New Member
Lost my true local stations with receiver upgrade Jan. 12/2021
I now get "local" news and weather from 75 and/or 114 miles away. Tampa/Sarasota instead of Orlando/Daytona Fl.
I live in Central Florida and DirecTV switched me to the Coastal Tampa and Sarasota area channels.
Apparently it doesn't matter to ATT/DirectTV that for the last 15+ years at the same service address my local stations were those broadcasting from the Greater Orlando area. That way, the news, traffic and weather forecasts were relevant. Now the company insists that my County and zip code only qualifies me the Tampa market.
Tried to speak to company representatives and got a lot of sympathy, but I was told they cannot do anything about my problem. Perhaps I could get a little antenna from Walmart to watch local channels I need... For a monthly bill of about $140+ I expected more from this company.
Please don't tell me to switch providers. I'm seriously considering it. But first I want an explanation and action to correct this problem.
KT
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
TexasBrit
ACE - Expert
•
14.1K Messages
5 years ago
Nothing to do with the receiver upgrade, and the people at Directv are correct there is nothing they can do about it. The country is divided into areas called DMAs and Directv has to deliver the locals corresponding to your DMA. It's an FCC ruling. From time to time the boundaries of these DMAs are adjusted (population shifts, changes in the coverage area of off-air stations etc) and your county must have been moved from one DMA into another one, so your locals changed.
Just to repeat, Directv can't change any of this. You can always write to the FCC to complain but I suspect this will fall on deaf ears.
0
0
UHC
New Member
5 years ago
Thank you for insight. Just spoke to another very nice rep. who told me that DirecTV cannot help me. I'm giving up and going to switch to another provider.
0
0
shannon02
ACE - Expert
•
21.3K Messages
5 years ago
All providers have to follow the FCC rules.
0
0
TexasBrit
ACE - Expert
•
14.1K Messages
5 years ago
Sort of. For cable, it seems to be that the location of the cable distribution center determines the DMA. Otherwise the cable companies would have to keep laying new cable whenever there was a change.
0
0
Juniper
ACE - Expert
•
23.4K Messages
5 years ago
All TV providers are subject to DMA rules. However sometimes cable 'might' go by their distribution center location instead of your exact address, which skirts the rule a little bit.
I would check to make sure you are getting the correct locals in the first place. Sometimes an address may be on the border of 2 DMAs which is affected by county selection.
www.directv.com/locals
Regardless of your DMA, or even channel negotiations, plug in a regular antenna. That way you get all locals within range, regardless if your DMA or not, or even sub-channels not carried by TV provider. Something to use if locals are that critical for you. Going to a TV provider should be for all the channels not on local TV.
0
0
UHC
New Member
5 years ago
Thank you for your answers. The cable provider for my area has all the local channels that I and everyone else in my large retirement community needs. It also costs a lot less for quite a lot more than DirecTV does.
Gonna ask around on Nextdoor if anyone is contemplating DirecTV,
Perhaps I should've been told about the DMA rules that would suddenly apply to me with the receiver upgrade that also came with an unexpected dish change.
0
0
TexasBrit
ACE - Expert
•
14.1K Messages
5 years ago
I assume the receiver/dish change was because you had an SD system. Directv is moving channels onto the "HD" satellites so needs to replace anll the SD equipment.
0
0
UHC
New Member
5 years ago
Guess so. Wasn't told about it.
I wish I got on this forum earlier to find out stuff that the reps. don't know or don't tell.
In the meantime, my house has at least 4 new holes drilled into it's side for the 2 huge arms installed. They hold the unsightly new dish that has a long-long-long antenna (?). I'm afraid that can become a projectile during the next hurricane.
0
0