T&T: Direct TV Sat Change?

[m/v MOJO]

 Doc, here's what is going on with your DirecTV satellite service.  (I deal
with this question every day!)  In major metropolitan markets the "local"
channels (i.e., NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox) are broadcast on the main satellite
(satellite 101 for the eastern US).  As DirecTV expanded their local service
into smaller regional markets, they ran out of transponders on their main
satellite and put up a second satellite to broadcast local channels into these
smaller markets.  That's why some people need a satellite dish with two LNBs -
it depends on where you live.  Local channels are broadcast down in a "spot
beam" fashion into each market - get more than 100-200 miles away from the
local market and you lose the local channels.  The exception is NY & LA
channels, which are broadcast over the entire DirecTV footprint.  However,
unless you live in NY or LA, or you can prove (with valid registration &
title) that you own an RV or an over the road commercial truck, you are not
legally able to subscribe to the NY or LA feeds (called the "Distant Network
Service").  But, if you give your physical address as NY (for east coast
programming) or LA (for programming time shifted by 3 hrs), you will get the
Distant Network channels anywhere you get the other DirecTV channels, and they
will come down from the same single satellite.  The fact that you never
changed from NY is why you don't need two LNBs to get "local" channels - but,
you're getting the NY locals, with NY weather, traffic, commercials, etc.
Technically you are committing a no-no by getting these channels when you
don't live in NY... oh well!

By way of explanation, the reason you are not allowed to subscribe to other
than the local channels in the market where you live is because your local
broadcast stations paid the govt. a fee for an exclusive license to broadcast
the network channels into their markets.  They're broadcasting the same
channels you are getting from NY except that they insert their own local news,
local traffic, weather reports, etc. in place of the NY information.  More
importantly to them, they insert their own local commercials into the
commercial time slots, and that's how they earn their revenues.  The price of
advertising is based on the number of potential viewers in the market area.
Since they have an exclusive license to broadcast in the area, the number of
potential viewers is equal to the number of households with TV (essentially
all of them).  If the unwashed masses were allowed to receive the NY channels
instead of the local channels, the number of potential viewers would decrease
and likewise the amount they could charge for commercials would go down...
The RV & trucking industry had a good lobby and obtained an exemption from the
law.   Boaters weren't so well organized so we have to find a way around the
law by "living" in NY...

Hope this helps.

Ray
Track-It-TV (formerly Follow Me TV)
www.track-it-tv.com