DISH distant network channels update

[Dutch & Di]

Not sure where to post this but thought some of you might be interested in the latest on DISH. Maybe if this happens, we'll be able to watch out main channels wherever we are parked.
Happy Thanksgiving, Diana


Senator Leahy’s office can be contacted at 202-224-4242. Emails can be sent to senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov. You can also submit a message online at http://leahy.senate.gov/contact.html.

The following was posted to What's Hot on our site:

Vermont Senator Introduces Bill to Prevent Loss of DNS Channels to Qualified Dish Network Customers.
11/20/06

Breaking news on the Dish Network DNS channel issue! The following is excerpted from Senator Leahy’s press release.
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“WASHINGTON (Thursday, Nov. 16) – Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is leading a bipartisan effort to protect home satellite television customers in Vermont and across the country from losing access to some of the most popular television networks.

Leahy introduced the Satellite Consumer Protection Act, joined by Senators Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.), Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mark Pryor (D-Minn.) and Michael Enzi (R- Wy.).

Leahy’s new bill would preserve satellite television service for roughly 800,000 EchoStar consumers around the country, and in Vermont, who are expected to lose it December 1 as a result of a federal court injunction. The bill strikes a balance between consumer protection and tough enforcement against EchoStar for violating the law. The legislation requires EchoStar to deposit $20 million to be used to cover any future violations.

The bipartisan bill provides a targeted solution by permitting the service to continue under specific criteria, including:
? Where local stations are not available from a satellite provider, EchoStar could bring in a distant network station if it compensates the local station.
? In areas that do not have affiliates of all four networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC), EchoStar could bring in a distant signal of the missing network affiliate because no local station would be harmed.
? Stations from neighboring cities that are considered “significantly viewed” by the Federal Communications Commission, and generally treated as local stations, could be carried.

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy,
Ranking Member, Judiciary Committee,
On Introduction Of The Satellite Consumer Protection Act
November 16, 2006

Today I am pleased to introduce the Satellite Consumer Protection Act of 2006, and I am proud that Senators Inouye, Snowe, Allard, Rockefeller, Byrd, Salazar, Clinton, Pryor, Roberts and Enzi are among those joining me in sponsoring this important bill. I regret the necessity of this legislation, but I am determined to protect consumers – especially consumers in rural areas such as Vermont.
This is a pro-consumer, bipartisan bill that addresses a problem that soon will face millions of Americans who subscribe to satellite TV services. I realize full well that this bill may not please the major corporations affected by this remedy, but its intent is not to help them but to help home satellite viewers.

A federal court recently found that EchoStar willfully, flagrantly, and repeatedly violated federal law, and I believe that EchoStar should be held to account for its decade of illegal activity. The situation is ultimately quite complicated, but the simplest version is this: EchoStar has been bringing distant network signals to areas that did not need satellite to provide access to that programming. But the penalty for such actions is harsh, and the court that heard the lawsuit had no choice: EchoStar will be required to stop retransmitting any distant signals. EchoStar flouted the law, but it is consumers who will suffer. Unless we pass this bill, many rural subscribers around the country will lose access to news and entertainment programming from the free, over-the-air broadcast networks.

The Satellite Consumer Protection Act is a practical, narrow, and -- most importantly -- pro-consumer solution to a problem of EchoStar’s creation. The court-issued injunction, set to take effect December 1, will prohibit EchoStar from providing any distant network stations to any of its customers. Under the Satellite Consumer Protection Act, the injunction will apply to the roughly 95 percent of the country where EchoStar provides residents their local, over-the-air stations. Our legislation would only permit EchoStar to bring in distant network stations in three situations. First, where local stations are not available from a satellite provider, EchoStar could bring in a distant network station if it compensates the local station. Second, in areas that do not have affiliates of all four networks, EchoStar could bring in a distant signal of the missing network affiliate because no local station would be harmed. Third, stations from neighboring localities that are considered “significantly viewed” by the Federal Communications Commission, and are generally treated as local stations, could be carried.

This legislation would not be complete without an enforcement provision that will truly curb EchoStar’s practice of illegally providing copyrighted content. The Satellite Consumer Protection Act therefore imposes real monetary penalties for violating the Act and requires EchoStar to put sufficient funds in escrow with the copyright office to cover any future violations.

This bipartisan bill respects the legitimate interests of broadcasters who have been harmed by EchoStar’s actions, while it serves the interests of the people who are the innocent bystanders and the real victims of this emerging problem: the consumers who are paying for these services.”
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It is critically important that RVers contact Senator Leahy’s offices to both thank him for making this effort and also to inform him that the bill must include specific mention of mobile customers, like RVers, in order to be truly effective.

This is one of those times when we all need to take a moment to send an email or make a phone call. Time is of the essence here, folks!

Senator Leahy’s office can be contacted at 202-224-4242. Emails can be sent to senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov. You can also submit a message online at http://leahy.senate.gov/contact.html.

The message should be brief and along these lines:

Dear Senator Leahy:
Thank you for stepping in to prevent the court-ordered loss of DNS networks to Dish Network customers who have done no wrong. Please remember that not all DNS customers are rural home owners: Many of us are full-time or part-time RVers who qualify for those channels as mobile customers. In order to qualify, we submit a special waiver for mobile customers to the satellite provider, and many of us depend totally on these DNS channels for our access to news, entertainment, and information. Many over-the-road truckers also depend on the availability of these channels. Please remember us when you move forward with your Satellite Consumer Protection Act.

[campswithcritters]

You can currently register your reciever with Direct TV to your RV and recieve east coast and west coast network feeds for a small fee. It is available at this time as I have done this and it works well in fringe areas, as well as allowing watching of 2 network shows that are on at the same time by watching one on eastern time and one on pacific time.

[Dutch & Di]

Hi, Thank you for your post. I like DISH and we have had it for 10 years. I would rather not have to switch if I don't have to. Another major reason for not switching is that I was told that if I had Direct TV and had a DVR I would have to have a land line to use it which I don't have to do with DISH. I'm not 100% sure if this, it is just what I read in a post. If DISH isn't able to offer me Distant Network Channels after all attempts have been made, I may just have to switch. Thanks again, Diana

[campswithcritters]

Dianna, I would call them to see if they have the service currently available, I cannot see one company getting a leg up over the other as they are so competative. All I had to do was sign a paper stating the reciever was in RV license number XXX-XXX. Like you I have several years with my satellite company and prefer not to switch.

[bbgun]

On the subject of dishes..We currently have cableTV and internet through Comcast (use to be adelphia). We are happy with it, but there are times that we want to camp in areas that don't have cable hookups.
My question is this..if we were to get a dish and a receiver can you "pay as you go?" I don't want another monthly bill for something I may not use that often.

[Dutch & Di]

I have spoken to DISH on several ocassions and this has gone way beyond signing a waiver [which we did last year]. It has something to do with DISH fighting the big 4 ABC, NBC, CBS & FOX several years back when the networks wanted to limit what DISH & Direct TV issued to it's customers. Direct went with a more limited programming idea but DISH fought for it's customers to have the networks even if they could also get them from a regular antenna. After they lost the first court battle, DISH got the big 3 to settle and allow the programming but it is my understanding that they can't settle with Fox because of some connection that Direct TV has with Fox and of course Direct would love to see DISH go away. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and see what happens down the road. Diana

[campswithcritters]

Bob & Becky, I have not heard of pay as you go satellite. The only way to know for sure would be call either direct tv or dish network to find out. It also costs a few dollars to get the equipment: dish, tripod, cabling, reciever, and I highly a satellite finder like align-a-site. Don't really think it would be worth for the expense (unless you are full-timing), in the past I just picked up a few DVDs from the clearance rack at walmart for the off the beaten path rainy nights.
Bruce