Steve Mehs
04-11-02, 04:03 AM
Two commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission criticized the Media Bureau concerning parts of its ruling on EchoStar's use of a second dish to deliver a select set of local TV channels to customers.
Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin and Michael Copps, the lone Democrat on the panel, issued a joint statement Wednesday that took issue with the Media Bureau's handling of remedies for EchoStar's two-dish offering for locals. Last week, the bureau found EchoStar violated statutory and regulatory requirements with its use of a second dish to deliver a select set of local TV channels.
Both commissioners said EchoStar’s two-dish solution "failed to provide consumers with access to local broadcast signals at a nondiscriminatory price or in a nondiscriminatory manner." They essentially agreed with the Media Bureau's findings that the two-dish offering violated the law and FCC rules.
But they criticized the bureau for devising a remedy that they said could allow EchoStar to keep the two-dish solution. "Such a remedy effectively eviscerates the finding that EchoStar’s current policy is unlawful," they said.
"We fear that the order will allow EchoStar to continue its two-dish policy - albeit with better notice - in a manner that continues to make some local broadcast signals inaccessible to consumers as a practical matter."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com) (Used with permission)
Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin and Michael Copps, the lone Democrat on the panel, issued a joint statement Wednesday that took issue with the Media Bureau's handling of remedies for EchoStar's two-dish offering for locals. Last week, the bureau found EchoStar violated statutory and regulatory requirements with its use of a second dish to deliver a select set of local TV channels.
Both commissioners said EchoStar’s two-dish solution "failed to provide consumers with access to local broadcast signals at a nondiscriminatory price or in a nondiscriminatory manner." They essentially agreed with the Media Bureau's findings that the two-dish offering violated the law and FCC rules.
But they criticized the bureau for devising a remedy that they said could allow EchoStar to keep the two-dish solution. "Such a remedy effectively eviscerates the finding that EchoStar’s current policy is unlawful," they said.
"We fear that the order will allow EchoStar to continue its two-dish policy - albeit with better notice - in a manner that continues to make some local broadcast signals inaccessible to consumers as a practical matter."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com) (Used with permission)