01-29-02, 04:01 AM
The Word Network, a channel offering African-American programming that has been at the center of protests due to its lack of carriage on EchoStar's DISH Network, has contacted regulators about denying the satellite TV company's proposed merger with DirecTV.
The Word Network asked the Federal Communications Commission to oppose the transfer control of DBS licenses between EchoStar and DirecTV, required as part of the pending $26 billion transaction.
In its petition at the FCC, the Word Network said it has "gone to great lengths to meet all of EchoStar’s requirements, but has never been able to meet whatever criteria EchoStar unilaterally imposes on those it bestows the right to be carried on its set-aside channels." The set-aside channels contain educational and public interest programming.
The network went on to say that its review of the programming EchoStar carries "raises questions as to whether it is excluding programmers who direct their non-commercial educational programming at the African American community."
In response, EchoStar said requests for carriage by Word Network and other public interest programmers "underscores the importance of the pending merger." The company said a combined satellite TV entity will provide bandwidth that will allow delivery of local channels in more cities, faster introduction of high-speed Internet access as well as more public interest channels.
EchoStar and DirecTV currently duplicate about a half dozen public interest channels. "The merger will free up this limited spectrum and enable the new company to carry more public interest channels," EchoStar said. "And because Word Network is also currently offered on DirecTV, it would continue to be offered to customers of the new company after the pending merger is approved."
Because the number of qualified applicants exceeded the number of public interest channels available for 2001, EchoStar said it was unable to offer carriage to other public interest channel applicants, including Word Network. EchoStar said it carries programming made by and for African-Americans such as CoLours TV, BET and Black Starz.
On Monday, EchoStar was the target of a second protest by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, which has been pressuring EchoStar to carry The Word Network.
From <a href="http://www.skyreport.com" target=none>SkyReport</a> (Used with permission)
The Word Network asked the Federal Communications Commission to oppose the transfer control of DBS licenses between EchoStar and DirecTV, required as part of the pending $26 billion transaction.
In its petition at the FCC, the Word Network said it has "gone to great lengths to meet all of EchoStar’s requirements, but has never been able to meet whatever criteria EchoStar unilaterally imposes on those it bestows the right to be carried on its set-aside channels." The set-aside channels contain educational and public interest programming.
The network went on to say that its review of the programming EchoStar carries "raises questions as to whether it is excluding programmers who direct their non-commercial educational programming at the African American community."
In response, EchoStar said requests for carriage by Word Network and other public interest programmers "underscores the importance of the pending merger." The company said a combined satellite TV entity will provide bandwidth that will allow delivery of local channels in more cities, faster introduction of high-speed Internet access as well as more public interest channels.
EchoStar and DirecTV currently duplicate about a half dozen public interest channels. "The merger will free up this limited spectrum and enable the new company to carry more public interest channels," EchoStar said. "And because Word Network is also currently offered on DirecTV, it would continue to be offered to customers of the new company after the pending merger is approved."
Because the number of qualified applicants exceeded the number of public interest channels available for 2001, EchoStar said it was unable to offer carriage to other public interest channel applicants, including Word Network. EchoStar said it carries programming made by and for African-Americans such as CoLours TV, BET and Black Starz.
On Monday, EchoStar was the target of a second protest by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, which has been pressuring EchoStar to carry The Word Network.
From <a href="http://www.skyreport.com" target=none>SkyReport</a> (Used with permission)