House Not Home for EchoStar

HOUSE NOT HOME FOR ECHOSTAR
[SOURCE: Multichannel News 11/15, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The House adjourned Wednesday until Dec. 5, ensuring that Congress won't disturb the court injunction that requires EchoStar Communications to cut off distant network signals to 850,000 customers. A federal court ordered EchoStar to stop selling distant feeds of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox programming after determining that EchoStar had broken copyright law by selling the channels to hundreds of thousands of legally ineligible subscribers. The Senate is expected to adjourn Thursday or Friday and not resume the lame-duck session until Dec. 5. Congress could come to EchoStar’s rescue if enough disconnected subscribers put heat on their lawmakers. Distant network programming is popular because it provides rural viewers with access to network affiliates in New York and Los Angeles. Benefits include out-of-market sporting events and time-shifted primetime and late-night network fare. It’s not clear whether EchoStar customers will rebel and create a fuss on Capitol Hill. Since EchoStar provides local TV stations in 170 markets, many of those cut off from distant network signals would be losing a convenience, not a necessity.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6391939.html?display=Breaking+News

* On Thursday, Senators Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced a bill that would block court action mandating the cut-off.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6392431.html?display=Breaking...