Currently, DISH Network offers local programming in most U.S. markets and they would clearly like to be in the lead when it comes to making the most local channels available.

With that announcement and an aggressive advertising campaign in recent months, DISH appears to be ramping up their efforts to attract new customers. With a total of around 14.3 million subscribers, DISH Network is the nation’s second largest satellite television provider.

It appears that the company has their eyes on that coveted number one spot that is currently occupied by DirecTV. DISH Network appears willing to make the investment in new channels and technology that will give them a shot at earning that position.

Who would do such a thing? Not surprisingly, it’s the feds. Sticking their noses in where they don’t belong as usual. Seems that Congress  passed a law back in 2004 which mandated the local programming that satellite broadcasters could provide to all of the counties in the country and left it up to Nielsen Media Research to figure out which local channels each county should be allowed to receive.

For whatever reason, now is the time that DirecTV is being forced to act in Adams County and a lot of the residents do not agree with Nielsen’s conclusion. It appears that Adams County lies pretty close to being in between Madison and Wausau, but I don’t live in Wisconsin and don’t pretend to know what’s best for viewers in Adams County.

It’s not as if these subscribers are asking to receive local channels from Los Angeles or something, so why should they not be able to choose which market they want to receive local channels from? It appears that they are local to both market.

I presume the government, in their infinite wisdom, had the answer. I just don’t expect it to make much sense.

For more details, see WiscNews.