Putting a whole new spin on the distant network debate, DIRECTV will be offering subscribers in Los Angeles the chance to watch NBC some three hours ahead of time. How? The satcaster is launching a new service called “NBC in N.Y . - Only in L.A.” that will air the east-coast feed simultaneously in sunny SoCal.

As first reported on TVPredictions.com, DIRECTV is offering eligible subs in Los Angeles to add WNBC - the NBC-owned station in New York City - to their local satellite channel lineup for an additional $5.99 per month. As a prerequisite for WNBC, a west-coast DIRECTV customer must not be able to receive an NBC station signal other than KNBC, the L.A. area NBC-owned affiliate.

Residents in Los Angeles will be able to watch NBC programming three hours before other TV viewers in the city by tuning in to New York’s WNBC. According to the site, DIRECTV’s new service only includes WNBC’s standard definition feed.

“Both WNBC and KNBC are owned and operated by NBC, which presumably explains why the Los Angeles NBC station signed off on permitting another local station to be viewed in its territory,” wrote TVPredictions’ Phillip Swann. “Federal law does not permit a TV provider to offer an ‘out-of-market’ network signal unless the local affiliate grants a waiver.”

A DIRECTV spokesman told the site that the company has no plans to offer a similar out-of-market network feed in any other city.