Boston Considering Ordinance Banning TV Satellite Dishes

Citing a need to preserve historic charm, Boston is the first big city to weigh rules for dishes.

1 minute read

October 23, 2006, 9:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Quick. How can you tell which way is south in Boston? Answer: Just look up to see what direction everybody's satellite TV dishes are pointed.

The proliferation of satellite television from companies like DirectTV and EchoStar has some city councilors here considering an ordinance to minimize the visibility of the dishes in the name of preserving the historic charm of neighborhoods.

Installers often forego roofs and backs of buildings, opting to bolt the receivers near windows facing streets. Rather than reusing or dismantling older dishes, companies usually tack on another dish for each new customer in an apartment. The result, as seen in photos at a city council meeting Friday, are mutliplexes that begin to look like the Star Ship Enterprise.

Beantown is the first major city to take on the issue, but it's unlikely to be the last, as gentrifying urban areas grow more sensitive to property values, and as the dishes accumulate with renter turnover. Less clear is whether federal rules allow municipal governments much leeway to regulate the matter."

Sunday, October 22, 2006 in The Christian Science Monitor

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight