Everyday I see more and more satellite dishes on balconies and patio areas. You can't really blame folks for wanting more channels for less money. Just drive through any apartment or condominium community and you will see these ugly satellite dishes plastered all over the place. Too bad satellite dishes can't also serve as small windmills that provide alternative energy...(hmmm, you never know). Independently installed satellite dishes in apartments pose a huge liability issue and are of course, very unsightly.
So What's A Property Owner To Do?
According to the FCC's ruling on "Over-The-Air-Reception-Devices" (OTARD), owners cannot restrict a resident from installing a satellite dish (up to one meter in diameter) within the confines of their leased or dwelling space.
Tv Mounts
The solution to this "balcony dish problem" lies in the properties ability to offer residents a premium satellite TV service, at a competitive rate WITHOUT having to mount dishes throughout the apartment community. For this reason, "shared-satellite-dish-systems" have begun to spring up in the multifamily market in a huge way.
A shared satellite system allows all apartment units to have access to satellite TV programming packages without the need for a satellite dish or southwest exposure. That's right! No need to turn away potential residents because you have no available units facing southwest.
There are companies that are focused on providing these solutions, and more and more owners are beginning to seek them out. They are not your "run-of-the-mill" satellite tv retailers (putting dishes on balconies). They are more like small private cable companies. And in most cases, property owners don't need to spend a dime to have a system installed.