Flawed, dangerous, unfair Satellite TV Regulation

Local lives put at risk and local businesses harmed

Federal Government put American lives at risk for over 11 years

FINAL UPDATE: 7 October 2024
SPECIAL UPDATE: 23 May 2025

When Laurraine and I moved to Oracle, Arizona, in 2009 we were surprised to learn that the Federal Government prohibited us from watching the Tucson TV stations (30 miles away) via a satellite TV provider. Instead the Government required that we only receive the Phoenix TV stations (about 120 miles away). That meant we could not view the nearest TV stations with their local news, weather, sports, advertising, and local emergency information.

We tolerated the flawed Federal legislation for a few years, but in 2013 I began working to get Congress to fix the flawed, dangerous, and unfair "Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act" (STELA) legislation that it created. DirecTV and Dish TV must comply with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Designated Market Area (DMA) regulation that puts all of Pinal County in the Phoenix TV market area. Over the years I have written many letters and emails to elected officials, TV station managers, and others in my efforts to get Congress to stop putting local lives at risk and harming local businesses by enacting a "Market Area Modification" for southern Pinal County, Arizona. Unfortunately, our Federal Government has continued to fail the citizens of southern Arizona and not enacted necessary change, even with two local serious crises in 2020. The issue is not specific to southern Pinal County, Arizona. It also affects several other locations in the United States. The next crisis could be weeks, days, or hours away. Congress and the FCC must not continue to fail American citizens.

Over the years since 2013 I become the Pinal County "point person" on this issue. To broaden awareness, this blog documented the issue, my efforts, and results. Updates were posted as appropriate. This will likely be my last update as there is a finally good news to report.

My initial efforts to get Congress to fix STELA	2013-2014
Pinal County Government gets involved	2015-2017
Our Congressman is embarrassed in Oracle	2018-2019
I am proved right - Lives are being put at risk	January-June 2020
COVID-19 pandemic and Bighorn Fire crises not serious enough for the Government to act	July 2020
I significantly increase my efforts to get Congress to act responsibly	August-September 2020
Looking at Legal Options	October 2020
Phone Calls to Congress, Washington Post Op-Ed	November 2020
Wasted Time and Lost Opportunity in 2020 thanks to Our Congressman	December 2020
STELA fiasco thanks to Congress and the FCC	January 2021
Pinal County working to get changes in Federal Legislation	February 2021
Pinal County working behind the scenes	March 2021
Another Wildfire, Another Day of Congress Putting Lives at Risk	April 2021
Legal Actions Pursued against Congress STELA Legislation	May 2021
Members of Congress incapable of understanding local TV dangers they created	June 2021
STELA Reform Coalition efforts	July 2021
Pursuing Unconstitutionality of STELA Legislation	August 2021
The illogic of STELA law and some lawyers	September 2021
Failure of our elected officials in Washington to comprehend a serious local issue	October 2021
Arizona State Legislature support	November 2021
A New Plan is Formulated	December 2021
Community Meeting on Satellite TV Reform	January 2022
Pinal County Board of Supervisors meeting - 23 February 2022	February 2022
Pinal County Board of Supervisors FCC Petition Status?	March 2022
Pinal County Board of Supervisors moves slowly; is still investigating the issue	April 2022
Pinal County Supervisors meet with Citizens	May 2022
Important Recent News for southern Pinal County Satellite TV Subscribers	June 2022
Status of FCC Television "Market Area Modification" for southern Pinal County	July 2022
Pinal County Supervisor meets with Local Citizens, some progress reported	August 2022
Pinal County Supervisor update to Local Citizens	September 2022
Emergency Alert System fails due to flawed FCC DMA	December 2022
Governmental Actions, or the Lack Thereof	January 2023
Some progress being made, more progress needed	February 2023
Important Pinal County Update!	March 2023
Major Pinal County Progress on FCC Petition!	April 2023
Southern Pinal County TV survey available!	27 April 2023
Southern Pinal County TV survey ending soon!	June 2023
Southern Pinal County TV survey completed, next step	July 2023
Pinal County Approves TV Market Modification Petition for Submittal to the FCC	December 2023
Pinal County TV Market Modification Petition submitted to the FCC!	January 2024
FCC DMA Story sent to Representative Juan Ciscomani	February 2024
FCC APPROVES TV MARKET MODIFICATION FOR PINAL COUNTY!!!	April 2024
Good News for Southern Pinal County Satellite TV Customers!	October 2024
Tucson TV Station report on local wildfire & TV coverage	May 2025

Comments welcome. Email me at mweasner@mac.com.

Read my Short Biography to learn more about me.