The reason DirecTV does not provide locla channels to all 212 markets at this time is most likely due to a lack of bandwidth to carry every station in every market. I would imagine that with the movement of HD programming to their Ka/Ku satellites after D10 is launched this spring, DirecTV will free up space to provide the local channels to the remaining 70 or so markets not served yet. As for the regulation cited, what it means is that DirecTV (and Dish Network) cannot "cherry pick" which stations they carry when they provide local channel service to a market. There may be other reasons that some channels may not be included, such as a station declining to be carried or getting in their must carry request in too late for the application window. If a station elects to go the retransmission consent route, they may not come to an agreement that would gain them carriage on one or the other DBS carrier.

I Live in western North Dakota and Dish Network offers two of the four network stations. Why does Directv not offer any, and based off the article, how can they offer two but not the rest?