Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)

Direct Broadcast Satellite now carries KGW and other Portland TV stations.

Agreements have been reached between most of the network affiliated Portland TV stations including KGW to be carried by Direct TV and the Dish Network. Until recently, the only way to get KGW or any other Portland TV station was to receive it on an over-the-air-antenna, or subscribe to cable. Direct Broadcast Satellites (DBS) are a newer generation of satellites that are specifically designed to carry TV programs direct from satellite to home. They have become a common site in the last few years as urban, suburban and rural viewers have now installed around 10 million of the 18 inch dishes. 

These satellites had a big disadvantage according to many viewers. There was no easy way to get a local TV station. The law allowed for delivery of distant network stations only to homes that were not in an area that could get off-the-air reception. The technical side of this problem has been solved by additional transponder space and digital compression technology. A recent law change, know as the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999 makes it legal for DBS to carry local TV stations. Both Direct TV and Dish Network now carry network TV stations in about 30 major cites in the US including Portland.

You are eligible to get the Portland stations if you live inside the Portland Designated Market Area (DMA) as defined by Nielsen Media. Unfortunately, the SHVIA does not permit the distribution of local stations outside of the assigned DMA. The following counties are in the Portland DMA and qualify to receive the Portland stations via DBS: 

The Dish Network was first to offer KGW and the other three network stations from Portland. Recently Direct TV also added the stations. The channels listings are provided in the table below:

*At the time of this posting, KOIN had not yet reached a re-transmission agreement with Direct TV.

Receivers for DBS services consist of a small dish antenna about 18” in diameter and a receiver to go inside your home near your TV. Both companies offer various receiver packages depending on your needs. Receivers can be purchased starting at around $200 and range up to almost $1,000 depending on features and number of televisions served. 

To link to the Direct TV home page:
http://www.directv.com

To link to the Dish Network home page:
http://www.dishnetwork.com

Recent FCC action makes it legal for anyone to install a dish or other video services antenna on your home regardless of local restrictions. In other words, no state or local government, or homeowners association can prohibit you from installing a TV antenna. To read the FCC ruling on this issue go to: http://www.fcc.gov/csb/facts/otard.html