Pinal County Supervisors meet with Citizens
6 May 2022: I attended an OWN Oracle meeting with business leaders, business and non-profits owners, and Pinal County Supervisor Jeff McClure. Due to County redistricting, Supervisor McClure will be taking over the southern Pinal County district from Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh on 1 July 2022. The Supervisor talked about my Satellite TV Reform efforts with the County. I elaborated on my work since 2013. The attendees were appreciative of my efforts to change the FCC regulation that prohibits viewing of Tucson TV stations in southern Pinal County. Supervisor McClure stated that the Board of Supervisors would be meeting soon with representatives from DirecTV and Dish TV to discuss the issue. I told the Supervisor that the satellite companies will fight a change and claim that it is technically not doable. However, their argument is flawed since some of their current customers in southern Pinal County are receiving Tucson TV stations. I was impressed with Supervisor McClure and I look forward to working with him on this critical issue. At the end of the OWN meeting, Alicia Bristow, President of OWN Oracle, presented Supervisor McClure with a framed photograph of the 2020 Bighorn Fire that threatened Oracle to hang in his office as a daily reminder of the need for Satellite TV Reform.
7 May 2022: I attended the "Copper Corridor Townhall" with Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh held in San Manuel, Arizona. As our outgoing supervisor, Supervisor Cavanaugh thanked his constituents for their past support and updated them on issues he has worked in support of the District. One of the issues he discussed was the need for Satellite TV Reform. He thanked me for my years-long efforts on the issue. He mentioned his work on the issue, including the video interviews he did in 2021. He stated that the video has been provided to members of Congress. He mentioned that some legislation on the issue is being worked in Congress, as well as the County's work on a petition to the FCC. I thanked him for his efforts, which he admitted are moving at a typical government slow pace. But at least some progress is being made. I pointed out that since well before the COVID-19 pandemic and the Bighorn Fire, I have been stating that we could not wait for the next crisis, which could be weeks, days, or hours away. At the end of his talk, Supervisor Cavanaugh presented some "Award of Excellence" challenge coins to those citizens who have worked important issues in the County. I was surprised when he called my name first!
Southern Pinal County DirecTV and Dish TV customers who are impacted by the dangerous and unfair Federal regulation should continue to write to the Pinal County Supervisors and the County Manager to keep this critical issue in front of the Board of Supervisors.
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
Update 19 May 2022
Pinal County will submit a petition to the FCC!
At the 18 May 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting, County Manager Leo Lew told the Board that
the County would be making an application to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regarding the ability for residents in the south of the County to receive Tucson news stations via their satellite provider. Currently, all residents in Pinal County receive Phoenix news stations through their satellite provider, which has proved dangerous for residents in the event of emergencies in the south of Pinal County.
You can view the County Manager's report by click the image below.
Click to view video
This is great news. Many thanks to the County Supervisors for recognizing the need to change the current FCC regulation. And thanks to all the County residents who sent comments to the Board.
Important Recent News for southern Pinal County Satellite TV Subscribers
Main Flawed Satellite TV Regulation page