A digital wireless broadcast system, comprising: a plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) respectively configured to wirelessly transmit a digital symbol stream over a frequency spectrum to corresponding plurality of service areas (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140); a satellite (210, 1110) configured to wirelessly transmit the digital symbol stream over the frequency spectrum to the plurality of service areas (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140); the plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) are configured such that the digital symbol stream from each ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) and the digital symbol stream from the satellite (210, 1110) arrive within a predetermined time period of each other in each corresponding service area (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140) by advancing the timing of the signal transmission from each ground station by an amount substantially equal to r c relative to the satellite signal as it would be received at a location directly under the respective ground station, where r is a radius of the respective service area and c is the speed of light; the predetermined time period is a relative delay between the digital symbol stream from the satellite (210, 1110) and from the ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) that is within a range for which a receiver in the corresponding service area (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140) is capable of decoding the digital symbol stream; and the plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) are configured such that a timing of the digital symbol stream transmission from at least one ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) is independently controllable from a timing of the digital symbol stream transmission from at least one other ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120); characterized in that at least one ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) is configured to receive a programming information corresponding to the digital symbol stream from a source other than the satellite (210, 1110) for retransmission. a plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) respectively configured to wirelessly transmit a digital symbol stream over a frequency spectrum to corresponding plurality of service areas (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140); a satellite (210, 1110) configured to wirelessly transmit the digital symbol stream over the frequency spectrum to the plurality of service areas (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140); the plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) are configured such that the digital symbol stream from each ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) and the digital symbol stream from the satellite (210, 1110) arrive within a predetermined time period of each other in each corresponding service area (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140) by advancing the timing of the signal transmission from each ground station by an amount substantially equal to r c relative to the satellite signal as it would be received at a location directly under the respective ground station, where r is a radius of the respective service area and c is the speed of light; the predetermined time period is a relative delay between the digital symbol stream from the satellite (210, 1110) and from the ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) that is within a range for which a receiver in the corresponding service area (240, 340, 440, 640, 740, 840, 1140) is capable of decoding the digital symbol stream; and the plurality of ground stations (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) are configured such that a timing of the digital symbol stream transmission from at least one ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) is independently controllable from a timing of the digital symbol stream transmission from at least one other ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120); characterized in that at least one ground station (220, 320, 620, 720, 820, 1120) is configured to receive a programming information corresponding to the digital symbol stream from a source other than the satellite (210, 1110) for retransmission.