DirecTV to offer local channels Portland to see change by year’s end

PORTLAND – Competition between cable and satellite TV companies could heat up later this year in southern Maine.

That’s because DirecTV has announced that it will add local, over-the-air TV stations to its satellite lineup, thus eliminating one of the major differences between satellite and cable services.

Satellite television customers for years haven’t been able to get local stations through their dishes, requiring them to set up their TVs to temporarily disconnect from the satellite system and take the local stations out of the air.

Peter Brown, a writer for Via Satellite trade publication, said the addition of local channels will likely increase competition in the markets where Time Warner Cable of Maine and Adelphia, the dominant cable systems in Maine, have held the upper hand.

Brown, who lives on Mount Desert Island, said the lack of local channels is a major reason why many people don’t get satellite dishes, or drop satellite programming and switch – or switch back – to cable.

“Having the local channels available on satellite is a way of reducing that churn,” and keep customers on satellite, Brown said.

DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said the change should come near the end of the year, but the exact timing depends on when the company can launch another satellite that can be used to beam signals. Portland is one of 39 markets where local stations are being added, he said.

DirecTV is based in California and has about 11 million customers nationally. Mercer declined to say how many subscribers DirecTV has in southern Maine.

Gary Stack, vice president of marketing for Time Warner Cable of Maine, said he’s not concerned about DirecTV adding the local channels.

He said cable is offering new features like movies on demand and digital video recorders built into the set-top unit that gives it a leg up on satellite systems. He also said the all-in-one approach of offering television programming, Internet service and telephone service is an advantage.

“We’re going to be offering a customer digital cable and high-speed data, all delivered through one wire, and now we’re going to be able to offer digital phones and all on one bill,” he said.

Brown agreed that cable is preferable for many consumers because of its multiple products. But, he added, a disadvantage is “a lot of people are not happy to be in a situation where they only have one provider and the cable guys have just been gung-ho on their rate increases above the rate of inflation.”

Mercer said DirecTV will compete with cable in Maine with low prices. He said the system’s most popular package offers 130 channels for $39.99.