In a letter Monday, Colorado Senator Mark Udall Pressed the FCC to review the feasibility of DirecTV's offering the residents of Mesa and Montrose counties access to local television broadcasts. The Grand Junction-Montrose market is one of a handful in the country where DirecTV doesn't air local media broadcasts.
DMA 185 (GRAND JUNCTION, CO)
Udall To FCC: Local TV Access For All
Colorado Sen. Mark Udall on Monday urged the FCC to review DirecTV’s ability to provide local media broadcasts in the Grand Junction-Montrose market (DMA 185), saying everyone is entitled to the crucial information provided by local TV.
“All Coloradans deserve access to the news, weather, sports and emergency information most relevant to them — regardless of which company provides their TV service. This is especially true for the residents of the Western Slope, who have experienced landslides, wildfires and other severe weather,” Udall said in a letter. “The FCC should quickly study this issue and determine the feasibility of DirecTV’s delivering local TV service to the residents of Grand Junction, Montrose and surrounding communities.”
Udall said the TV market, which covers Mesa and Montrose counties, is one of just a handfull in the country where DirectTV doesn’t air local TV broadcasts.
Udall has championed rural Coloradans’ access to local news, weather, sports and emergency information. Udall recently brought FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel to Durango to discuss possible ways to bring Colorado TV to the residents of La Plata and Montezuma counties. Udall also recently introduced the Colorado News, Emergency, Weather and Sports (NEWS) Act of 2014 to allow residents of La Plata and Montezuma counties to receive Colorado broadcast stations by satellite or cable.
Comments (3)
Bobbi Proctor says:
July 22, 2014 at 8:49 pm
Cable and satellite companies should be required to carry all stations that are available via an antenna. It is strange that our neighbors who have payTV have to put up antennas to get all of the stations that we get over the air or do without.
Ellen Samrock says:
July 22, 2014 at 9:55 pm
Let’s hope this includes LPTV. Our license says that we’re television broadcasters too.
Warren Harmon says:
July 24, 2014 at 3:14 pm
BS, OTA is what it is about, NO OTA on private networks is the way to go. Put an antenna up for gods sake and receive it for yourself! If your out of the DMA area of the broadcast T.S.