Missing shows from PBS locals...

07-31-2010, 09:54 AM

For my entire life, I was with Rogers (previously Skyline) cable in Ottawa. Every Saturday morning since I was a kid, I would wake up to This Old House on PBS Watertown. Since moving to the country last fall and having to make the switch to the BEV dish, I miss the shows that aren't shown on the PBS feeds. Is there a PBS local that I am missing? Or, is my only alternative to add an OTA to pull in WNPE Watertown?

**Anteater** · 07-31-2010, 03:20 PM

There are loads of feeds for the networks (CBS, PBS, ABC, etc.). I guess Bell just doesn't have the one that you had before... around here detroit public tv is on cable but it's not on ExpressVu - can't really remember what the PBS East feed on BEV is

07-31-2010, 11:08 PM

284 is PBS East. The problem is the national PBS feeds don't carry the programming that the local does.

I guess I need to start to look into what antenna I will need to plug into my 9200 to pick it up.

**Anteater** · 08-01-2010, 02:14 AM

I know what channel it is... I just meant I didn't know what city it was coming from. But yeah... some programming varies from feed to feed and Bell only offers the eastern feed and the western feed from WA.

08-01-2010, 09:31 AM

Although they carry the "national" (HD?) feed, doesn't BEV carry any of the SD local PBS channels? I believe on Rogers we get about 3-4 PBS (SD) channels if you subscribe to the timeshift package.

08-01-2010, 01:40 PM

I had lots of calls about similar issues when I was at EV...
Videotron does carry the Burlington station while EV doesn't, an programming is different...

EV carries the PBS feed from Boston (called PBS East/284) and Seattle (Called PBS West/291), while Rogers (according to the web site, I never personnaly had them) carries the PBS feed of Detroit, Seattle and Buffalo...
If you are in the Eastern part of Canada you can get the West feed for 1$/month (it's included if you pay your Digital Standard at 32$)
If you are in the Western part of Canada you can get the East feed for 1$/month (it's included if you pay your Digital Standard at 32$)

The PBS HD channels are the same PBS Seattle and PBS Boston, but in HD format

Since the programming varies from one PBS station to the other it is possible that you miss some of the show you loved when you were with Rogers...

You can go on the bell.ca contact us form and suggest the channels you miss...more there is clients requestng it greater are the chances that they add it

08-01-2010, 10:23 PM

You should be able to find most PBS programming on one of the two EV PBS SD stations. They may not be on at the same time and there are exceptions due to local programming choices. PBS provides programming to local stations but the decision on whether and when to air is made by the stations themselves. (It often boils down to finances and programming cost.) Some stations stick closely to the national schedule but others change it considerably.

08-02-2010, 05:47 AM

PBS on ch. 284 (which isn't the national feed, it's WGBH Boston) does carry "The This Old House Hour" at 5pm on Saturdays and 4am on Friday.

Since WGBH is in "begging for donations mode" about 50% of the time these days, they pre-empt the Saturday showing. So, the 4am Friday showing is often 5 or 6 episodes ahead of the Saturday showing.

08-02-2010, 10:18 AM

They show "Ask This Old House", a different show. It's not just This Old House I miss, there is a whole line up of shows (Hometime, Tracks Ahead, New Yankee Workshop, etc) that I miss from Saturdays.

I'm researching the OTA options to see if I can get the Watertown NY feed through me 9200.

**classicsat** · 08-02-2010, 06:58 PM

Unlike the other networks, PBS affiliates are rather flexible in their scheduling and purchase of "Network" programming.

It depends on the station about TOH and ATOH. Some have package it as "This Old House Hour", others as individual programmes.

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