Satellite subscribers who reside north of the county line will have to rely on Phoenix TV stations for "local" news.
Those such as Alf Bergesen, who has a Marana mailing address but lives just inside the Pinal County border, near Missile Base Road, can't access Tucson news stations. Dish Network, adhering to guidelines set by Nielsen as designated marketing areas, considers him to be part of the Phoenix region.
Marci Heath, who chairs the Committee for Dividing Pinal County, said the Federal Communications Commission denied her petition to have south-eastern Pinal County residents receive Tucson programming. The more than 1,600 petition signatures she collected couldn't get the FCC to budge.
"They will not change their present designation corresponding to the Nielsen designated marketing areas," Heath said via email. "All satellite TV providers must feed all Pinal County residents Phoenix local channels in accordance with their licensing agreements with the FCC."
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Heath said the FCC suggested that Pinal residents who want Tucson programming should either contact their providers and try to buy access to local channels, switch to cable or try to catch signals over the air. Watching news broadcasts online is another option.
"Unfortunately, each consumer is going to have to invent their own method of meeting their desired results," Heath said. "Some residents have already found their own unique method of receiving Tucson channels. They may want to share their findings with their neighbors to save reinventing the wheel over and over."
Tucsonan on ABC show
Parker Young, a 2007 Catalina Foothills grad, is a high schooler once again on the ABC sitcom "Suburgatory."
The show, which airs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, stars Jeremy Sisto as a single dad who moves his misanthropic daughter (Jane Levy) from the city to the suburbs. Young plays an upbeat, athletic neighbor who is the opposite of the daughter and is a potential romantic interest.
This is Young's first regular gig in the spotlight. He's also appeared in bit parts on "CSI: NY," "Big Time Rush" and "Days of Our Lives."
Nuñez to anchor show
KGUN Channel 9 has tapped Steve Nuñez to serve on its morning anchor desk, where he'll start Monday. He places the departed Ian Reitz.
A Tucson High grad, Nuñez graduated from the University of Arizona and started at KGUN as an intern in 1993. He formerly worked as a reporter at the station.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
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