Story by Chris Graham
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Some Valley satellite-TV subscribers will finally be able to receive local television stations as part of their channel lineups.
DirecTV is providing local TV stations in the Harrisonburg TV market – including Harrisonburg and Rockingham and Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta – beginning today.
The news was announced yesterday by Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who has been working for several years to get satellite providers to offer local stations to their Valley customers.
“I have been working very closely with DirecTV for years now to bring local television stations via satellite to consumers in this market,” Goodlatte said. “I am extremely pleased to announce DirecTV’s decision to bring local channels to consumers here. Finally, consumers in these rural areas – often beyond the reach of cable lines – will have access to local programming and emergency news and information via satellite.”
Included among the local offerings is WVPT-Virginia’s Public Television, which has itself been working to get on satellite TV for several years.
“WVPT is excited to now be seen by many viewers in Harrisonburg and the surrounding area, who as DirecTV subscribers have missed this local connection of the public-television program services we provide,” said David Mullins, president and general manager of WVPT-TV.
Other stations to be offered to Valley DirecTV customers include local ABC and Fox affiliates in Harrisonburg.
“We are so happy to finally be available by satellite,” said Tracy Jones, vice president and general manager of WHSV-TV3. “We have been working for years with Congressman Goodlatte’s office to try to coax the process along so that people in the Valley could have access to local news. Now homes in Rockingham, Augusta and Pendleton counties will get four local stations (TV3 ABC, The Valley’s FOX, My Valley and WVPT-PBS) – almost worth the wait.”
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The Augusta Free Press.
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