The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Money

September 25, 2009

DIRECTV offers local channels

By Mannix Porterfield

Leave no customer behind.

That’s hardly a formal company promise, but with DIRECTV, it’s a solid one as far as local television programming is concerned in the Beckley-Bluefield market.

As of Sept. 30, the California-based firm is ushering in local programming, including four networks in HD, in the two cities, according to an announcement by both DIRECTV and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who has made the matter a personal issue for several years.

For the first time, customers in the Beckley-Bluefield region will be getting WOAY/ABC, WVNS/CBS, WVVA/NBC and WSWP/PBS — all of them in high definition — along with MNT/FOX and WLFB/Independent in standard definition.

Customers must have an H2O or H21 receiver, or an HR20 or HR21 DIRECTV, plus HD DVR and a Ka/Ku band dish.

“The beauty of the satellite signal is that it’s available within the boundaries of the market,” public relations manager Robert Mercer said Friday from the firm’s El Segundo, Calif., office.

One obvious attraction in football-loving southern West Virginia is the availability of NFL games — a point not lost on Mercer.

“They can watch their favorite team every Sunday,” he said.

“Now they have access to network games and any game being shown via the local network in glorious HD.

“The beautiful thing is no customer is left behind.”

For many West Virginians in rural settings, and even some in urban pockets, cable television simply isn’t offered, leaving them with no choice but to get satellite hook-ups.

And this, Mercer said, is why DIRECTV’s decision to add local channels is even more significant. Now, those without cable who sign up for the satellite service can be provided with critical local programming that keeps them abreast on the weather and news in their region.

“Not to mention their favorite daytime and prime time entertainment,” he said.

Rockefeller has been working with DIRECTV the last few years in an effort to convince the firm to add local channels for southern West Virginia viewers.

“People tune in to local programming to see what’s going on in their hometowns — if the rain will hold for the softball game or which neighbor was honored for their community service,” the senator said.

“I believe it’s so important for satellite customers to have access to the local channels they count on, which is why I worked with DIRECTV officials to make them available in the Beckley-Bluefield market.

“I applaud DIRECTV, which is a strong and valued employer in West Virginia, for making it happen.”

Rockefeller teamed with Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., to get the breakthrough.

“The senator is always persuasive,” Mercer said of Rockefeller.

“I wasn’t involved in it, but I can certainly tell you that we appreciate everything Sen. Rockefeller has done to help us bring local channels to the areas, and that includes Rep. Boucher’s as well.”

Without disclosing any numbers, for competitive reasons, Mercer said DIRECTV has “a lot” of customers now in the Beckley-Bluefield market.

“The difference now is they’re able to receive their local channels in addition to all the programming we offer,” he added.

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

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