this:



> Marge,
> 
> Thank you very much for your prompt response to my email however you failed to answer my original question. I understand that according to Nielson my zip code places me in the Washington, DC region for local channels. I was inquiring about when the "significantly viewed channels" from neighboring markets, Baltimore in my case, would be available.
> 
> ...


And their response to me was:



> Dear Mr. Crow,
> 
> Thanks for writing. I understand your concern about local channels. As stated on our previous email to you, we assign local channels by ZIP code based on Designated Market Area (DMA), as determined by Nielsen Media Research. Federal law requires us to use the established local market boundaries and these cannot be changed by DIRECTV.
> 
> ...


So as you can see, two different customer service representatives never answered my question and I doubt if they ever even really read and understood my question. At this point I gave up and thus give my TV business to Comcast. :down: I really wanted to move to DirecTV but as I told them not having Baltimore stations is a deal breaker for me. I don't understand why they don't/won't offer these staions as it would take no extra effort on their part and I've been a customer of several different cable systems in the central Maryland area and ALL of them have always offered both Baltimore and DC locals. Perhaps another member fo the board has more information than I do.

Chris
[email protected]


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## tjperez (Jan 14, 2002)

So as you can see, you shouldn't have to do anything. You should automatically get them.



crowtoo said:


> Nutiket:
> 
> Good luck getting a decent answer from DirecTV concerning significantly viewed channels. Back in October I contacted DirecTV to inquire about getting Baltimore locals in the Frederick area, to where I had just recently moved to after living outside Westminster and previously receiving Baltimore locals. I even quoted the FCC ruling that allows customers to receive the stations and gave them directions where to find the official ruling on the FCC's webpage.
> 
> ...


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## FavreJL04 (Nov 9, 2006)

crowtoo said:


> So as you can see, two different customer service representatives never answered my question and I doubt if they ever even really read and understood my question. At this point I gave up and thus give my TV business to Comcast. :down: I really wanted to move to DirecTV but as I told them not having Baltimore stations is a deal breaker for me. I don't understand why they don't/won't offer these staions as it would take no extra effort on their part and I've been a customer of several different cable systems in the central Maryland area and ALL of them have always offered both Baltimore and DC locals. Perhaps another member fo the board has more information than I do.


My market still doesn't have SD locals and everyone is now getting the HD locals so what I did to remedy their problem is this. I "moved" to the closest market that do have locals. That way i still get what I feel I should get based on what my cable system can offer me. If DTV ever asks me about it I will grace them with the same type of response they give in their emails. "I receive the local stations that my service address states I am eligible to receive" (of course never directly answering their main question).


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## crowtoo (Dec 7, 2005)

tjperez said:


> So as you can see, you shouldn't have to do anything. You should automatically get them.


I agree, I shouldn't have to do anything. But DirecTV will not allow me to receive the channels that the FCC says I am allowed to receive. It doesn't even require ANY effort on their part. Both DC and Baltimore locals are on the same satellite, so their work is done. All someone has to do is throw a switch.

One would think in cases such as this they would want to offer the additional channels to help them compete with cable, which like I said has ALWAYS provided both cities local channels. I could understand if it was a capacity/bandwidth issue, but it isn't.

Chris
[email protected]


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## FavreJL04 (Nov 9, 2006)

I think I read somewhere that the satellite companies don't have to offer anything beyond the actual locals for the market. I agree though. Satellite companies should want to offer more than the competition. I guess mediocrity is satisfactory to most.


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