Channels & viewing

[Akekal]

My paramount plus on the roku has stopped showing me my local channel, I pay for the upgrade to get Showtime and my local CBS.  I initially didn't have the specific Roku Paramount Plus channel, but added that one after reading the troubleshooting tips I could find.  My local channel will show up on my laptop and my phone, but not on the Roku.  I restarted the Roku, didn't help.  

[RokuCarly]

Welcome and thank you for posting here in the Roku Community, @Akekal!

Thanks for informing us about the issues you've encountered in being unable to stream your local channels through your Paramount Plus subscription. We'd be happy to share further information about this. 

Have you tried accessing the Live TV section within The Roku Channel? Try navigating to the left-hand side menu of The Roku Channel and selecting Live TV. With Live TV, you can view both the Local News section as well as the Live TV Channel Guide.

Furthermore, this website may help you learn more about this: Why am I unable to get my live local CBS station?

We hope this helps!

Warm regards,
Carly

[RM49]

We are having the same problem. I just spent an hour on the phone with Roku customer service and in the end they told me that I have to have a cable provider in order to access my local CBS station, which makes no sense - why would I have a streaming device and pay for streaming content if I also have a cable provider. The entire point of having a streaming device is to stop paying for cable. I'd also say that's false advertising - nowhere does it say that I also have to have a cable provider in order to access my local station. 

[amayres13]

I have the same issue. I have my local zip code set but my TV thinks I’m in Chicago. That’s the local channel it will show me. My phone, iPad, and laptop all show my accurate location so I end up using airplay to stream the local cbs station to my TV from my paramount+ app. This is a ridiculous step. Please tell me there’s a work around. 

[JWS9518]

It really depends on whether the channel/broadcast you are trying to watch has a stand-alone streaming app for its content.  Not all broadcast channels have that.  Some broadcasters have free streaming apps that have limited content, some have free apps for all their content, some have a paid standalone subscription, and some can only be viewed on a streaming device if you have a paid subscription to a package, such as with a cable subscription or a streaming package that includes their content.   

A streaming device like a Roku or others is in a lot of ways like a cable box.  Yes, there are some free channels you can stream over the network, similar to what you could view directly through the internet or even over the air with an antenna, but like a cable box, you usually have to pay to get specific content. 

For example, I can get my local channels via their free apps on Roku because they have made apps for that purpose, but those channels have limited content, usually just their newscasts. 

To be able to view their full broadcast, I have to either try to view via an antenna or in my case, I pay for a subscription package through Spectrum cable where I can stream the channels through their app.  I no longer have cable boxes, which saves me some money per month, but to be able to view all the content I previously had, I kept a subscription to the channel package I had with cable boxes.  

@amayres13 You could try going into your account and see if your address is correctly set for billing and make sure your location setting is correctly set and save.  You could also try factory resetting your device and see if that helps as well.  It is possible that it is your internet provider has given you an IP that is pinging to a different location.  You can view that information if try one of the many Ip identifying programs online.  If that is the case, you could also try resetting your modem/router and see if you can get a new IP or contact your IP provider and request a new IP address.  A VPN could also be causing an issue too if you have one.  

[LindaC-W]

I am in the same boat as others who have posted. I can receive the correct local channel on Paramount + through my phone and laptop (so same IP address as the Roku), but am not receiving the correct one on Roku itself. This is not a permissions/purchase issue - I have already purchased the right to receive this channel from Paramount+; it is not a broadcast area issue, since I can receive it on my other devices. (And my address is correct in Roku's settings.)

So, still looking for an answer here.

[renojim]

@LindaC-W, did you ask Paramount?  It is their app after all.

[LindaC-W]

I just got it fixed through them! I was getting circular directions, with both companies pointing to each other for fixes. When I took it to Paramount chat feature, however, the agent was able to reset from his end and after an uninstall/reinstall, I am now getting the right local channel. Whee!