Date: Sat, 20 Aug 1994 11:47:56 -0400 From: Bill Watts Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA Subject: Re: DSS and NBC, CBS, In article <5W0SVKs.edellers@delphi.com>, Ed Ellers wrote: >Bob Oesterlin writes: > >>The key phrase is "can you receive local stations CLEARLY". Well, in my >>estimation, no. I have a big outdoor antenna and they are still not >>clear enough for me. ;-) > >When they read this thread, you'll lose it. The Federal law that allows >satellite retransmission of these stations forbids sales to anyone who can get >off-air network signals or cable service. That is not the language in the law. I've posted the actual text of the law in the past, but I guess it wasn't incorporated in the FAQ. The law allows network affiliates to be sold to anyone at a location outside of the FCC defined grade B signal contour of an over-the-air affiliate of the satellite network affiliate station, and no cable subscription in the last 90 days (whether you can or cannot get cable service is irrelevant). A new law on satellite retransmissions in the process of being passed (the existing law expires at the end of this year), and I don't know if this standard has changed. The old (existing) law imposed fines on satellite programming dealers who sold to anyone who was not allowed to subsribe to network affiliates, but I've never heard of any enforcement action being taken. As for the reason for this restriction, like most laws this reflects a negotiated compromise, in this case between those who would bar satellite retransmission of both network and superstations altogether, and those would let anyone subscribe to any out-of-town television station. -- Bill Watts power@access.digex.net