Posted on 09/07/2006 2:38:31 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper
Colorado's two U.S. senators have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate a dispute between DIRECTV and EchoStar over network channels.
News Corp., DIRECTV's parent, last week asked a federal court to stop EchoStar from providing 'distant' network signals to nearly one million subscribers. The signals, which originate from New York and Los Angeles, include both analog and High-Definition TV feeds.
EchoStar says it will pay $100 million to local stations to settle the nine-year-old legal battle over 'distant' network TV signals. The local stations are concerned that EchoStar's subscribers will watch the national signals instead of their feeds.
However, the satcaster says the Fox network, which is owned by News Corp., refused to go along with the agreement.
Sens. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Ken Salazar, D-Colo., have asked the Senate panel to examine whether DIRECTV and News Corp. "has engaged in behavior that would threaten the viability of the satellite TV market."
The senators represent Colorado where EchoStar has its headquarters.
The Associated Press reports that the Judiciary Committee is "looking into the situation and urging all parties to settle this matter to ensure uninterrupted service to consumers."
As part of the $100 million agreement with local stations, EchoStar said it would agree to expand its local network service to 95 percent of the U.S. population, making it less likely that its subscribers will need the distant signals to receive network programming.
AP writes that DIRECTV is running advertisements in the affected areas, suggesting that EchoStar subscribers may soon lose their network signals.
A Fox network spokesman says his company is doing nothing wrong, according to the AP.
My local market refuses to be carried, so bite me Senators!
Leave my Dishnetwork alone.
I just checked, my Denver, LA and NYC networks are still there. I think DirecTV is doing this to get us Dish Network subscribers to switch. I ain't switchin'. I've been a loyal Dish Network subscriber since 1998.
Leave it to a couple of dingbat pols to bollux things up. I've finally got the network channels I want, even though I'm not supposed to have them. Three of those channels are from NH and I live in NH but I'm not supposed to have them because they are part of the "Boston" market area and I'm supposed to be in the Burlington, VT - Plattsburgh, NY area. Makes perfect sense to me. /s
I started with Primestar, went to Direct when it bought out Primestar and have now had Dish for many years. And I ain't switching again neither! And there's no cable out here in the woods so that's not an option.
I asked a few years ago if I could switch to the Billings, Montana market (for Montana news), they said I couldn't, and I said I would want things left the way they are. Echostar agreed with my request and since then, hasn't turned those distant stations off. The market I am in (Minot/Bismarck, ND) two stations refuse to be carried, so Dish Network only carries one. I ain't paying $5.99 for one channel, but I am however paying $12.99 for three distant markets that have all 4 networks.
Echostar knows I have NY, LA, and Denver, but I have not told them to switch to what is considered my local market. They won't switch or turn them off without your approval. As long as your happy, I wouldn't say anything to them. :)
The fact that nobody is watching the big three networks anymore has little to do with distribution channels and everything to do with the product.
Network TV does still have value and viewers. I personally don't watch the network news, it's the only thing I refuse to watch. The biggest PLUS with having networks from clear across the country is "time shifting". If I miss an episode of '24' on WNYW-NY, I can time shift an hour later and watch it on KDVR-Denver, or three hours later on KTLA-LA.
these senators on a last dutch effort to appear relevant?
With these goobers messing with the sat companies only means one thing.....
MY SAT BILL WILL BE GOING UP!!!!!!
Thanks for nothing, MORONS!!!!!
My oldest son had a bumper sticker on his government notebook in high school that read "US Government Policy: If It Ain't Broke, Fix It 'til It Is!" Ain't it the truth!
Local station's argue that local advertisers are getting the shaft from those of us like you and me who opt to subscribe to distant networks. That's mainly the reason why they wanted you and I to be denied the option of distant networks because Joe Blow's Ford/Mercury/Cadillac located "on the edge of town" ain't getting business from you and I. Even if Joe Blow's Ford/Mercury/Cadillac ads were being seen by me, the chances of me dropping in to see his show room clear across the state are slim to none.
I went through this years ago and finally got distant signals after Direct TV made a deal with the locals. I live in a rural area and cable is not an option either.
If you bought a book out of state, and brought it in state, would you have to pay the local book store a royalty fee before you read it? This is not a perfect analogy but I think it is like what the locals are asking for.
I subscribed to Dish Network, and the gal on the phone asked me if I had cable service within the last 90 days, and I said no and that I live 20 miles from the nearest town with cable.
I know, it is goofy, and 9 times out of 10 the government doesn't know what the hell it's doing and mucks things up trying to find a solution.
This is insane. One should be able to have a subscription to whichever programming they wish to watch.
I just recently signed up, got their "everything" package. I can't believe I never signed up before. I adore it and would probably have a difficult time ever giving it up.
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