Satellite Distant Network Channels Are Disappearing: Dispute Between Broadcast Networks and Satellite Companies Are Ongoing

Leanna Teague
In the past the struggle for satellite customers to continue receiving distant network channels, defined as channels you cannot receive locally, has now become a losing battle. One satellite company, Dish Network, is calling for its customers to call their representative in Washington and voice their opinion about the injunction to remove distant network channels.

In this case the ones affected are subscribers to ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX if you are viewing them from another area. An example would be if you live in Dallas Texas, but are receiving ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox from Chicago Illinois this is considered distant network channels because you cannot view them locally.

November 13, 2006 Dish Network will have one last chance to fight for distant network channels when the courts convene. As of now all distant network channels must be removed by December 1, 2006.

The whole situation boils down to local broadcast networks demanding a higher pay increase from Dish Network. Dish Network doesn't want to pay the higher pay increase and is trying to keep the same rate. Any pay increase would be passed to the customer, but at the same time if you receive local channels from Dish Network you will be charged a fee for them.

Broadcast networks have complained about local channels being offered because they don't receive any money. The money goes into the pockets of the satellite companies, which is why satellites for a long time didn't offer them.

In the big picture all satellite companies are in jeopardy of losing distant network channels and cable companies aren't far behind. Any broadcast network that can be viewed free of charge by antenna may cause cable companies to lose valuable networks.

Fox network has already become a distant memory for many Dish Network customers from a previous duel of broadcast networks. Fox channel exists on cable or by antenna reception for these poor souls.

Cable is already being threatened by satellite quality, but the way satellite is going with rising prices and frequent channel loss cable is looking better all the time. Many satellite subscribers who want ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox have to subscribe to both satellite and cable to get all their desired channels. Satellite remote controls are set up to switch back and forth between the two.

Satellite customers who originally could only get distant network channels of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, who now have the option of receiving them locally, can only do this by getting a second satellite.

Second satellites are sometimes provided free of charge and in some cases they have to be bought. A service charge for installing the second satellite also might come into play. Who can say for sure when the first or second satellite will be obsolete and an additional satellite will be required to watch channels?

Over the years cable has always been more of a sure thing. You know what channels you get and they won't disappear overnight. Satellites are always at risk of damage by external factors such as storms, but now they are in danger by broadcast networks.

Published by Leanna Teague

MY residence is in Texas. I am inspired by movies, people and life in general. Science also fascinates me because it is involved in seeking out the creative process of how things function and ways to improve...   View profile

6 Comments

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  • Steve L 12/27/2006

    Why can't you just pay a fee for the channels you wish to have in your home? With Cable & Dish you do not have a choice of channels; you cannot pick or choose, they force a "bundle" of crap into your home. Not me, they are out of here...............
    We will "peek" at the local channels,with out paying a dime leaving their advertisers holding the bag.

  • jrl 12/27/2006

    What kind of scam are we in now; Dish Network now wanting us to contact the feds to "help us out" and now pay another fee to American Direct for the same channels we had???

  • ns 12/7/2006

    We live in the middle of nowhere in ND and no longer get out distant channels either... we can't even get local channels like we are supposed to for the month free....All we watched was CBS and FOX. We have been with Dish for 9+ years and now I feel like they have screwed us....especially since we pay $100 a month for TV

  • ns 12/7/2006

    We lives in the middle of nowhere in ND and this is a huge disappointment to us...we only watch CBS and FOX and are supposed to get free local channels too, but do not because of the area we are in....We have had Dish Network for 9+ years and I feel they have screwed us....

  • J.Whisenhunt 12/7/2006

    I have been a Dish Network customer for ten years. My husband and I enjoy watching the Denver channel. We vacation there a lot. I am very unhappy about the distant channels being taken away. I am really considering swapping to Direct. I feel as long as we are paying a bill each month we should be able to get watch what we want. And on top of that our local channels are really fuzzy and they fade out when you are watching them. I am very un pleased with our local channels. You Sattelite Companies are payed mega bucks form us your customers. I would be willing to pay a few dollars more in order to get the distant channels.

  • PW 11/30/2006

    Where I live, I cannot get CATV and there is no local NBC affiliate available through Dish or by antenna. The local CATV whiich is not avaialbe carries an NBC affiliate from a city that is 100 miles away. I should be able to get a distant NBC channel even if I cannot get others that are available locally.

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