# PBS



## cjamarik (Dec 16, 2008)

Earlier comments indicated Dish would add PBS in HD on 17 Feb.

Has this been done and where?


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

I believe that was simply a rumor.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

As a constant complainer about lack of PBS in HD, I have to say don't expect anything in the near future. PBS refused to give a national in HD and the locals have to be negotiated at least until the law requires them to be offered. Plus, there is the issue of satellite bandwidth space for 150± PBS local HD channels.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

Well, they did is some very small markets:

5264(16) - WUSI [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 12 Spotbeam 30 changed to Available (H)(Olney, IL-PBS)
5264(47) - WTVP [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 15 Spotbeam 22 changed to Available (H)(Peoria, IL-PBS)
5254(8) - WDSE [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 02 Spotbeam 9 changed to Available (H)(Duluth, MN-PBS)
5154(26) - KOZJ [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 15 Spotbeam 36 changed to Available (H)(Joplin, MO-PBS)
5154(26) - KOZJ [MPEG4 HD] - Echostar12 61.5W TP 13 Spotbeam 15 changed to Available (H)(Joplin, MO-PBS)
5254(12) - WMAE [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 13 Spotbeam 38 changed to Available (H)(Booneville, MS-PBS)
5264(14) - WMAW [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 06 Spotbeam 43 changed to Available (H)(Meridian, MS-PBS)
5254(9) - KUSM [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 05 Spotbeam 12 changed to Available (H)(Bozeman, MT-PBS)
5254(3) - KBME [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 12 Spotbeam 7 changed to Available (H)(Bismarck, ND-PBS)
5154(13) - KFME [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 8 changed to Available (H)(Fargo, ND-PBS)
5254(13) - KTNE [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 15 Spotbeam 19 changed to Available (H)(Alliance, NE-PBS)
5254(7) - WITV [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 44 changed to Available (H)(Charleston, SC-PBS)

But, for folks in places like New York, Boston, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington DC, Seattle, we are still stuck with "center cut" SD.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

nmetro said:


> Well, they did is some very small markets:
> 
> 5264(16) - WUSI [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 12 Spotbeam 30 changed to Available (H)(Olney, IL-PBS)
> 5264(47) - WTVP [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 15 Spotbeam 22 changed to Available (H)(Peoria, IL-PBS)
> ...


As I suspected. It appears these are DMAs that Dish, with the addition of PBS HD, would have all the available HD complying with the expected must-carry rules.

In my area, the San Francisco Bay Area DMA, to fill out the DMA HD card they would have to negotiate with CBS which owns the not-carried The CW HD plus the already-negotiated-and-carried CBS HD. I'm sure they won't want to open negotiations with CBS any time soon.


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

As indicated in the earlier thread "PBS Locals in February?"
according to the FCC agreement:
by Feb. 17, 2010, DirecTV and Dish Network need to provide full HD carriage in 15% of their HD markets."&#8230;"The benchmark jumps to 30% in the second year, 60% in the third and 100% in the fourth."

152x15%= at least 22 markets where Dish will be required to carry all HD stations (including PBS locals if those markets have them) by Feb. 17, 2010

________________________________
They may be counting Alaska as three more (where they've been required to carry PBS in HD for some time). So there must be seven more somewhere- probably more small markets that don't have any PBS.

However, there are two important developments coming up. 
The satellite reauthorization bill was temporarily extended to the end of February. Two of the three versions passed by House and Senate committees require Dish to provide PBS HD in all its markets by the end of 2010 (not all locals in HD as in the above FCC agreement, just PBS.) Supposedly, a final bill has been agreed on, but they aren't saying what it contains. The problem was that Dish might then back out of its agreement to provide locals in every single U.S. market (claiming it doesn't have enough satellite capacity for both). Hopefully, this will all become clear in the next two weeks.

The other development is the upcoming launch of a new satellite that will allow Dish to expand HD service:
_____________________________________________________________________

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb 19, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it shipped a communications satellite built for DISH Network L.L.C., the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in America, to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched aboard an ILS Proton Breeze M vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS).

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7110

"This is the eighth high-power satellite that SS/L has completed and delivered since the beginning of last year," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "We have a long history of providing reliable satellites for a broad range of applications. Repeat customers, such as DISH Network, underscore our ability to deliver on our promises and provide the world's most powerful satellites."

EchoStar XIV is a direct broadcast satellite designed to provide expanded high definition (HD) services and flexibility for DISH Network's more than 14 million direct-to-home (DTH) television subscribers. The satellite is based on SS/L's 1300 platform, a decades-proven modular bus with the world's highest power capability and the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

What you have here is stations like KFME in Fargo, ND. From it's Wikipedia entry:


> Prairie Public Television (also known as Prairie Public, or simply PPTV) is the PBS member network for the U.S. state of North Dakota. Part of Prairie Public Broadcasting along with the Prairie Public radio network, the network currently has nine digital stations. Combined, the stations reach all of North Dakota, plus portions of Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. The network is headquartered in Fargo.


I can hear Dish's lobbyist now. Why exactly do we need to duplicate PBS programming in those areas that receive KFME OTA. That would serve no public purpose nor would it benefit our customers. Let us provide Fargo's PBS HD station in....


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

nmetro said:


> Well, they did is some very small markets:
> 
> 5264(16) - WUSI [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 12 Spotbeam 30 changed to Available (H)(Olney, IL-PBS)
> 5264(47) - WTVP [MPEG4 HD] - Ciel-2 129W TP 15 Spotbeam 22 changed to Available (H)(Peoria, IL-PBS)
> ...


Not everybody in San Diego, the SD feed shows just as much as my OTA HD feed, just smaller. Plus with my OTA I get the 2nd PBS subchannel as well.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

GrumpyBear said:


> Not everybody in San Diego, the SD feed shows just as much as my OTA HD feed, just smaller. Plus with my OTA I get the 2nd PBS subchannel as well.


Yeah, yeah. My OTA channels ...oh... I don't get any OTA channels. So I'll continue my constant complaining.:sure:


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

HarveyLA said:


> As indicated in the earlier thread "PBS Locals in February?"
> according to the FCC agreement:
> by Feb. 17, 2010, DirecTV and Dish Network need to provide full HD carriage in 15% of their HD markets."&#8230;"The benchmark jumps to 30% in the second year, 60% in the third and 100% in the fourth."
> 
> ...


There have been other smaller markets which now receive their PBS stations in HD, besides the ones I posted earlier. The ones above, were uplinked this passed Wednesday. There were a couple others last week, when DISH turned on the new national HD channels, as well. Over the past several months I have seen DISH uplink HD PBS stations in small markets, usually when they add a new market or move the market to another satellite. But, the additions were like one or two here or there. So, effectively DISH maybe at that 15% requirement. But instead of covering a vast amount of the population, they chose to cover the least amount of the population instead.

So, under DISH's grand play expect them to get to the biggest cities last.


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

There is now a PROBABILITY that Dish will soon be forced by Congress to carry PBS locals in HD. Here is the draft now circulating on Capitol Hill, (portion of the satellite reauthorization act, which, according to House Communications Cmte. Chmn. Rick Boucher, has agreement.) It is attached to the Senate jobs bill, along with several other non-related items. I found this in the draft of the jobs bill. More comments after you read this:
____________________________________________________________

''(5) NONDISCRIMINATION IN CARRIAGE OF
HIGH DEFINITION SIGNALS OF NONCOMMERCIAL
EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATIONS.-
''(A) EXISTING CARRIAGE OF HIGH DEFINITION SIGNALS.-If, before the date of enactment of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010, an eligible satellite carrier is providing, under section 122 of title 17, United States Code, any secondary transmissions in high definition format to subscribers located within the local market of a television broadcast station of a primary transmission made by that station, then such satellite carrier shall carry the signals in high-definition format of qualified noncommercial educational television stations located within that local market in accordance with the following schedule:
''(i) By December 31, 2010, in at least 50 percent of the markets in which
such satellite carrier provides such secondary transmissions in high definition format.
''(ii) By December 31, 2011, in every market in which such satellite carrier provides such secondary transmissions in high
definition format.

http://thehill.com/images/stories/whitepapers/pdf/jobs bill draft.pdf

PAGE 349

The jobs bill would have to be passed by March 1 when the current temporary extension of the existing satellite act expires. (otherwise, I suppose they would have to vote on another extension).
This does not replace the previous FCC agreement for phasing in all HD locals over a three year period, as it applies ONLY to Noncommercial Locals in HD. As we have just seen in complete detail on the satellite uplink report, Dish opted for the smallest markets in this year's Feb. 17 deadline. However, with THIS bill, there is little advantage to that tactic, since there is no requirement for adding all the HD stations in a market, only the PBS-type stations. Dish still needs to add all HD locals in an additional 15% of markets by next February 17th (for a total of 30% at that point.) But- do the arithmetic. If they must carry 50% PBS locals in HD by the end of December, that's a full 20% that would probably go to top markets. The top 30 markets as I see it. With the launch of a new satellite this spring, they may not wait until December. What advantage is there, to filling up channels with other programming that will only have to be pulled in a few months?

A brief disclaimer: The bill is not a done deal yet. And it is attached to the jobs bill that could have its own complications. Also, Dish could still reach its own private agreement with PBS that would supersede the provision in the bill. Perhaps, under pressure from Congress right now, Dish would be spurred to do so.

Final comment: Although the language doesn't mention Dish at all, it is specifically aimed at Dish. The title mentioning "nondiscrimination" is particularly interesting, implying that Dish has been discriminating against noncommercial stations. And of course, a bill aiming to correct discrimination is a more popular thing for Congress to do, than "cracking down" on a company. It is heartening to know that our legislators share the gripes that some of us have voiced over this issue. Congress, of course, has an interest in this since the government helps to fund PBS stations.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

HarveyLA said:


> There is now a PROBABILITY that Dish will soon be forced by Congress to carry PBS locals in HD. Here is the draft now circulating on Capitol Hill, (portion of the satellite reauthorization act, which, according to House Communications Cmte. Chmn. Rick Boucher, has agreement.) It is attached to the Senate jobs bill, along with several other non-related items. I found this in the draft of the jobs bill. More comments after you read this:
> ____________________________________________________________
> 
> ''(5) NONDISCRIMINATION IN CARRIAGE OF
> ...


So, what DISH will do is to keep adding the markets with one PBS station first. Then by the end of 2011 they will add cities with multiple PBS stations. By this method, the largest markets will be done last. There is no financial incentive to do it. Just like there was no financial incentive to carry every US market.

Also, DISH is hoping for the GOP to take control of Congress this fall, so they can appeal what comes out of Congress with the current bill. Effectively, they will push for a longer time line top add PBS stations or force Congress to force PBS to carry just one PBS national HD feed. Even though, PBS stations are much locally involved in their community, than the commercial TV stations. Most of which are not locally owned. We all know Congress goes where the money is (in this case NAB) and not for the wants and desires of the people.


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

nmetro said:


> So, what DISH will do is to keep adding the markets with one PBS station first. Then by the end of 2011 they will add cities with multiple PBS stations. By this method, the largest markets will be done last. There is no financial incentive to do it. Just like there was no financial incentive to carry every US market.
> 
> Also, DISH is hoping for the GOP to take control of Congress this fall, so they can appeal what comes out of Congress with the current bill. Effectively, they will push for a longer time line top add PBS stations or force Congress to force PBS to carry just one PBS national HD feed. Even though, PBS stations are much locally involved in their community, than the commercial TV stations. Most of which are not locally owned. We all know Congress goes where the money is (in this case NAB) and not for the wants and desires of the people.


Your suspicions are well founded based on past behavior. However, Congress is unlikely to revisit the satellite bill any time soon, certainly not for the sake of this one provision. And from what I've seen, the congressional committees that deal with telecommunications, specifically carriage by cable and satellite, do consider themselves watchdogs of the people on certain issues. Congress does provide money to the PBS stations, so they do have an interest in having these stations seen. In this case, some GOP members objected to the wording, according to an article in Broadcasting & Cable (obviously friends of DISH) and it was modified from requiring all PBS in HD at the end of 2010, to 50% by the end of 2010 and 50% by the end of 2011. The version originally passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee contained no PBS HD requirement. The other two versions did. This was the compromise. Democracy in action.

At least it is an improvement, and the impending launch of a new satellite should make Dish less stingy with its channels. If Dish has to add two channels in Los Angeles (KCET and KOCE), you are right that they might be reluctant to do so. But this is a very large market, and they may see an advantage, particularly since their competitor does carry these stations in HD. Dish is the only major cable/satellite provider in the country not carrying most PBS locals in HD. You'd think they would want to correct this embarrassing situation. Anyway, we will see what happens. Dish may yet bypass Congress and reach a private agreement with PBS.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

phrelin said:


> Yeah, yeah. My OTA channels ...oh... I don't get any OTA channels. So I'll continue my constant complaining.:sure:


I take it you have tried and it's impossible with the topography of your location.

I hooked up a set top antenna to my 722 on the second floor, and was suprised to see that scan picked up a few digital channels from 50 miles away. One of these was KTCA-DT 2.1 (PBS). I recorded Masterpiece last night and it was HD. Beautiful. The ones I get are only at night and even then sporadic. But with a good, rooftop antenna I could probably get them all.

We didn't even have a TV until '57. But I do remember going to a neighbor's house to watch Davy Crockett.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

bnborg said:


> I take it you have tried and it's impossible with the topography of your location.
> 
> I hooked up a set top antenna to my 722 on the second floor, and was suprised to see that scan picked up a few digital channels from 50 miles away. One of these was KTCA-DT 2.1 (PBS). I recorded Masterpiece last night and it was HD. Beautiful. The ones I get are only at night and even then sporadic. But with a good, rooftop antenna I could probably get them all.
> 
> We didn't even have a TV until '57. But I do remember going to a neighbor's house to watch Davy Crockett.


When we moved into our house many years ago, the previous owners had a huge antenna with a rotor on a 30' mast placed on the lot behind us with an amplifier. On a good day, we could get a snowy picture from one or more of the channels on Sutro Tower in San Francisco which is about 120 miles from us as the crow flies up and over the peaks and mountains. Most days it was snow with an occasional picture etched in the background.

I had a C-band dish installed within a few months.


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## rasheed (Sep 12, 2005)

HarveyLA said:


> If Dish has to add two channels in Los Angeles (KCET and KOCE), you are right that they might be reluctant to do so. But this is a very large market, and they may see an advantage, particularly since their competitor does carry these stations in HD. Dish is the only major cable/satellite provider in the country not carrying most PBS locals in HD. You'd think they would want to correct this embarrassing situation. Anyway, we will see what happens. Dish may yet bypass Congress and reach a private agreement with PBS.


Actually for LA DMA, if we are just talking about the main HD channel (not subchannels), there would be four PBS stations (PSIP numbers).

KCET (28)
KVCR (24)
KOCE (50)
KLCS (58)

If we include sub-channels (at some point);

KCET has 3 (KCET Orange, V-Me, and PBS World)
KVCR has 2 (KVCR Desert, Create)
KOCE has 2 (OC Channel, Daystar)
KLCS has 3 (Create, PBS Kids, Telecourses)

So, we are talking about 14 channels of varying bit rates needed to support just the PBS Marketin in So Cal. Now, interestingly enough all four of the main PBS stations tend to air programming at different times either to avoid having the exact same show at the same time or they pay different rate levels to PBS (a cheaper rate for a delayed national feed which is the case for at least two of the stations and or a different rate for just a subset of national feed delayed).

I note the names of the subchannels because at least three of them (PBS World, PBS Kids, and Create) are arguably channels that should be carried and done at a national level and need not be done at a local spot level.

So, I agree and fully expect LA DMA to be near the last for Dish even though DirecTV has made some progress adding PBS HD in this market.

Rasheed


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

rasheed said:


> Actually for LA DMA, if we are just talking about the main HD channel (not subchannels), there would be four PBS stations (PSIP numbers).
> 
> KCET (28)
> KVCR (24)
> ...


The language of the bill (posted earlier in this thread) refers to "secondary transmissions" of "primary transmissions." In other words, re-transmissions of the primary transmission of a station. The primary is the main feed, not the subchannels. Dish and DirecTV are not obligated to carry subchannels.
You are right that KVCR (Riverside-San Bernardino) is in the Los Angeles DMA, although it's primarily local to the inland empire. And KLCS (L.A. city schools station) would be covered as well.

But there are two additional factors to consider:

1. Upcoming launch of new high capacity satellite Echostar XIV scheduled for March 21 (will be seen live on Dish Ch. 101)

http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-031410

This MIGHT result in more spotbeam capacity directed to Los Angeles, enough to carry all four PBS stations.

2. Dish and PBS can reach their own agreement superseding the language in the bill:
_''(i) By December 31, 2010, in at least 50 percent of the markets in which
such satellite carrier provides such secondary transmissions in high definition format.
''(ii) By December 31, 2011, in every market in which such satellite carrier provides such secondary transmissions in high
definition format.
_
Just my opinion, but wouldn't it be to the advantage of both parties to agree on a specific number of stations to be carried in the top markets, by the first deadline, and the rest by the second deadline? This could be calculated so that Dish would not have to add more stations by Dec. 31, 2010 than in the formula set by Congress. They would just agree to give priority to the top markets first, maximizing the number of viewers who would gain access to PBS-HD by the end of 2010.

I should also point out again, that the provision quoted above was in a draft said to have been agreed to by both houses of Congress. It won't be official until the jobs bill is finally passed- hopefully in the next few days, with the satellite bill attached to it.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

One thing DISH can do is uplink channels like PBS-Kids, V-me, PBS-World, Create, et al. as national channels with Universal Sports, also a sub channel carried by NBC stations. The channels are not unique market channels; Daystar is already uplinked nationally, as is TBN, EWTN and the shopping channels. This eliminates much of the subchannel issues.

I hope they do the major markets first, as it would be painful to wait to December, 2011 for the Denver PBS staions to be shown in HD. I say painful, because since the digital conversions, the stations are distorted and blury with center cut. I have a 42" HDTV; it is much worse on large sets.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

We need to remember nothing is simple about the PBS structure. Nationally, it isn't as simple as being a CBS or Fox. From Wikipedia:


> The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. However, its operations are largely funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia.
> 
> PBS is the most prominent provider of programming to U.S. public television stations, distributing series such as PBS NewsHour, Masterpiece, and Frontline. Since the mid-2000s, Roper polls commissioned by PBS have consistently placed the service as America's most trusted national institution. However, PBS is not responsible for all programming carried on public TV stations; in fact, stations usually receive a large portion of their content (including most pledge drive specials) from third-party sources, such as American Public Television, NETA, and independent producers. This distinction is a frequent source of viewer confusion.


So unlike NBC or ABC, PBS is owned by its affiliates, not the other way around. And then, the individual station ownership structure is even more complicated.

In Alabama you have Alabama Public Television with a statewide simulcast on nine stations: Birmingham - WBIQ 10, Demopolis - WIIQ 41, Dozier - WDIQ 2, Florence - WFIQ 36, Huntsville - WHIQ 25, Louisville - WGIQ 43, Mobile - WEIQ 42, Montgomery - WAIQ 26, and Mount Cheaha - WCIQ 7. In theory, Dish should be able to cut a deal with Alabama Public Television to offer one of these across the state.

There are complications in some DMA's like the San Francisco Bay Area. On the one hand, it should be an easy negotiation. Since 2006 all but one of the PBS stations is operated by Northern California Public Broadcasting and the HD programming for that group comes from KQED Channel 9. But we have one in Santa Rosa, California, KRCB, with a sub-group contract for a Ukiah, California, station that substitutes in its own local fundraising. KRCB does have a 1080i 16:9 OTA signal. Since they depend on donations for funding, it appears at a minimum Dish will have to carry both KQED and KRCB.

In the LA DMR as noted KVRC, KOCE, KCET, and KLCS are PBS-affiliate unique stations affiliated with colleges.

Denver is an interesting example. First we have KBDI. From Wikipedia:


> KBDI-TV is a public television station in Denver, Colorado, owned by Colorado Public Television and broadcasting as a PBS member station....
> 
> KBDI airs only 25 percent of PBS's yearly schedule, so it is distinctly different from mainstream PBS stations. The remainder of KBDI's programming is independent, community-oriented, and diverse, to serve a wide range of viewers in the region. KBDI also broadcasts more political campaign coverage and candidate debates than any other Colorado television station.


Then there is KRMA. From Wikipedia:


> The Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, known on-air as Rocky Mountain PBS, is the flagship PBS member station in Colorado. It reaches one million viewers in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and New Mexico. The network is headquartered in downtown Denver.
> 
> The network's flagship station, KRMA-TV, channel 6 in Denver...became a key PBS member....


All 50 states plus the District of Columbia have "PBS stations" with their own peculiar organizational structures. Fortunately some states only have one station simulcast across the state. But Texas, for instance, has 13.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

In regards to Denver, Rocky Mountain PBS is a network of stations across Colorado Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Steamboat Springs. Similar to what you find in New Jersey and Connecticut; that is allRocky Mountain PBS stations simulcast KRMA (Denver). KBDI is a hybrid of PBS, and a community TV station. It is sort of a throw back to WNDT (New York) before PBS was established in the late 1960s. Wikipedia is a bit off, as much of what is airs KBDI has aired at one time or another on PBS. KBDI does not follow the PBS "prime time" schedule, but it airs mostly PBS programming (it is closer to 75% PBS) . It also airs discussion programming, debates, a job ads, BBC World News, pledge programming, etc. It used to be watchable until "center cut" made it unwatchable.

A side note about KBDI. A few years ago it ran the 1950s "The Jack Benny Program" complete with 1950s commercials. They also set off some controversy, as the "The Jack Benny Program" was sponsored by "Lucky Strike Cigarettes". So for months, KBDI was airing a style of commercials which were banned since the late 1960s. One of the commercials that stood out was showing how Lucky Strike tests the cellophane wrapping to keep "their tobacco fresh". The actually showed a lab technician dipping a wrapper in Mercury to show that no air would get to the cigarettes, because the wrapper did not leak the Mercury. The commercial was from 1955. They have stripped out the "Lucy Strike" commercials after the FCC got a wind of it. But, they still show vintage 1950s programming, with ads from the 1950s.


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

The HD agreement between DIRECTV and PBS stations did not involve separate negotiations with stations or regional station groups, according to the announcement below, just PBS and APTS.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2007--Public Television stations across the country will soon be available in high-definition (HD) to DIRECTV customers through a landmark agreement reached today by DIRECTV, Inc., the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). DIRECTV viewers will have access to other Public Television content as well.

Continuing its unprecedented expansion of HD services, DIRECTV, the industry leader in HD programming, will include the local HD feeds of Public Television stations in its HD rollout plans beginning in 2008. DIRECTV currently offers local HD programming in 68 markets, representing more than 72 percent of U.S. TV households.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

HarveyLA said:


> The HD agreement between DIRECTV and PBS stations did not involve separate negotiations with stations or regional station groups, according to the announcement below, just PBS and APTS.
> 
> EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2007--Public Television stations across the country will soon be available in high-definition (HD) to DIRECTV customers through a landmark agreement reached today by DIRECTV, Inc., the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). DIRECTV viewers will have access to other Public Television content as well.
> 
> Continuing its unprecedented expansion of HD services, DIRECTV, the industry leader in HD programming, will include the local HD feeds of Public Television stations in its HD rollout plans beginning in 2008. DIRECTV currently offers local HD programming in 68 markets, representing more than 72 percent of U.S. TV households.


Yes, that is how it went then. Dish, of course, did not have the transponder space for that. It may now be a problem that they waited in our area.

DirecTV carries KQED which is what most of us want on Dish. But KRCB turned on its high-def after the deal with DirecTV and is not carried by them. I can't imagine PBS throwing KRCB under the bus and I can't think of one logical reason that satellite providers should be offering two PBS stations in HD in one DMA.

But then again, I can't think of one good reason from a viewers' standpoint that Dish turned on the HD of our MyNetwork affiliate KRON before the PBS and The CW affiliates.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

nmetro said:


> In regards to Denver, Rocky Mountain PBS is a network of stations across Colorado Denver, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Steamboat Springs. Similar to what you find in New Jersey and Connecticut; that is allRocky Mountain PBS stations simulcast KRMA (Denver). KBDI is a hybrid of PBS, and a community TV station. It is sort of a throw back to WNDT (New York) before PBS was established in the late 1960s. Wikipedia is a bit off, as much of what is airs KBDI has aired at one time or another on PBS. KBDI does not follow the PBS "prime time" schedule, but it airs mostly PBS programming (it is closer to 75% PBS) . It also airs discussion programming, debates, a job ads, BBC World News, pledge programming, etc. It used to be watchable until "center cut" made it unwatchable.
> 
> A side note about KBDI. A few years ago it ran the 1950s "The Jack Benny Program" complete with 1950s commercials. They also set off some controversy, as the "The Jack Benny Program" was sponsored by "Lucky Strike Cigarettes". So for months, KBDI was airing a style of commercials which were banned since the late 1960s. One of the commercials that stood out was showing how Lucky Strike tests the cellophane wrapping to keep "their tobacco fresh". The actually showed a lab technician dipping a wrapper in Mercury to show that no air would get to the cigarettes, because the wrapper did not leak the Mercury. The commercial was from 1955. They have stripped out the "Lucy Strike" commercials after the FCC got a wind of it. But, they still show vintage 1950s programming, with ads from the 1950s.


Why can't one of our PBS stations air some vintage TV shows late at night? The Jack Benny Show is on YouTube legally.


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## nmetro (Jul 11, 2006)

Paul Secic said:


> Why can't one of our PBS stations air some vintage TV shows late at night? The Jack Benny Show is on YouTube legally.


Actually, this showed aired at 6:30 in the evening. Hence, the controversy over the cigarette commercials. KBDI does show vintage programming at various times during the year at that time, for example Texaco Star Theatre (Milton Berle) as shown for awhile. This week they are in a beg a thon with all the other PBS stations; it's beg a thon month for PBS.


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## tcatdbs (Jul 10, 2008)

If they let Dish air their programming in HD (at no fee)... they wouldn't have to beg so hard! I can't stand watching it with all the chopped off sides, but if it were HD I would be more inclined to help them out. I used to watch it a lot when I was with TWC, but I won't donate a dime until it's HD on Dish.


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## HarveyLA (Jun 8, 2006)

Negotiations are underway for a private deal involving Dish carriage of PBS stations in HD, according to John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable.

_The bill is also expected to have an advanced timetable for Dish carriage of noncommercial stations' HD signals. A spokesperson for the Association for Public Television Stations said this week that they were still negotiating a private deal for HD carriage that would make that amendment moot._

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/ar...ing_Satellite_Blanket_License_to_April_30.php

I suspected this might be in the works. The earlier draft of the satellite bill (earlier in this thread) had a provision that appears to cancel the noncommercial HD timetable (50% of markets by end of 2010, the rest by end of 2011) if Dish reaches its own widespread carriage agreement within 60 days of the bill's signing. Either they were discussing that possibility already, or this was designed to apply pressure for a private agreement.

I e-mailed Mr. Eggerton on Wednesday, asking if he knew the latest on the bill, particularly as it relates to the PBS-HD provisions. He said it was all very confusing but he would try to find out. And he did. His latest article as of Wed. night has clarified the status of the satellite bill. As I speculated earlier, a private agreement makes a lot of sense because it could give priority to top stations in top markets, to the advantage of Dish and the APTS. It would seem obvious that a deal would be much more likely if there is a successful launch of the new Dish satellite this weekend, with its higher capacity for HD spotbeams.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

HarveyLA said:


> Negotiations are underway for a private deal involving Dish carriage of PBS stations in HD, according to John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable.
> 
> _The bill is also expected to have an advanced timetable for Dish carriage of noncommercial stations' HD signals. A spokesperson for the Association for Public Television Stations said this week that they were still negotiating a private deal for HD carriage that would make that amendment moot._
> 
> ...


That's terrific news! Thanks for bringing us up-to-date.


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