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WorldSpace Faces Delisting


Global satellite radio operator WorldSpace said it received notice from NASDAQ that the company's shares will be delisted, a move that could take place on the stock market before the end of the week.

The NASDAQ move follows WorldSpace's filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 17.

In a statement, WorldSpace said it does not intend to appeal the NASDAQ ruling. The company said it expects trading of its common stock will be suspended at the opening of business Thursday.

In its letter to the company, NASDAQ pointed out that the market value of WorldSpace securities had fallen below the minimum $50 million requirement for 10 days, a requirement for continued inclusion. Also, total assets and revenue haven't met or exceeded $50 million for the most recently completed fiscal year or two of the last three most recently completed fiscal years, the letter stated.
29 Oct 2008 - 01:44 by soullezz    Industry News |

DISH, DIRECTV Keep Fighting Regulatory Fee Changes

Both DIRECTV and DISH Network were back at the Portals this week, arguing against a proposal from their video competitors that the regulatory fees they pay should be altered by the Federal Communications Commission.

For the second time in three years, the FCC is seeking comment on whether the small dish platforms should pay fees based on a per-subscriber basis, similar to cable's fees. The push came from cable interests and others inside the Beltway. At the moment, DIRECTV and DISH pay regulatory fees based on the satellites and earth stations they operate for their respective services.

In joint comments filed late Monday, both DIRECTV and DISH said the cable industry and other video competitors have not made any justification for changes to the fee schedule. Also, cable cannot justify the changes in terms of regulatory parity, given that the wired business delivers services like broadband along with video, unlike satellite TV's single video focus, the companies stated in their FCC filing.

In addition, "unlike DIRECTV and DISH Network, most cable operators are the dominant incumbent video providers in their service areas, and as such are subject to rules and regulatory proceedings that apply only to them," the DBS companies said.

As for the competition, the American Cable Association stated in its comments that small and medium-sized cable operators "face substantially higher cost structures than major MSOs serving urban areas and DBS. Moreover, the disparity in regulatory obligations between ACA's members and DBS compounds this disadvantage," the group said.

ACA said it supports suggestions that the FCC impose a uniform subscriber-based regulatory fee on all video providers, including DBS.

In its comments, Verizon said requiring all video providers to pay the same per subscriber regulatory fee "would eliminate the artificial cost advantage enjoyed by some competitors and benefit consumers by encouraging competition on the merits of competitors' offerings and prices."
29 Oct 2008 - 01:43 by soullezz    Industry News |

NDS Reports Revenue Drop, Biz Gains for Quarter

NDS Group on Thursday reported that revenues for its fiscal first quarter dropped 11 percent to $182.2 million. Net income for the three-month period also took a dip, to $13.384 million for the quarter, from $46.294 million reported for the same period last year.

Still, News Corp.’s TV technology unit reported respectable gains for its product lines and businesses.

NDS said 95.4 million active devices were protected by its conditional access technology at end of the period, thanks to deliveries of about 8 million, and 98.7 million middleware clients with NDS technology were in service at end of the quarter. Also, there were 14.5 million DVRs deployed with NDS technology at end of period, the company said.
25 Oct 2008 - 02:25 by soullezz    Industry News |



DISH Expands HD Locals, MPEG-4 Platform

DISH Network has continued efforts to expand local HD channel offerings as well as its MPEG-4 platform.

On the HD locals front, DISH on Thursday added high-def local channels for six markets: Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.; Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; Lincoln and Hastings-Kearney, Neb.; Omaha, Neb.; Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk, Ill.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas. DISH said that with the additions its service now offers local channels in 76 markets reaching 72 percent of U.S. TV households.

Also, DISH said it would begin transmitting its MPEG-4 delivery system to consumers in 21 additional markets in the Eastern half of the United States. The new markets include: Abilene-Sweetwater, Texas; Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.; Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; Florence-Myrtle-Beach, S.C.; Ft. Myers-Naples, Fla.; Huntsville-Decatur, Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Joplin-Pittsburg, Mo.; Lincoln and Hastings-Kearney, Neb.; Memphis, Tenn.; Mobile-Pensacola, Fla.; Omaha, Neb.; Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk, Ill.; Sherman, Texas/Ada, Okla.; South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.; St. Louis; Topeka, Kan.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan; Texas.

The additions join 31 other markets with the service. Customers who sign up for DISH in the 52 markets with access to the platform will receive all standard and high-def programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Standard.
25 Oct 2008 - 02:24 by soullezz    Industry News |

With AT&T Sub Losses, What's Next for DISH?

After news surfaced that AT&T reported a loss in satellite TV subscribers during the third quarter, some on Wall Street began to scrutinize the impact that decline could have on the telco's exclusive DBS partner, DISH Network.

On Wednesday, AT&T reported that it lost 53,000 satellite TV connections in the third quarter, taking its total to 2.182 million at the end of September. Given that news, Tom Eagan of Collins Stewart, in a note released Thursday, said he now expects DISH to report a net customer loss of about 30,000 for the three-month period, revised from a previous 3Q estimate of a 20,000 net gain in customers for the DBS service.

DISH lost 25,000 customers in the second quarter, taking its total to 13.79 million.

Also, Eagan said he expects DISH to gain 30,000 customers in the fourth quarter, down from a previous estimate of a 90,000 net gain for the small dish service during the last three months of the year.

"We continue to believe that DISH is adding fewer (gross) subs because of its inferior HD offering and a higher involuntary churn rate," Eagan said in his note. "Increasingly, subs are churning, we believe, to go to competitor offerings and due to non-payment."
25 Oct 2008 - 02:23 by soullezz    Industry News |

HughesNet Ready to Expand in Latin America

Hughes Network Systems said its Brazilian operating entity, Hughes do Brasil, will implement services on new Ku-Band capacity aboard Intelsat's Galaxy 28 satellite to address growing demand for its HughesNet broadband services in Latin America.

With the capacity, Hughes said it will intensify efforts in South American markets, offering customers a portfolio of solutions and services, including backup of MPLS networks, managed corporate networks, distance learning networks, high-speed internet access and IPTV solutions.

Delio Morais, president of Hughes do Brasil, said the Galaxy 28 satellite "offers us strategic infrastructure, as it ensures that we will have the capacity necessary to keep pace with the growing demand for broadband services in Brasil and across this region."
21 Oct 2008 - 01:05 by soullezz    Industry News |



TECHNOLOGY and PROGRAMMING
TECHNOLOGY: New Iridium Phone, Satellite's Emergency Role

Iridium on Monday unveiled its smallest, most powerful satellite phone - the Iridium "9555" - at its annual Partner Conference in Miami, Fla. The 9555 offers a reduced size, a more hand-friendly form factor, an intuitive user interface, and new features such as an internally stowed antenna, the company said --- Well-known satellite industry insider Peter Brown has commentary on the expanding role of satellites in global preparedness, surveillance and response in the October issue of "Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness," a journal of the American Medical Association.

PROGRAMMING: Fox Biz HD on DIRECTV, Sirius XM Conference, Eutelsat and Roots Global

DIRECTV said it is adding Fox News Channel HD to its high-def lineup. DIRECTV said it now offers more than 130 HD channels nationwide --- Sirius XM said it is for the third consecutive year the national radio partner of The Women's Conference hosted by California's First Lady Maria Shriver and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sirius said it will dedicate a channel - Women's Conference Channel 113 - to bring the event to a national audience --- Roots Global, a pan-European TV platform for South Asian communities in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, said it is expanding its content delivered by the Eurobird 9 satellite operated by Eutelsat. The platform is managed by Singapore-based Spize TV, which is majority-owned by Global Asia Partners - an investment group dedicated to investing in IT and media companies.
21 Oct 2008 - 01:04 by soullezz    Industry News |

Murdoch Ponders European Sat Businesses

At News Corp.'s annual meeting, Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch complained about regulators scrutinizing the interest that British Sky Broadcasting acquired in U.K. broadcaster ITV.

BSkyB, the U.K./Irish satellite and media platform controlled by News Corp., acquired the 17.9 percent stake in ITV for $2.35 billion two years ago, but regulators have voiced strong anti-competitive concerns with the transaction. According to press reports, Murdoch said the ITV stake "was totally within the law" and that "it was a huge injustice that Sky has suffered" with the regulator scrutiny.

As for other platforms, Murdoch called Sky Italia a top performer, citing the platform's doubling of its operating income, to $419 million. Sky Italia has more than 4.5 million subscribers, and that figure represents more than 20 percent of all Italian households, Murdoch said in prepared remarks.

Meanwhile, Murdoch said News Corp.'s $80 million investment in the Big Ten Network could break even in its first year. And he praised the ongoing successes for regional sports networks and Fox News Channel, which saw its operating income grow 35 percent last year.

21 Oct 2008 - 01:02 by soullezz    Industry News |

Sirius Eyes Reverse Stock Split

Sirius XM shareholders have been asked by the satellite radio service to approve a possible reverse stock split of the company's shares, stated a Securities and Exchange Commission filing released last week.

If the company wins shareholder approval for the stock split, Sirius XM would have until December 2009 to pursue the effort. The company's SEC filing stated that the board has the option to pursue or not pursue the reverse stock split, if shareholders approve the proposal.

Shareholders will vote on the proposal at a meeting scheduled for December.

In the filing, Sirius XM said the purpose of a reverse stock split would be to increase the per share trading value of its common stock. Since early September, the company's stock has hovered below a dollar a share.
20 Oct 2008 - 03:31 by soullezz    Industry News |


Magic Jack

Arianespace Confirms SES Business

On Friday, Arianespace said that global satellite services provider SES committed to three launch missions using the Ariane launch vehicle, under a multi-launch agreement signed between the companies in June 2007.

The commitment covers three new satellites for the SES group, including Astra 3B for SES Astra and two other satellites that have yet to be identified by the company.

The three satellites are slated for launch between 2009 and 2012 using Ariane 5 rockets from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

"With these three new launches, Arianespace continues to deliver launch services that guarantee the capacity and flexibility required by one of the world's leading satcom operators," said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall.

20 Oct 2008 - 03:31 by soullezz    Industry News |

EchoStar Eyes Cable Opportunities

With the satellite services and technology side of the business split off from the core DISH DBS assets, EchoStar is looking to score deals with the cable incumbent.

That's easier said than done for the 10-month-old spin-off. "We have work to do to bridge the gap (with cable)," said Mark Jackson, president of EchoStar Technologies, at the Key Issues Series held at the Cable Center in Denver Friday.

During the panel discussion, Jackson admitted the company has battled a "trust issue" with cable. (Also, he said there was some "arm-twisting" of CEO Charlie Ergen to sign the company on as a member of CableLabs, the cable industry's technology arm). Nonetheless, EchoStar is part of cable's tru2way interactive platform, and Jackson promised the company will "work real hard to get that (cable) business."

A big endeavor for EchoStar, and its Sling Media unit, is work on a centralized device for distribution of content throughout the home and elsewhere. Product development at EchoStar also is focused on better user interfaces for technology utilized by consumers and a stronger search process for content.

The lingering issue, however, is addressing content rights, Jackson and other panelists said during the discussion.

"We have to get the content guys to embrace new technology," Jackson said. "It's all tied in together. But we need to work together."

Content owners want to monetarily slice and dice the various multiplatform streams being offered to consumers. Peter Stern of Time Warner Cable said consumers "want to watch content on the largest, most convenient screen with the best available resolution at any given time," whether it's a big TV, computer monitor or a mobile device. Stern stressed that "we can only charge customers once for the content."

The Key Issues series was part of the Cable Days festivities last week in Denver.

20 Oct 2008 - 03:30 by soullezz    Industry News |

TECHNOLOGY:
New Sirius XM Radio, Globalstar, Tandberg and DIRECTV
Sirius XM and Pioneer Electronics on Thursday unveiled the XMp3 wearable satellite radio and MP3 player. The XMp3 is a light and compact wearable live satellite radio with multi-channel recording capability --- Globalstar signed an agreement with Ericsson Federal, a provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Under the $22.7 million contract, Ericsson will work with Globalstar to develop, implement and maintain a ground interface or core network system that will be installed at the sat phone company's gateway ground stations --- Tandberg Television said DIRECTV has selected its MPEG-4 AVC HD encoding solutions for its local high-def channel expansion.

ISIS Focuses on the Economy, DTV and Satellites
Earlier this week, the ISIS satellite conference took place in New York City, bringing together industry insiders - and some outsiders. Among the keynote speakers, David Meltzer of the American Red Cross highlighted the importance of satellites when dealing with disasters and emergencies. Also speaking at the event were Helen Domenici, chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (who spoke about the agency's handling of spectrum policy and its work relating to the financial and economic well being of satellite companies), and ViaSat's Mark Dankberg who talked about the future of satellite broadband. There also were sessions on the digital TV transition and the Wall Street view of the satellite business.

17 Oct 2008 - 02:47 by soullezz    Industry News |


Magic Jack

DISH Drops More Retailers

DISH Network said it terminated additional retailers the company said it believes engaged in illegal activity, including alleged fraud and misrepresentation, when establishing customer accounts for the DBS service.

Among the retailers dropped by DISH, as listed by the company: Dish Uplink L.L.C. of Lincoln, Neb., VDV L.L.C. of Pinckney, Mich., Cactus Concepts Inc. of Centennial, Colo., Unidish Network Comm. Inc. of Kissimmee, Fla., Saul Martinez of Perris, Calif., Pedro Sansores (dba Jes Network) of Fresno, Calif., and Qingnan Lai (dba JN Network) of Alhambra, Calif.

In a statement, DISH said it does not "tolerate illegal activity and will take action against any retailer that it believes has engaged in any form of fraud or misrepresentation in its dealings with DISH Network."

17 Oct 2008 - 02:45 by soullezz    Industry News |

XM Layoffs Surface in Industry Talk

The satellite radio behemoth known as Sirius XM still wouldn't comment on talk that it has laid off several workers, but the industry news and chatter continued about the employee cuts Thursday.

Those laid off at the company include popular DJs and program directors for XM streams like the Decades channel, '80s on 8, Deep Tracks and XMU. It appears the layoffs (which number as many as 80) took place at XM's offices in Washington, D.C.

At the channel's Web site, those involved with the XMU stream said they appreciated "the years of love, music, fun and passion we have exchanged with our friends in music. It's been more than a pleasure."

The speculation is that Sirius content will take over any duplicating streams delivered by XM. The consolidation of channels is reportedly set for Nov. 5.
17 Oct 2008 - 02:45 by soullezz    Industry News |

Obama's Published Views
Everyone of voting age should read these two books. Don't buy them, get them from the library before they are removed from the shelves.


From Dreams of My Father:'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father:'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father:'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'


And FINALLY the one that speaks loudest!!!

From Audacity of Hope:'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

Could anyone really want this for our country?????


Everyone read "Mein Kompf" by Adolf Hitler, no one gave it any credence... look what happened!!
16 Oct 2008 - 11:16 by soullezz    Industry News |



Karmazin Remains Upbeat on Sat Radio

Despite a sinking stock price, a downturn in the economy that's impacting vehicle sales and consumer spending, and more than $1 billion in debt, Sirius XM's Mel Karmazin has remained upbeat about the satellite radio business.

At the Dow Jones/Nielsen Media and Money Conference Tuesday (as reported by CNET), Karmazin told the crowd that he remains bullish about the digital audio service's prospects. "I think it's very clear that we will be the most successful company in the audio entertainment industry," he said.

First, however, Sirius XM has to focus on its financials. "I know certainly, as ranked by revenue, we will be there soon. Now we just need to grow our free cash flow and demonstrate that," Karmazin said.

And even if key businesses, like the automotive sector, turn in poor performances, Karmazin predicted that Sirius XM will still pick up customers. He suggested that satellite radio could enroll about 3 million new subscribers from vehicle manufacturers next year.

15 Oct 2008 - 07:36 by soullezz    Industry News |

DBS Continues to Prepare for DTV Switch

During the past few months, both of the nation's satellite TV services continued to roll out efforts tied to the digital TV transition, details for which were provided in filings recently sent to the Federal Communications Commission.

In its filing, DISH Network said that more than 45 percent of the broadcast stations it carries are "transition ready." The DBS company said it will have the necessary work completed for reception and delivery of about 1,450 local TV stations delivered to customers by the close of January.

DISH also pointed out its sale of digital-to-analog converter boxes, including recently introduced models like the TR-40CRA and the DTVPal Plus. The company also said it participated in outreach efforts in the San Francisco area and in Wilmington, N.C., a market that saw its TV stations go all-digital last month.

Both DISH and DIRECTV have special programming offers targeting consumers that may be affected by the digital TV switch. DISH has its American and Latino Welcome Packs, offering a lineup of 20 channels priced at $9.99 a month, or $14.99 with local channels. In its FCC filing, DIRECTV detailed its introductory $19.99 Digital Transition Family Package it launched at the end of August.

DIRECTV also told the FCC about its efforts in the Wilmington market, saying that it made calls to subscribers who did not receive locals and informing them that the channels are available in their viewing area. DIRECTV also said it has been running PSAs on the February 2009 switch, including announcements in Spanish.

15 Oct 2008 - 07:35 by soullezz    Industry News |

Time Warner Faces Another Retrans Battle

Time Warner Cable is facing another retransmission consent battle, this time in San Antonio.

ABC affiliate KSAT, owned by Post-Newsweek TV, has warned its viewers that the cable operator could drop its feed at midnight Wednesday unless the two sides hammer out a new retransmission consent agreement. Given the ongoing skirmish, the station, like other broadcasters in the same situation, has pointed consumers to competing video services, including DIRECTV, DISH Network and Grande Communications.

"In simple terms, KSAT will be dropped from Time Warner Cable because for over a year now, we have been unable to negotiate a fair agreement," said the station's vice president and general manager Jim Joslyn.

Earlier in the month, Time Warner Cable dropped stations in several markets operated by LIN TV after the two sides couldn't reach a retransmission consent deal.

13 Oct 2008 - 08:04 by soullezz    Industry News |


Magic Jack

A Street Upgrade for DISH

As the markets continued their free-fall last week, Wall Street began to look more closely at one company in the satellite sector.

On Friday, Craig Moffett of Bernstein Research upgraded his rating on DISH shares to "market perform," citing the recent "precipitous" decline in the stock's price compared to the broader market and that of DIRECTV. In a note detailing the upgrade, Moffett said that even though DISH shares have dropped by more than 40 percent during the past six weeks, key risks have evaporated.

The analyst said his previous thesis "was premised on risks that subscriber growth could turn negative, and that AT&T's support looked wobbly. Both risks have now been resolved - unfortunately, the wrong way - but now are finally fully priced in," Moffett said.

Also, "most importantly, the constant, incessant assumption that AT&T was an inevitable acquirer of DISH has finally, at long last, been put to rest," he added.

As for DISH's ongoing litigation with TiVo, a ruling for which is imminent from the Texas federal court handling the case, Moffett said a "worst-case scenario of a shut-down of more than four million DVRs could be crippling to the company."

Even with the upgrade, DISH shares fell more than 14 percent, to $13.71, during trading Friday, probably more of a reflection of the overall sour mood on Wall Street. DIRECTV shares tumbled 2 percent to 19.59, while Sirius shares climbed to 43 cents.
13 Oct 2008 - 08:03 by soullezz    Industry News |

Satellite Cannot Escape Street's Woes

The markets reached a new low Thursday, with the Dow closing down more than 7 percent to 8,579.19. The satellite business wasn't spared in the continuing bloodbath on Wall Street.

Among satellite stocks, DIRECTV closed down more than 9 percent to $20.09 during trading Thursday. DISH shares fell nearly 12 percent to $16.09. EchoStar shares tumbled more than 7 percent to $20.66.

Sirius stock also continued its slide, falling 13 percent to 40 cents a share.
11 Oct 2008 - 10:50 by soullezz    Industry News |

DISH Pays TiVo $104 Million in Patent Case

Apparently, DISH Network/EchoStar directed some cash to TiVo tied to the companies' ongoing litigation concerning alleged patent violations.

In a statement, the DVR pioneer said it received $104.6 million from DISH/EchoStar on Wednesday. The amount includes the initial $74 million in damages awarded by the U.S. District Court handling the patent infringement case as well as supplemental damages covering the period through Sept. 8, 2006, and interest.

TiVo said it's prepared for the next step in the case, which is in the penalty phase at the federal court in Texas. "We remain confident that the District Court will enforce the injunction and award further damages from EchoStar's continued infringement of our Time Warp patent," TiVo said.

DISH had no comment on the TiVo announcement.
11 Oct 2008 - 10:50 by soullezz    Industry News |

DISH Takes Local HD Count to 70

A day after its DBS competition crossed a HD locals milestone of its own, DISH Network said Thursday that its high-def locals count now stands at 70 markets, a number that reaches 71 percent of U.S. TV households.

DISH said it added HD locals for five markets: Florence/Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Fort Myers/Naples, Fla.; Greenville/New Bern/Washington, N.C.; Madison, Wis.; and Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.

As part of the HD push, DISH continues to offer its TurboHD programming packages, which start at $24.99 a month and are available in three separate tiers. Current DISH customers looking to add high-def can get a "turbo-charged" HD package starting at $10 a month, the company said.

On Wednesday, DIRECTV said it crossed the 100 HD locals market milestone with the addition of Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo., and Evansville, Ind., markets.


11 Oct 2008 - 10:49 by soullezz    Industry News |

COMMERCIAL: AMC-21 Online, Ariane Launch Next Month, ViaSat

SES AMERICOM said the AMC-21 satellite is now operational and delivering content and connectivity for broadcasters and mobile broadband service providers. Anchor tenant PBS, which serves 356 public television stations, has transitioned its complete programming lineup to AMC-21, the company said --- Arianespace said its Ariane 5 ECA will carry Eutelsat's Hot Bird 9 and W2M satellites during a launch that's scheduled to take place during the last week of November --- ViaSat and Lufthansa Technik AG said they are collaborating on an end-to-end, ground to cabin broadband IP networking and entertainment system for business aircraft. The system combines ViaSat mobile broadband satellite networking with the Lufthansa Technik Nice cabin management and in-flight entertainment system.

7 Oct 2008 - 10:04 by soullezz    Industry News |

Pace Becomes National Content, Hardware Partner for DISH

On Monday, DISH Network signed national content and hardware distribution agreements with Pace International and the newly-formed Pace CSO.

Through the relationship, Pace will offer both DISH Network content and hardware to operators targeting triple-play communities. The approach will allow Pace to "capture the community" as a single turnkey solution, including billing for properties and operators offering a triple play, the company said.

"DISH Network and Pace are perfect complements to each other. Together, we've created the DBS industry's first scalable multi-family business model. This offering is a cost-effective way to help providers grow their subscriber base," said Vern Swedin, president of Pace.

Pace will continue to support its existing customers and properties with hardware and turnkey solutions, said Swedin.

7 Oct 2008 - 10:01 by soullezz    Industry News |

Despite High Court Ruling, DISH/TiVo Case Not Over Yet

While the U.S. Supreme Court's move to deny DISH's appeal of the TiVo patent infringement case was a significant - though not entirely unexpected - blow for the satellite TV company, the litigation between the companies is far from becoming a done deal.

On Monday, the Supreme Court denied DISH's petition to review a U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit ruling that upheld a lower federal court judgment of willful patent infringement of TiVo's so-called Time Warp patent. With the denial, all eyes are now focused on the Texas federal court handling what's being called the penalty phase of the lengthy legal matter.

In a statement, TiVo said it's looking forward to the receipt of damages awarded by the U.S. District Court handling the case. Those damages would cover a two-year period. Also, TiVo said it remains "confident that the District Court will enforce the injunction and award further damages from EchoStar's continued infringement of our Time Warp patent."

In its statement, DISH stressed that the Supreme Court's decision does not impact a software design-around that has been placed in DISH DVRs subject to the district court's injunction, and that customers of the small dish service can continue using their DISH DVRs.

"We believe that the design-around does not infringe TiVo's patent and that TiVo's pending motion for contempt should be denied. We look forward to that ruling in the near future," DISH said in a statement.

Nonetheless, because of the Supreme Court decision, DISH said it will pay TiVo approximately $104 million, the amount the jury awarded in 2006 plus interest. The money is in an escrow account and will be released to TiVo in the next few days, DISH said.

7 Oct 2008 - 10:00 by soullezz    Industry News |

Sirius XM Keeps Pushing Repeater Issues

At the Federal Communications Commission last week, Sirius XM continued its push regarding use of its terrestrial repeater network, including an outline of concerns about possible interference with satellite radio by wireless WCS services.

WCS licensees want to convert spectrum into mobile services in bands immediately adjacent to spectrum utilized by satellite radio. In a presentation given to FCC officials last week, Sirius XM reiterated that WCS licensee proposals for mobile operations "will have the potential to mute millions of satellite radios and block service to millions of satellite radio listeners."

Nonetheless, Sirius XM said FCC adoption of its recommendations would benefit WCS operators "by providing certainty and clarity of the adjacent band spectrum environment." As part of the push, repeaters used by satellite radio will meet certain conditions to control signal levels, the company stated in its presentation, which was filed at the FCC late last week.

Also, potential interference to WCS mobile units would be minimized by the low number of satellite radio terrestrial repeaters in any given market and the typical high elevation location of the repeaters, Sirius XM said.

6 Oct 2008 - 11:40 by soullezz    Industry News |

No Local Channels Through TWC? Get DISH

With football season in full swing, losing access to the weekend game through a local cable operator isn't a good thing.

That's the predicament some viewers found themselves in after Time Warner Cable dropped LIN TV stations last week due to a retransmission consent skirmish between the companies. Stations dropped by the MSO are located the football cities of Buffalo, Green Bay and Indianapolis.

Other Time Warner markets losing LIN stations are Austin, Columbus, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Ind., Mobile, Ala., Springfield, Mass., Terre Haute, Ind., and Toledo, Ohio.

To battle the cable operator, LIN TV has a partnership in place with DISH Network in which viewers in the affected markets can pick up a $50 incentive to get the satellite TV service installed at their home. The promotion between the companies include advertising on TV station Web sites and at DISH's online site, and viewers who want to take advantage of the offer are encouraged to call DISH.
6 Oct 2008 - 11:40 by soullezz    Industry News |

Free Satellite TV Grows in U.K.

Free satellite TV services are taking off in the United Kingdom.

Last week, U.K. regulator Ofcom said there were 840,000 households in the European nation with a free satellite service at the end of the second quarter. That was an increase of about 120,000 users from the previous quarter, the government said.

The free satellite services include the Freesat offering from the BBC and ITV and a no-cost component from British Sky Broadcasting.

Also, between June and September, the BBC/ITV Freesat service sold an additional 60,000 units. That would put the number of U.K. households using a free satellite service at around 900,000.

In addition to those figures, Ofcom said about 88 percent of U.K. households now have digital TV on their main television set. Also, the number of households with digital terrestrial television service from Freeview reached 16.7 million in the second quarter, the regulator said.

6 Oct 2008 - 11:40 by soullezz    Industry News |

News Corp. Pushes End to DIRECTV Conditions

This week, News Corp. re-ignited its push for an end to conditions placed on the media giant after its acquisition of a controlling stake in DIRECTV, asking the Federal Communications Commission to move on its petition pertaining to the matter.

News Corp. acquired the DIRECTV stake in 2003, but sold its ownership in the DBS platform to Liberty Media in February. When News Corp. acquired the DIRECTV interest, the FCC tied a number of conditions to the deal, such as allowing unaffiliated pay-TV companies access to News Corp.-controlled regional sports programming and local broadcast signals.

Now that News Corp. doesn't control a pay-TV platform, the company has asked the FCC to drop those conditions.

News Corp. representatives recently met with FCC officials about the request, according to a filing made at the commission. At the meetings, the company said its Fox broadcasting unit expects to engage in carriage negotiations with several large cable companies during the next 18 months, and that prompt approval of the petition is needed with those talks looming, the company said.

3 Oct 2008 - 07:39 by soullezz    Industry News |

EchoStar/FTA Litigation Takes Turn This Week

Litigation between EchoStar and Freetech, which promotes the controversial Coolsat free-to-air receiver that can allegedly access pirated DISH Network programming, heated up earlier this week when the federal judge handling the case issued an order pertaining to users of the box.

Freetech previously filed a motion targeting subpoenas from EchoStar that sought the identity and contact information for every purchaser of the free-to-air receivers. The FTA box company asked the court to preclude that information, and Judge Richard Seeborg of the U.S. District Court in Northern California granted the Freetech motion.

In his ruling, Seeborg said that while the personal information might assist in determining the extent of damages incurred by EchoStar/DISH, "less intrusive avenues to obtain the information needed for that purpose are available."

Nonetheless, the case continues to move forward in the San Jose court. This week, EchoStar, which is listed as the plaintiff in the case, filed court documents that provide an outline for a court date in November that seeks to preserve evidence.

Specifically, EchoStar asked the court for an order requiring the defendant and its dealers to preserve all Coolsat receivers returned for repair or replacement that contain the alleged piracy software or firmware. EchoStar also asked for the names and contact information for each Coolsat user returning a receiver to the defendant.

3 Oct 2008 - 07:39 by soullezz    Industry News |

Obama TV Comes to DISH

Barack Obama's presidential campaign has taken another leap in its media efforts, this time putting work behind a channel that's appearing on DISH Network.

The paid advertising endeavor from the campaign, appearing on DISH channel 73, provides a looping two-minute commercial on Obama's economic proposals. The channel also airs a video that was shown at the Democratic National Convention in Denver before the Democratic nominee accepted the party's nomination for president.

The small dish service stressed that the Obama channel is a paid advertising push from the campaign.

"DISH Network Channel 73 is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Sen. Obama by DISH Network. DISH Network made the same offer to the McCain campaign, an offer that remains open," the company said in a statement.
3 Oct 2008 - 07:39 by soullezz    Industry News |

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