Big changes have satellite subscribers speaking out

Satellite subscribers aren't happy with changes to their local news stations. A bill passed by congress requires Nielsen Media Research to define all T.V. markets by County.

They say change is good, but this is a big change for anyone with Direct-TV or the Dish Network and customers aren't happy about it.

Satellite subscribers in Adams County are flipping out over changes to their local channels.

Sally Kopke says, "People are not happy. People are just not happy."

Sally Kopke lives 60 miles outside of Madison in Southern Adams County. For years she's watched Madison's local news. But within the year DISH Network changed that and now she can only get the Wausau/Rhinelander local news.

Kopke says, "I said no no no this doesn't make any sense. I argued and argued and talked to everybody in the world at Dish Network and said this is ridiculous and they said this is the way it has to be."

Earlier this month Direct TV did the same thing forcing all satellite subscribers in Adams County to make the switch to Wausau news. She even tried putting an antenna on top her house, but it doesn't pick up Madison's signal.

Kopke says, "That's what you get for living outside of a market, so what can I say."

Kopke lives a mile off of highway 13 in a rural home in Adams County. Out here satellite is the only option.

"The quality is fine if I was interested in what happens 140 miles away from me."

She says it just doesn't make any sense. For example, Juneau and Adams County are right next to each other, yet, residents in Northern Juneau County still get Madison's news.

For Kopke it's pure frustration considering she's just 5 miles from the Columbia County border and Madison's T.V. market.

Kopke says, "Just the frustration. The total frustration of not being able to get any kind of satisfaction or clarity of the issue or why does it have to be this way when it is so inconvenient."

Adams County residents aren't alone in these changes. For example if you live in Whittenberg five miles outside of Marathon County satellite subscribers now get Green Bay news because they're in Shawano County.

Same thing, if you live in Colby, those customers will get Eau Claire news, because it's Clark County.

It all just depends on your mailing address.

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