Well we've been waiting for this

[Rich Piehl]

I got this tonight in an email from Satellite Receivers, LTD. They are
my provider for the Denver Channels- the only thing I've been
subscribing to for a couple of years

>Dear Programming Customer:

>There will be some big changes coming up in the C-Band world. On
January 4th, 2011 >Motorola will shut down the 4DTV authorization
stream, so programming as we know it will >change drastically.
Customers will still be able to use their 4DTV receivers after
completing >a simple 7-step conversion process and will be able to
receive the channels found on >satellite W5 only. Some services will no
longer be available because they will not be >broadcasting on satellite
W5. If you wish to continue using your 4DTV receiver you can >follow
the the 7-step process conversion, we will be sending the instructions
in an email in >the coming weeks. This process will clear out all other
satellites and W5 will be the only >satellite available. The conversion
cannot be completed until January 4th, 2011. If you do it >before this
date it will disable your receiver and you will not receive your current
>programming.

As I don't plan on subscribing to anything on W5 I'm hoping there will
be some alternative to keep all the birds active for dish moving and ITC
programs.

[goldy]

Does This Mean That The Only C-Band Available After Jan 4, 2011 Will
Be On W5 Only. My Dish Is Apart,Is It Worth Putting Back Up Again.
Will SkyVision Be The Only One For Programming.
Thanks,
goldy

[Parser]

Everything you ever wanted to know (and a lot you didn't want to know!)
about this situation can be found at:
http://forums.satforums.com/SatForumMaster/start/login.php?webtag=4DTV

[JAB]

On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:49:12 -0600, Rich Piehl
<rpiehl5REM...@NOSPAMcharter.net> wrote:

>I'm hoping there will
>be some alternative to keep all the birds active for dish moving and ITC
>programs.

Why Comcast (Denver Stations Uplinker) needs to keep those stations in
subscribed mode is beyond me, after first of next year.

MOT/SRL won't allow subscription to them...even though legally there
are no reasons for those "unserved"

Legal Specifics:

FCC rulings, just like laws, must specifically address the specific
issue. In the "SATELLITE HOME VIEWER IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1999," they
specifically stated that

A: No. The moratorium expires on December 31, 2004. After this date,
satellite subscribers who were grandfathered will have to meet the
criteria for "unserved" households in order to receive distant network
signals. "

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/shva/shviafac.html

If Netlink, Superstar, Turner, NPS, etc did faithfully examine all
users to see if they were "unserved" households, then today, all users
would be "unserved," unless a local station put up repeater tower at a
later time.

There lies the legal issue (or rather the economic expense to verify)
if these resellers did not follow FCC/Congresses demand back then.

Further, it was noted recently in a "Broadcast Law Blog," that

the final bill does allow Dish Network to get back into the
business of rebroadcasting distant signals directly, instead of
through a third party.

and that

Congress has just extended the definition of unserved households
to include those that cannot receive an adequate signal using rabbit
ear antennas, not one that can't receive a signal using a 30-foot,
fixed, outdoor antenna.

http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2010/05/articles/digital-television/congress-passes-stela-act-extending-satellite-television-provisions-and-changing-the-definition-of-unserved-household/

Hence, from all I've read, C-Band users who can't receive adequate
signal with rabbit ears (now) are legally entittled to receive distant
stations next year if MOT/SRL get the ball rolling.