Governmental Actions, or the Lack Thereof
4 January 2023: I sent the following email to our new Congressional Representative Juan Ciscomani (via his web form https://ciscomani.house.gov:
I want to make you aware of the toughest challenge for your first 30 days as our Representative. It is an issue that you probably have never heard of since you personally have not been impacted by it. This issue puts the lives your southern Pinal County constituents at risk and harms businesses in your District.
The Federal Government bans residents here from viewing Tucson TV stations (30 miles away) via satellite TV providers. It requires that only Phoenix TV stations (120 miles away) be provided. Residents cannot get local TV news, weather, sports, advertising, AND local emergency information. In 2013 I began working to get Congress to fix the dangerous and unfair "Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act" (STELA) legislation. Our Congressional Representatives acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, but failed to take action to correct it. In 2015 I began working with the Pinal County Board of Supervisors on a petition to the FCC for a "Market Area Modification". That effort continues, but the County is limited on what it can do on a Federal Government issue. Some members of Congress believe the Internet is a "solution" to the dangerous and unfair FCC Designated Market Area (DMA) regulation. However, as dramatically demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Bighorn Fire in 2020, the Internet is not and cannot be the solution to real-time access to Tucson TV stations by rural southern Pinal County citizens.
Satellite TV Reform is a complex issue with many challenges. But a solution must be implemented now to allow DirecTV and Dish TV subscribers in southern Pinal County access to Tucson TV stations. After that, Phoenix and Tucson DMA stakeholders can then take the time necessary to work out contractual and financial details. Congress and the FCC must not continue to fail Arizona citizens while waiting for the next crisis that could be weeks, days, or hours away.
Contact me to learn more.
Mike Weasner
Satellite TV Reform Advocate
No response has been received from his office.
10 January 2023: A meeting was held in Senator Mark Kelly's Tucson office to discuss the issue. This meeting was set up by a group working on emergency planning for Saddlebrooke Ranch. They have been working on the local channels issue since 2015, as communication in an emergency is key to saving lives. The meeting was also attended by a representative of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. I was invited to the meeting, but unfortunately, I was not able to attend. As a followup to the meeting, I sent the following email to the County Board representative on 13 January:
As you may be aware, I have been working with the Pinal County Board of Supervisors on this issue since 2015. Then Supervisors Smith and Rios were supportive of my efforts. In 2020 I began working with Supervisor Cavanaugh and now with Supervisor McClure.
I had been invited me to the meeting this past Tuesday but I was not able to attend due to another commitment.
If you are not aware of my ongoing efforts on this critical issue, see my reports at:
http://www.weasner.com/STELA_FCC_DMA/index.html
On 4 January 2023, I sent a message to Representative Ciscamoni to make him aware of the issue and that lives in his District are being put at risk and businesses in his District are being harmed by the flawed, dangerous, and unfair FCC Designated Market Area regulation as applied to southern Pinal County. I have not yet heard back from him or his staff.
Please keep me informed of your efforts to get this ongoing and unacceptable situation resolved by our Federal Government.
Mike Weasner
Satellite TV Reform Advocate
Oracle, Arizona
No response was received and it remains to be seen what positive Governmental actions happen as a result of the meeting.
As of 30 January 2023, there is nothing new to report from the Pinal County Supervisors or the Pinal County Manager on this critical issue.
DirecTV or Dish TV subscribers who live in southern Pinal County should continue to contact the Pinal County Supervisors about this critical issue that prohibits viewing the Tucson TV stations. The Board of Supervisors needs to hear from their constituents that an URGENT solution is needed. Here is contact information for the Board:
Supervisor Jeffrey McClure: bosdistrict4@pinal.gov
Supervisor Mike Goodman: mike.goodman@pinal.gov
Supervisor Stephen Miller: Stephen.Miller@pinal.gov
Supervisor Jeff Serdy: jeff.serdy@pinal.gov
Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh: kevin.cavanaugh@pinal.gov
Pinal County Manager Leo Lew: countymanager@pinal.gov
Pinal County Clerk of the Board Natasha Kennedy: Natasha.Kennedy@pinalcountyaz.gov
Please cc me (mweasner@mac.com) on any emails you send. Thank you.
Some progress being made, more progress needed
Main Flawed Satellite TV Regulation page