IDOC'S NEW SATELLITE TV CONTRACT IS A BUST - OTA CHANNEL ISSUES: Part 2 of 3

Since the switchover from the [old] satellite television system on March 21, 2024 to the current system at the Idaho State Correctional Center (ISCC), configured by the contractor (A+ Satellite) located in Meridian, ID, it has become increasingly clear that the number of Over-The-Air (OTA) channels required by the contract between the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) and A+ is going to be an issue needing resolution by whatever means.

The IDOC/A+ contract requires all the OTA channels available (at the facility) be provided at each of the drops (TV cable connectors), as well as a [minimum] 32 Core satellite channels. According to an April, 2024 email from Caleb Hansen, owner of A+, it's his position that the limitation of the equipment installed by his company to receive and distribute 72 channels is the maximum number of channels that will be provided for the facility. That's certainly not the last word on the matter however.

Currently, the number of satellite (Core) channels (32 per contract) and qualifying OTA channels (those which are not advertising, shopping, etc.) exceeds the number of channels the [current] installed equipment is designed to handle. Mr. Hansen's contention that all the OTA channels are being 'received' by the antenna, and that prison administrators will have to pick only 40 of the (approximately 55) OTA channels to provide to each drop simply doesn't pass the giggle test. That's like telling a customer that a TV antenna they have installed on your roof is receiving all the channels, but not hooking the antenna to the TV.

As it stands, there are several OTA channels available at the ISCC but are not being provided as required by contract. These include, but are not limited to: Quest (7-4), Scripps News (12-4), AVN/Real America's Voice (22-1), Retro (22-7), Motorsports 1 (31-3), Outlaw (31-5), The 365 (31-6), TBD (35-2), EstrellaTV (41-2), TeleXitos (41-3) and TCN (43-6). Each of these OTA channels, IN ADDITION to those channels currently being provided, must be made available on each drop for A+ to be in compliance with the contract.

Exacerbating the problem, the Spanish language channel Telemundo, both the East Coast AND the West Coast feeds (the same programming with a 2 hour difference) are BOTH being sourced from satellite and aired on the television system at the ISCC (Channels 43 and 46) despite Telemundo being available on 2 separate OTA channels (39-1 and 41-1). This means there is no need to use a satellite channel to provide access to this channel, and the satellite channel could be used for something that REQUIRES satellite reception. Further, only one of the [duplicate] OTA Telemundo channels need be aired on the ISCC system.

This same process of sourcing channels available OTA from satellite feeds is also being used on the following channels : Bounce (6-4), 3ABN (31-1), Daystar (41-6) and SBN (43-2). Correcting this means six (6) of the thirty-two (32) channels required to be Core package would freed up for satellite reception.

There really isn't much room for debate on this subject. The contract requires that all OTA channels be provided. If the current equipment is not capable of providing all channels, there needs to be more or different equipment installed that can do the job, otherwise there is a breach of contract... Simple as that.

As third party beneficiaries to the IDOC/A+ satellite television services, there are a couple thousand prisoners ready to litigate the problems with the satellite television system at the SBC and the ISCC. Unfortunately for A+, the IDOC/A+contract contains 'hold harmless' and similar clauses, forcing the small local company to assume all liabilities and defend both themselves and the State in court - if it comes to that.

See Part 3 of this Article Soon!