Last week DISH Network launched local-to-local service in the 29 markets it did not already serve, making it the only satellite carrier to offer such service in all 210 television markets. Incentives for DISH to offer this service in all markets were provided in the just passed Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA), which made it one of the pre-requisites for restoring DISH's right to carry distant network signals. Obtaining local-into-local service in all markets was a major NAB objective in its negotiations over STELA.

Commenting on DISH Network's announcement, NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton issued the following statement: "For more than a decade, NAB has worked for expansion of local-into-local television service in all 210 TV markets across America. Local TV broadcasters provide both the highest-rated entertainment programming as well as local news reports that can be lifesaving in times of crisis. By offering each of their customers access to local TV stations, DISH Network enhances localism and preserves the enduring values of broadcast television."

To view the DISH press release announcing this development, click here.