Chris Blount
05-05-04, 06:40 AM
The Senate Commerce Committee took up reauthorization of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA) Tuesday, and the panel's scrutiny included the same issues recently highlighted by other lawmakers debating renewal of the law.
Committee members eyed concerns with delivering locals via a two-dish solution and the proposed delivery of digital distant networks to consumers who cannot get a local digital signal. Also, senators and those testifying spoke about cable's ability to offer significantly viewed out-of-market local channels in outside markets, something satellite TV cannot offer its customers.
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Congress "must ensure satellite operators have the right tools to bring robust competition to the video subscription market, which will lead to more programming options and lower prices for consumers.
"Additionally, Congress must review SHVIA in light of the looming transition to digital television and ensure that cable and satellite operators can provide consumers with outstanding high definition digital television content to facilitate this transition," he said.
Complaints about EchoStar's use of two dishes to deliver a select set of local TV channels came from broadcasters testifying before the Senate panel. Araceli De Leon, vice president and general manager for Telemundo, said a good number of stations available only via a second dish show Hispanic and/or Spanish-language programming, and called the practice discriminatory towards Spanish-language broadcasters and their viewers.
Barrington Broadcasting CEO Jim Yager said of the two-dish issue, "In many markets, EchoStar forces consumers to obtain a second satellite dish in order to receive some stations ... most often Spanish-language, religious and public stations. We hope Congress will end this discriminatory practice."
EchoStar CEO Charles Ergen defended the two-dish practice at the hearing, saying it's legal and the best method to deliver locals to a large number of markets. At the moment, EchoStar has local TV available in 120 markets, with more to come, and the stations residing on the two-dish solution make up only a small part of the company's overall local TV mix, he said.
In his testimony, DirecTV Vice Chairman Eddy Hartenstein said SHVIA legislation should allow - subject to some limitations - satellite operators to offer the same out-of-market significantly viewed stations that cable operators offer in outside markets.
Although royalty fees are out of the jurisdiction of the committee, Hartenstein stressed that any SHVIA reauthorization with a satellite-specific royalty fee hike "would not represent an improvement over current law."
It's expected the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on SHVIA matters next week. Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican and chair of the Judiciary Committee, got SHVIA talk rolling with the introduction of renewal legislation in January.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)
Committee members eyed concerns with delivering locals via a two-dish solution and the proposed delivery of digital distant networks to consumers who cannot get a local digital signal. Also, senators and those testifying spoke about cable's ability to offer significantly viewed out-of-market local channels in outside markets, something satellite TV cannot offer its customers.
Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Congress "must ensure satellite operators have the right tools to bring robust competition to the video subscription market, which will lead to more programming options and lower prices for consumers.
"Additionally, Congress must review SHVIA in light of the looming transition to digital television and ensure that cable and satellite operators can provide consumers with outstanding high definition digital television content to facilitate this transition," he said.
Complaints about EchoStar's use of two dishes to deliver a select set of local TV channels came from broadcasters testifying before the Senate panel. Araceli De Leon, vice president and general manager for Telemundo, said a good number of stations available only via a second dish show Hispanic and/or Spanish-language programming, and called the practice discriminatory towards Spanish-language broadcasters and their viewers.
Barrington Broadcasting CEO Jim Yager said of the two-dish issue, "In many markets, EchoStar forces consumers to obtain a second satellite dish in order to receive some stations ... most often Spanish-language, religious and public stations. We hope Congress will end this discriminatory practice."
EchoStar CEO Charles Ergen defended the two-dish practice at the hearing, saying it's legal and the best method to deliver locals to a large number of markets. At the moment, EchoStar has local TV available in 120 markets, with more to come, and the stations residing on the two-dish solution make up only a small part of the company's overall local TV mix, he said.
In his testimony, DirecTV Vice Chairman Eddy Hartenstein said SHVIA legislation should allow - subject to some limitations - satellite operators to offer the same out-of-market significantly viewed stations that cable operators offer in outside markets.
Although royalty fees are out of the jurisdiction of the committee, Hartenstein stressed that any SHVIA reauthorization with a satellite-specific royalty fee hike "would not represent an improvement over current law."
It's expected the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on SHVIA matters next week. Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican and chair of the Judiciary Committee, got SHVIA talk rolling with the introduction of renewal legislation in January.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)