AP: Senators seek satellite TV Probe (R. Murdoch vs. Dish Network)

[cascadiance]

Well, it looks like Colorado's senators are finally starting to stick up for one of its companies (Echostar), which offers Dish Network satellite TV service, and is the service that most of us satellite TV customers here on DU subscribe to, being rated more blue than DirecTV, not owned by Newscorp (Rupert Murdoch) like DirecTV, and also offers channels like Free Speech TV that DirecTV doesn't have.

Anyway, the last few months have seen Dish Network virtually assaulted on many fronts by what appears to be an effort to be an effort by Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp to try and shut down Dish Network. First he floated out trial baloon rumors that he was considering having DirecTV buy Echostar, which didn't seem to pan out for him. Then Tivo (a partner that DirecTV formerly had heavily invested in and has over half of Tivo's customers as well) sued Dish Network over a patent dispute with it's DVR, even though DirecTV arguably now owns another company, NDS, that also looks to push Tivo down the ladder in terms of DVRs too.

Now it's about local access. And lately, not only has a lawsuit been filed against Dish Network by many local station owners for violations of retransmission of network channels in certain areas, but it seems that Fox OWNED (not just all Fox affiliates), but Fox OWNED affiliates, now are fighting tooth and nail not to accept any negotiated settlement with Dish Network.

Now the Senate, at both Colorado Senators' request, looks to be investigating this arguably monpolostic strategy that Newscorp is using to utilize it's Fox Affiliates to help DirecTV take customers away from Dish Network. Thanks Senate for finally doing something about this.

We at DU should be calling members on the Judiciary committee to make sure that they follow through on this request!

From:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/15446019.htm

Posted on Tue, Sep. 05, 2006
Senators seek satellite TV probe
JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Colorado's two senators have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to look into an escalating dispute involving the nation's two dominant satellite television companies.

Sens. Wayne Allard, a Republican, and Ken Salazar, a Democrat, asked the committee in a letter last Friday to examine whether The DirecTV Group Inc., controlled by global media giant News Corp., "has engaged in behavior that would threaten the viablity of the satellite TV market."

Colorado is home to EchoStar Communications Corp. and its competing satellite television provider DISH Network.

...

Last week, EchoStar and affiliates of ABC, NBC and CBS, as well as affiliates of the Fox Network, agreed to a $100 million settlement that would allow the company to continue transmitting their signals.

Stations that air the Fox network but are not owned by Fox agreed to the settlement. But the 25 stations that are owned by Fox - a subsidiary of News Corp. - did not go along. News Corp. also owns a controlling interest in DirecTV.

Instead, Fox filed a request for an injunction that would prevent EchoStar from transmitting the signals from any of the four networks.

At the same time, DirecTV began running ads in some affected markets in an attempt to pick up EchoStar customers.

[Selteri]

1. Disgusting but not surprising.

Personally I don't care for RM's little sattelite channel either, it's setup feels awkward to me.