14 What are the requirements for subscribing to the networks?
Description
This article is from the TeleVision Receive Only Satellite-TV FAQ, by TVRO Hobbyists drlev@hotmail.com with numerous contributions by others.
14 What are the requirements for subscribing to the networks?
Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999 (the "SHVIA")
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/shviafac.html
On November 19, 1999, Congress passed the Satellite Home Viewer
Improvement Act of 1999 (the "SHVIA"). The SHVIA was signed by the
President and became law on November 29, 1999.
One of the key elements of the SHVIA is that it permits satellite
carriers to offer their subscribers local TV broadcast signals through
the option of providing "local-into-local." This act also authorizes
satellite carriers to provide distant or national broadcast
programming to subscribers.
This law generally seeks to place satellite carriers on an equal
footing with local cable television operators when it comes to the
availability of broadcast programming, and thus gives consumers more
and better choices in selecting a multichannel video program
distributor (MVPD), such as cable or satellite service.
Distant stations provided to some subscribers:
The new SHVIA also addresses the satellite retransmission of distant
television stations to subscribers. This applies to television
broadcast stations that are not from the subscriber's local
market. Subscribers who cannot receive an over-the-air signal of Grade
B intensity using a conventional, stationary rooftop antenna are
eligible to receive these distant signals.
In addition, subscribers who were receiving distant signals as of
October 31, 1999, or had distant signals terminated after July 11,
1998, may still be eligible to receive distant signals provided they
cannot receive over-the-air signals of Grade A intensity. Both Grade A
and Grade B signal intensity are defined by FCC rules. If a consumer
is eligible to receive distant signals under these provisions, it is
still up to the satellite carrier to decide whether to provide the
distant signals to eligible subscribers.
The SHVIA Fact Sheet:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/shviafac.html
Persons who subscribe to C-band service may continue to receive
distant network television signals if such signals were being received
on October 31, 1999 or if the signals were terminated before October
31, 1999. Persons who first subscribed to C-band services after
October 31, 1999 are not covered by this exemption.
The FCC created a computer model for satellite companies and
television stations to use to predict whether a given household is
served or unserved. If you are "unserved", you are eligible to receive
distant network signals. If you are "served", you are not eligible to
receive such signals.
If you disagree with the model's prediction, you may request a
"waiver" from each local network TV station that you are predicted to
be able to receive. If the waiver is granted, you will be eligible to
receive the distant signals. SHVIA outlines a specific process for
requesting a waiver. SHVIA requires that the satellite subscriber
submit the request for a waiver, through the satellite company, to the
local network TV station. The local network TV station has 30 days
from the date that it receives the waiver request to either grant or
deny the request. If the local network TV station does not issue a
decision within 30 days, the request for a waiver is considered to be
granted and the satellite company may provide the distant signals.
The SHVIA provides that if the local network TV station(s) denies the
request for a waiver, the subscriber may submit a request to the
satellite company to have a signal strength test performed at the
subscriber's location to determine whether the subscriber's signal is
at least Grade B intensity. The satellite company and the local
network TV station(s) that denied the waiver will then select a
qualified and independent person to conduct the signal test. SHVIA
requires that the test be performed no more than 30 days after the
subscriber submits the request to the satellite provider. If the test
reveals that the subscriber does not receive at least a Grade B signal
of the local network TV station, the subscriber may receive the signal
of a distant TV station that is affiliated with that network.
http://bsexton.com/cgi-bin/tv.cgi can help you determine the service
contour prediction for your location.
Continue to:
My Books
