DirecTV Probed on Access to TV Station Signals

Some legislators took the opportunity of DirecTV Chairman Michael White's appearance at a House antitrust subcommittee hearing to ask about their constituents’ access to local signals.

Full Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) spent some time probing White on why DirecTV does not provide the local ABC affiliate in Harrisonburg (VA) to his constituents despite being allowed to do so legally. Instead they have to get the ABC affiliate from Washington (DC), he pointed out, which is hours away.

He asked White whether he would commit to resolving the issue. White conceded DirecTV had "some gaps" in its local coverage, but was working on them, including by launching two new satellites within the next year, and plans for closing one of those Virginia gaps -- in Charlottesville – later in 2014. He said he would be happy to work with the chairman on the issue of orphan counties so long as DirecTV did not have to double pay retransmission and its spot beams could reach the relevant rural areas.