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CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 4, 2003 Cable users may wantto bring out the old ‘rabbit ears’ By CHRIS ABBEY Mail Tribune The WANTV picture has gotten quite a bit fuzzier. The wireless cable network’s last day of operation here remains Aug. 25, they still don’t want their hardware back, and the offer of special deals to transition to DISH Network, a satellite system, remains. But it turns out that the satellite company won’t have the local broadcast channels that WANTV subscribers received. And Marc Lumpkin, general manager of DISH Network corporate communications in Littleton, Colo., says the company has no plans to provide them this year. Advertisement DISH subscribers may apply for a waiver from local broadcasters that would allow DISH to provide a feed from "distant" network signals: This would provide the subscriber with ABC or PBS programming from another market, rather than, for instance, KDRV or KSYS. However, most Southern Oregon broadcasters refuse to allow waivers. The waivers allow subscribers to receive programming from broadcast stations in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver or Los Angeles, for an additional cost of $1.50 per channel, per month. "DISH Network can submit (other) waivers on a subscriber’s behalf, but most local stations reject those waivers most of the time," Lumpkin said. "There’s limited band-width, so we can’t offer more (local) channels" at this time, he said. DISH now offers local channels in 70 markets, and plans to offer local channels in a total of 100 markets by the end of this year. "That’s out of 210 total TV markets," Lumpkin said, adding that the company has made a commitment to local coverage. "Every market is important to us." Important or not, at present, DISH subscribers in the Rogue Valley will have to use those old-fashioned "rabbit ears" for local stations. Lumpkin says that DISH Network is a bargain worth the inconvenience: 50 channels for $24.99, 100 for $32.99, 150 for $42.99. Extra hookups are $4.99 a month. The special offer for WANTV customers includes a rebate of $49.99, which more than covers the cost of installation. But WANTV’s 1,200 Jackson County customers may not see the offer as a good deal without the same coverage and convenience. WANTV was purchased by Sprint along with other video/wireless networks, said Barbara Mellott, a Sprint spokesperson at the company’s Kansas City, Kan., offices. The company’s aim is to increase access for its fixed broadband wireless spectrum, not to provide TV service, she said. If WANTV customers want another choice, Minnie Marshall, director of marketing for Charter Northwest, says the cable company is currently offering a deal: Sign up and get the $54.95-a-month digital package for $45.99 (rate guaranteed for one year). The offer includes free installation and is good for up to three televisions. The company’s basic package of 29 channels includes local stations and a few cable channels (TBS, Discovery, Hallmark, among others) for $16.20 a month, but no sports channels. For those, there’s the expanded basic package at $41.45 for about 77 channels. The digital package adds 30 more. Installation for the lower-priced packages is $29.95 for homes already wired for cable, $45.95 if not. Finally, there’s another satellite company, DIRECTV, offering packages ranging from around $35 to $90. But it doesn’t offer local channels here yet. Reach Assistant Tempo Editor Chris Abbey at 776-4408 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times