02-27-02, 03:56 AM
Opposition and support surfaced Tuesday for the expanded local TV via satellite plan floated by merging DBS companies DirecTV and EchoStar.
Eddie Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters and one of the biggest voices challenging the $26 billion merger proposal, said the local TV announcement "appears to be a step in the right direction, but needs to be carefully scrutinized to determine its legitimacy."
Fritts added, "We would have more confidence in the announcement were DirecTV to be the surviving entity. Broadcasters have had a long and tortured history of bad faith dealings with EchoStar and its chairman, Charlie Ergen. Accordingly, we continue to oppose the merger."
The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative said while it's pleased with EchoStar and DirecTV's promise to deliver more local programming, it continues to oppose the merger.
"We believe that today's announcement came as a direct result of the ongoing efforts of NRTC, our members, the Rural Caucus, the Western Caucus, influential rural-focused organizations and outspoken rural consumers," said Bob Phillips, president and CEO of NRTC.
"Over the past four months, there has been a unified outcry to guarantee local TV service to all 210 TV markets. We are pleased that EchoStar and Hughes realize the importance of addressing the concerns of rural America. We must, however, continue to push to ensure they address the other serious shortcomings in their merger application."
Others approved of the move. Andy Wright, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, said the local TV plan would benefit consumers. "Today, approximately 42 million TV households do not have the option to receive local channels via satellite, and as such, those consumers have little or no choice of local television providers," he said.
"Congress, the FCC, this industry and the SBCA have worked for more than a decade to create true competition to the entrenched cable monopoly," Wright said. "This plan to provide nationwide local-into-local and to deliver other valuable services would help reach this goal by eliminating a significant roadblock to true competition."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com) (Used with permission)
Eddie Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters and one of the biggest voices challenging the $26 billion merger proposal, said the local TV announcement "appears to be a step in the right direction, but needs to be carefully scrutinized to determine its legitimacy."
Fritts added, "We would have more confidence in the announcement were DirecTV to be the surviving entity. Broadcasters have had a long and tortured history of bad faith dealings with EchoStar and its chairman, Charlie Ergen. Accordingly, we continue to oppose the merger."
The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative said while it's pleased with EchoStar and DirecTV's promise to deliver more local programming, it continues to oppose the merger.
"We believe that today's announcement came as a direct result of the ongoing efforts of NRTC, our members, the Rural Caucus, the Western Caucus, influential rural-focused organizations and outspoken rural consumers," said Bob Phillips, president and CEO of NRTC.
"Over the past four months, there has been a unified outcry to guarantee local TV service to all 210 TV markets. We are pleased that EchoStar and Hughes realize the importance of addressing the concerns of rural America. We must, however, continue to push to ensure they address the other serious shortcomings in their merger application."
Others approved of the move. Andy Wright, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, said the local TV plan would benefit consumers. "Today, approximately 42 million TV households do not have the option to receive local channels via satellite, and as such, those consumers have little or no choice of local television providers," he said.
"Congress, the FCC, this industry and the SBCA have worked for more than a decade to create true competition to the entrenched cable monopoly," Wright said. "This plan to provide nationwide local-into-local and to deliver other valuable services would help reach this goal by eliminating a significant roadblock to true competition."
From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com) (Used with permission)