FCC Denies DBS on Sports, Programming Rules

[Steve Mehs]

The Federal Communications Commission last week denied a petition from EchoStar and DirecTV challenging rules concerning delivery and blackout of certain sports and syndicated programming.

The FCC effort centers on its network non-duplication, syndicated exclusivity and sports blackout rules. In its decision, the FCC said overturning any rule is warranted only if the petitioner cites an error in the law, or presents additional facts and circumstances that raise questions not before considered and which require a commission review. None of the challenges met those criteria, the FCC said.

The satellite network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity rules provide that specific programs must be deleted from nationally distributed superstations delivered to subscribers within a specified area if the programs are subject to exclusive rights pursuant to contracts with local stations.

The sports blackout rule provides that sporting events carried on distant stations retransmitted to a specified area must be deleted when carriage would violate sporting teams' or leagues' exclusive rights in the local market.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com/skyreport/oct2002/102102.shtm#two) (Used with Permission)

[MikeW]

Does all of this mean that the BOSOX & Mets games will be subject to blackout next season? Does it also mean that all UPN & WB programming will be blocked out as well? It certainly takes the steam out of Dish Nets advantage-being the only carrier of the two with a superstations package!

[Jacob S]

Man I hope this dont lead Dish to drop upn and wb because I will be very upset. Will we still be able to get them if they are not available in our area just like they do with the distance networks like nbc, abc, cbs, fox ? Would this still be able to be purchased on c-band or be able to be received on the FTA receivers? I would have to look for another route to get WB because that is my favorite channel.

[Geronimo]

No one really knows. Right now there are not a lot of blackout requests so E* is not bothered too much. But we have seen that when it happens they tend to drop the offending superstation in that area rather than hassle with blackouts.

As for the BoSox well I would certainly be disappointed if after that initial rush of excitement my hopes are dashed but as a Red Sox fan I have had that experience before.

[Steve Mehs]

If that indeed happens, here I come BEV!

[hockeynut]

I don't think there will be many BoSox games to blackout next year, NESN will be carrying most of them with UPN38/WBZ4 covering 24 or so games (if I remember correctly) all of them on fridays.


Antonio

[cnsf]

Sucked in NY. Can't tell you how many ESPN Yankee games were carried and blacked out when we can't even get YES network via cable OR OTA in much of the NY Metro area (Cablevision). VERY frustrating.......

[Geronimo]

I think it is a few more tSox games than that---but as an out of market fan I would love to get Friday games. I will have to check the number but even 24 games is 24 more than I get now.

[hockeynut]

Geronimo,

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_press_release.jsp?ymd=20020905&content_id=121761&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp


Antonio