DIRECTV vs. Nexstar: Isn’t DIRECTV Required By Law to Carry Your Local Channels?
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, we’ve been without our NBC station for months now. DIRECTV is fighting with the station and it doesn’t look like we will ever get our station back. Isn’t there a law that says a cable or satellite company has to carry all the local stations? How can DIRECTV get away with not having our NBC station? — Molly, Tampa.
Molly, DIRECTV has been without the 159 Nexstar-owned network affiliates since July 2 due to a carriage dispute between the companies. (The impasse also affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse.) As we noted yesterday, the opening of the 2023 NFL season couldn’t even compel the two companies to settle. Consequently, many fans missed games broadcast on Sunday on CBS, NBC and Fox.
I’ve received a handful of e-mails in the past few weeks from readers asking if DIRECTV is breaking the law by not providing all the local channels in a given market. The federal ‘must-carry’ rules of the Communications Act/Satellite Home Viewer Act do require cable and satellite TV operators to carry local broadcast stations within their designated market areas if they carry any local stations at all. For example, if DIRECTV wants to offer NBC in Chicago, the rules require it to provide the other local stations as well. The rules are intended to ensure that multiple broadcasters can offer timely news and weather information to local audiences as well as promote the public interest.
But there is an exception to the ‘must-carry’ rule. If the local station ops to sell its signal to the cable or satellite operator rather than provide it for free, the cable or satellite operator is under no obligation to carry it. And that’s the situation we have in the Nexstar dispute. Nexstar, like nearly every other broadcaster, has decided that selling its signals to the TV providers is far more profitable than giving them away and then solely trying to generate advertising based on higher ratings. By selling the station signals, the broadcaster can get the best of both worlds — carriage fees and advertising revenue.
Molly, hope that makes sense. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
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They both are greedy bastards who don’t care about their customers. We lost ABC several months ago and CBS on Saturday. What a coincidence on date.. the day all the football starts
I moved from direct tv to dish what we pay for the service really sucks kim s
Go pirate. I only pay $30.00 a month and get everything. And I mean everything. I believe if they are going to screw us, I’m going to do the same to them. They lose me and I get more for less.
I have dish and we have not had channel 11 for a year ,and now it channel 4
Could you give me who you use¿
how easy is it really to do what you are suggesting?
Strongly oppose that.
I have dish we don’t have NBC
I’m going to attach an A/B Swith to my living room TV which will let me have direct TV and switch it to antenna go to Walmart or best buy
I know several people who switched from Directv to You Tube TV and they love it! It’s cheaper, too! Why don’t you recommend that option?! BTW, I have Directv and have not had NBC for two months! Plus, when I switched to Directv, I was promised a $200 gift card if I stayed with them for 90 days, and I have not received it!!!!
I been with dish 35years and my bill was only 50 then now it’s 250.00 and I don’t have 4 or 11 I’m pissed yinz better do something or I’m canceling I’ll get an antenna 😡😡😡😡
How can DirectV get away with not giving you local tv when they said you will Always have your local stations!!
It’s much much cheaper and easier to make the switch to streaming tv. And within that genre there are so many apps to choose from that carry a ton of networks ‘ content.
My mom has directv . Hate it . It’s expensive , lacks channels and every time the system needs rebooting the remotes must be re programmed . Even directv streaming is expensive . I HAD uverse . Switched to fire stick never looked back . Good riddance
A few facts so few seem to know. Mist blame DirecTV. Did they refuse to sign a new contract? Yes! Nexstar is the biggest broadcast owner. They do this EVERY contract renewal to get more power and money. The only reason it’s gone on so long is DirecTV is ‘trying’ to survive. Your rates go up, you’ll cancel. Rather NEVER have NBC again than pay even MORE!!!
Good for you. We had to drop direct tv which I loved. And now have Roku it’s okay.