Interesting since it has CA Exempt plates, why would we be paying for direct tv on an officials car?
I've worked inside mobile command posts, some inside trailers and some inside large motor homes. Many of them have equipment to pick up local TV broadcasts and a number of large screen TV's. Sometimes it is useful to see how the media is reporting the incident you are on, sometimes getting coverage of other on-going incidents is useful and sometimes it is useful to have a national TV news station on. I know when I worked in incident information it was useful to see how the media was reporting on the incident I was on as many people use the incident information phone line after watching a media report.
We did this prior to digital TV and only when we were in topography that allowed us over the air access to TV stations. I wonder if satellite TV is used when topography prevents picking up a ground based TV broadcast?
I imagine that incident command posts might find it useful to video conference as well. The ability to upload/download video at an incident command post might be useful also. Many agencies utilize SUV's as mini command posts spread across a state so as to get such a vehicle on scene more quickly than a large, RV based, command post can do. The CHP has 6 or 8 SUV based command posts stationed around the state and they only have a couple of the larger units.
I've worked in and from incident command posts without cell or landline phone available within 50 miles due to topography and/or isolation. We had to use a satellite link for the internet. Computer based programs for logistics, resource tracking and ordering for same greatly improve accuracy and efficiency, especially as incidents grew to sizes that could not be conceived of in the early 70's when I started my career. That is yet one more reason that satellite dishes are installed on command post vehicles.
All the large fire departments I worked with on wildland fires in southern California had fax machines in all their battalion chief vehicles and were cell phone based. Cell phones don't work everywhere, even in low elevation, seemingly flat areas. A sat phone based fax machine might be employed.
This may explain why an SUV has a satellite TV antenna on it. I doubt that the vehicle is provided with an HBO, Showtime, etc. account so movies can be viewed. Although on some long term incidents I've been on we rented large screen TV's, VCR's and popcorn machines to provide a nightly theater for folks. Such amenities may seem as luxuries from a couple points of view, for taxpayers and for people spiked out on firelines, but actually improve moral and help people get some stimulation for the brain, both of which improve productivity, sustainability of long term assignments and safety. We just started to use DVD players when I retired. I think having HBO and similar could improve on a VCR/DVD theater operation.
Often when I was working line assignments it was all I could do to get dinner, shower and 5-6 hours of sleep after getting back in camp considering shifts that often exceeded 12 hours, extended travel time to and from the line and often times meal and shower units too small for the size of the incident. Trying to fit in a movie would have been difficult, but if dinner and a shower could be had in 60-90 minutes and quicker travel times were involved catching a movie would have been great. It would have been good for clearing out the cobwebs from a brain affected by smoke, long hours and continuous exposure to hazards. Not to mention having to spend all of your waking hours with the same people for weeks at a time. On a few fires we were on 24 hour shifts and catching a movie on an off day would have been nice.
So, I think this might explain why a satellite dish is installed on government vehicles.