Stations Push for Puerto Rico Locals
 

Entities with local TV stations in Puerto Rico wrote the Federal Communications Commission this week concerning satellite TV service to the U.S. commonwealth, saying DBS providers shouldn't have trouble offering local TV service to the island.

Encuentro Christian Network (ECN) and Eastern Television Corporation (ETC) told the FCC that language in the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA) pertaining to non-contiguous states also includes U.S. territories and possessions. They added that SHVERA requires satellite TV services to retransmit the analog signals of the TV stations in Puerto Rico, including those licensed to ECN and ETC, by Dec. 8. Digital signals should be carried by Jun 8, 2007, the entities said.

"This mandate does not create a hardship for the satellite carriers as they already carry a few local television stations in Puerto Rico by retransmission consent," they said.

International Broadcasting Corporation, which has television stations in San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce in Puerto Rico, joined with another Puerto Rico station owner, RyF Television, in asking the FCC to require satellite TV services to carry local broadcasters serving the area.

"In sum, Puerto Rico is a small island with a large population who are limited because of terrain obstacles in their access to local television services," they said. "SHVERA is the vehicle through which these local services can be distributed to all of the island's inhabitants."

http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)

Just so folks have an idea how much Dish picks and chooses locals in PR:

WKAQ TV 2 San Juan, PR Telemundo Available 110° 8/5/04
WAPA TV 4 San Juan, PR Ind. Available 110° 8/4/04
WIPR TV 6 San Juan, PR Edu-PBS Available 110° 8/4/04
WSTE TV 7 Ponce, PR Ind. Not Available
WSVI TV 8 Christiansted, VI ABC Not Available
WLII TV 11 Caguas, PR Univision Retransmission Consent Dispute
WTJX TV 12 Charlotte Amalie, VI PBS Not Available
WPRV TV 13 Fajardo, PR Ind. Retransmission Consent Dispute
WVGN-LP 14 Charlotte Amalie, VI NBC Not Available
WVIF TV 15 Christiansted Fox Not Available
WVXF TV 17 Charlotte Amalie, VI CBS Not Available (Reported coming soon)
WTCV TV 18 San Juan, PR Ind. Not Available
WPRU LP 20 Aguadilla, PR ABC Available 110° 5/18/05
WJPX TV 24 San Juan, PR MTV Not Available
WCVI 27 Christiansted, VI UPN Not Available
WSJU TV 30 San Juan, PR Ind. Available 110° 8/4/04
WSJP LP 30 Aguadilla, PR WB/UPN Available 110° 5/18/05
WELU TV 32 Aguadilla/Mayagüez, PR Enlace Not Available
WRUA TV 34 Fajardo, PR Rel. Not Available
WDWL TV 36 Bayamón, PR Worship Not Available
WMTJ TV 40 Fajardo, PR Edu. Not Available
WIDP TV 46 Guayama, PR Enlace Not Available
WRFB TV 52 Carolina, PR Ind. Not Available
WCCV TV 54 Arecibo, PR CDM (FeTV) Not Available
WUJA TV 58 Caguas, PR TBN Not Available


I know there are a lot of different city names, but PR is an island 100 x 35 miles. If the Island were flat, a transmitter in the middle would reach the whole island with usable signals. St. Thomas is 30 or so miles off the east coast of PR. So a full power signal from St. Thomas easily reaches the Eastern third of the Island.

See ya
Tony