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FRIDAY FEB. 5, 2010

COMCAST, NBCU NAVIGATE HILL HEARINGS
LAWMAKERS LOOK FOR SATELLITE BILL VEHICLE
DISH NETWORK TAKES ON COMCAST-NBCU DEAL
IPHONE USERS CLOSE IN ON SLINGPLAYER APP
KARMAZIN BLAMES MARKETS, FCC
FOR ISSUES

WEDNESDAY FEB. 3, 2010

DISH NETWORK FANS DIRECTV AD FLAME
VIEWTECH OWNER GETS JAIL TIME
COMCAST-NBCU OPPONENTS SPEAK UP ON ISSUES
DIRECTV PLAYS UP IPHONE APP DOWNLOADS
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network added the Centroamerica TV Central American soccer channel to its DishLatino Clasico programming package and above…Texas-based Mega Hertz reached an agreement to resell EchoStar’s wholesale, satellite-delivered ViP-TV Internet Protocol video service.

MONDAY FEB. 1, 2010

CONGRESS SET TO LOOK AT COMCAST-NBCU
MCDOWELL PRESSES AGAINST REGULATIONS
DIRECTV ADJUSTS FALL OFFER
NORTHPOINT PLANS PITCH TO SETTLE DBS CASE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Time to stop calling non-broadcast channels "cable channels"...Cable has to like DirecTv and Dish Network taking swipes at each other in ads...How does CNN justify keeping Larry King...Ratings drive Haiti relief coverage.

FRIDAY JAN. 29, 2010

COMCAST, NBCU OUTLINE CASE TO FCC
AT&T SEES OVERALL DBS SUB BASE DROP
TIME WARNER CABLE SEES BASIC SUB DECLINE
SATELLITE TV PRESSES AGAINST INDIANA TAX IDEA
CABLEVISION SEEKS MUST-CARRY REVERSAL

WEDNESDAY JAN. 27, 2010

DBS SERVICES SUE OVER MASSACHUSETTS TAX
COMCAST, NBC PUT REVIEW IN MOTION
VIEWTECH HEAD AWAITS SENTENCING
VERIZON SEES VIDEO SUB GROWTH SLOW
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network equipment distributor Dow Electronics has donated $25,000 to a Haiti relief fund on behalf of itself and its retailers...Hughes Network Systems’ HughesNet two-way, satellite-delivered data service crossed the 500,000 subscriber threshold, the company said...Shaw Communications said its Shaw Direct Canadian DBS service added a net total of 1,097 subscribers during its fiscal first quarter.

MONDAY JAN. 25, 2010

COMCAST DEFENDS TERRESTRIAL LOOPHOLE
DIRECTV STARTS MULTIROOM BETA TEST
NAB HEAD WARY OF SPECTRUM TALK
TIVO WEIGHS IN MICROSOFT LEGAL ACTION
SCERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: FCC takes strong step with "terrestrial loophole" order...CES has become a non-event for satellite TV...Stations use "news" telecasts as public relations arm in carriage fights.
NEWS & NOTES: The House Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee plans to hold a hearing Feb. 4 on the Comcast-NBC Universal deal…Former FCC Commissioner and acting Chairman Jim Quello (D) died yesterday at 95.

FRIDAY JAN. 22, 2010

FCC SPACKLES TERRESTRIAL LOOPHOLE
LOOPHOLE ORDER BRINGS COMPETITORS CHEER
CABLEVISION, SCRIPPS END
CARRIAGE FIGHT
TIVO WEIGHS IN MICROSOFT LEGAL ACTION
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv promoted Andrew Reinsdorf to senior vice president of government affairs.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 20, 2010

SIDES PILE ON PROGRAM ACCESS PITCHES
SLING MEDIA MAKES PLAY FOR IPHONE ACCESS
SIRIUS XM FINISHES 2009 WITH SUB GAINS
DIRECTV PREPS SPRING CONSUMER OFFE
MICROSOFT DEFENDS SOFTWARE IN TIVO CASE
DISH NETWORK REUPS WITH NAGRAVISION
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar said it notified the FCC it is making capacity on its EchoStar-9 satellite available to agencies working on the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.

FRIDAY JAN. 15, 2010

DISH NETWORK LAYS OUT PRICING CHANGES
MEETINGS PILE UP AROUND LOOPHOLE ORDER
DIRECTV DEFENDS
PRACTICES
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv is running an advertisement on its web site that takes issue with Dish Network’s ad campaign.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 13, 2010

SIDES WEIGH IN ON PROGRAM ACCESS DEBATE
DIRECTV HAILS FINISAR DECISION
RETAILERS LOOK FOR CHANGE IN 2010
DISH NETWORK KEEPS FIGHTING SONICVIEW
MAGISTRATE SETS DISH NETWORK-ESPN MEET
SIRIUS CANADA HITS SUB
MILESTONE
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar-Dish Network and TiVo asked a federal judge in Texas to give TiVo until Jan. 22 to file a request for attorney fees.

MONDAY JAN. 11, 2010

DISH NETWORK HOLDS PRICES, EYES CHANGES
COMMISSIONERS PONDERING LOOPHOLE ORDER
RETAILERS LOOK FOR CHANGE IN 2010
LAWMAKER: QUICK WORK ON BILL NEEDED
JUDGE HANDS DOWN $51 MILLION PIRACY BILL
FCC OFFICIALS DETAIL
POLICY VIEWS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Fifteenth Annual Notebook Awards, recognizing the year's winners, losers, and other distinctions.
NEWS & NOTES: In an unusually quick ruling, a federal appeals court in Washington on Friday upheld a lower court’s ruling dismissing patent infringement claims Finisar made against DirecTv.

FRIDAY JAN. 8, 2010

INDUSTRY CAUTIOUSLY KICKS OFF CES
CES OFFERS NEW PROGRAMMING DIMENSIONS
GROUPS CALL FOR COMCAST-NBCU CONDITIONS
LIBERTY STILL PONDERING SIRIUS XM
NEWS & NOTES: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski (D) sent a letter to lawmakers asking for a one-month extension to the Feb. 18 deadline by which the commission must submit a set of recommendations to Congress regarding how to spur deployment of high-speed data services to more consumers.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 6, 2010

DISH NETWORK, SLING SWING INTO VEGAS
DIRECTV OUTLINES 2010 SUB GOALS
FCC SLATES TERRESTRIAL LOOPHOLE VOTE
DIRECTV AVOIDS RAINBOW/MSG DISPUTE
NEWS & NOTES: The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., is slated to hear oral arguments today in Finisar’s appeal of a lower court judge’s ruling dismissing several claims the company made alleging DirecTv violated its digital video recorder-related patents.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 30, 2009

LAUNCH UP AND GOOD FOR DIRECTV-12
DIRECTV SLATES PRICE INCREASES
CARRIAGE TALKS GO TO WIRE
DIRECTV RESOLVES CHANNEL GLITCH
VIASAT PUTS MOORE BACK AT WILDBLUE
FCC EXTENDS ‘GOOD FAITH’ CARRIAGE RULES
PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the holiday, and barring any major breaking news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed next Wednesday. Satellite Business News wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 23, 2009

OBAMA SIGNS DISTANT STATION EXTENSION
KERRY PUSHES TIME WARNER, FOX AGREEMENT
DISH NETWORK URGES AGAINST SINGLE SET-TOP
DIRECTV EXTENDS VISA PROMOTION
PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the holiday, and barring any major breaking news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed next Wednesday. Satellite Business News wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday.

MONDAY DEC. 21, 2009

SENATE PASSES TWO-MONTH EXTENSION BILL
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR
FOX LOCKS HORNS WITH TIME WARNER
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC approved DirecTv’s application to launch and operate the DirecTv-12 Ka-band satellite, which is slated to be launched a week from tomorow from Kazakhstan by International Launch Services…Sirius XM Radio asked the FCC for permission to continue to operate Sirius Satellite Radio’s FM-1, FM-2, and FM-3 satellites through 2017.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Bill that did not get passed was not pefect, but might be better than the one that comes next...DirecTv, Dish Network make best of difficult 2009.

FRIDAY DEC. 18, 2009

SHORT-TERM EXTENSION AWAITS SENATE VOTE
DIRECTV DEFENDS NFL SUNDAY TICKET DEAL
DBS FIRMS, NCTA STUDY SEES RETRANS HARM
OHIO GETS SUPPORT IN DBS TAX FIGHT
HOUSE COMMITTEE LOOKS AT SPORTS PIRACY
DIRECTV WARNS AGAINST SINGLE SET-TOP MANDATE

WEDNESDAY DEC. 16, 2009

OBJECTION PUTS SHORT-TERM BILL IN PLAY
VIASAT COMPLETES WILDBLUE ACQUISITION
FCC EYES TERRESTRIAL LOOPHOLE CLOSURE
DIRECTV FACES WASHINGTON STATE LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: Preston Padden, head of Disney/ABC's Washington lobbying operation, announced Monday he is stepping down from that position at the end of this month...The city of Hazelton, Pa., has dropped an ordinance that required residents to pay a $10 fee for satellite dish installation inspections.

MONDAY DEC. 14, 2009

HOUSE, SENATE CLOSE IN ON SATELLITE BILL
DIRECTV, COMCAST DEAL ON SPORTS CHANNEL
SMALL CABLE OPS EYE MUST-CARRY END
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network Director or Government Affairs and Senior Counsel Lori Kalani plans to join the law firm of Orrick, Herrington, and Sutcliffe.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Stay tuned as clock ticks down on satellite TV legislation...Comcast could loose terrestrial loophole as bargaining chip for NBC deal approval...Will Comcast-NBC stations run DirecTv and Dish Network ads?...Woods will probably end up on Oprah any day now...Letterman makes bad jokes at Woods' expense.

FRIDAY DEC. 11, 2009

DISH NETWORK, PBS WAIT ON AFFILIATES
ECHOSTAR STEPS UP WORKAROUND WORK
COPPS KEEPS WATCH ON COMCAST-NBC DEAL
DISH NETWORK REACHES
14 MILLION SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing Wednesday on “piracy of live sports programming over the Internet.”

WEDNESDAY DEC. 9, 2009

HOUSE, SENATE EYE COMBINED BILL
TIVO EXPECTS GOOD APPEALS COURT NEWS
SIRIUS XM PRAISES PRICE RAISES, COST CUTS
CUSTOMER SUES SIRIUS XM OVER PRICING
ROBERTS EXTOLS VIRTUES OF NBC DEAL

MONDAY DEC. 7, 2009

LAWMAKERS EYE MULTICAST LANGUAGE CHANGE
NCTA PUSHES BROAD VIDEO DEVICE INQUIRY
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv reached a new agreement to distribute Fisher Communications-owned television stations.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast-NBC deal will be the first big test for the new FCC...Tiger Woods brought two strikes on himself with media.

FRIDAY DEC. 4, 2009

HOUSE CLEARS SATELLITE TV BILL
COMCAST, NBC UNIVERSAL SEAL DEAL
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV DIFFER ON BILL
COMCAST, NBC EXPECT CONDITIONS
COMCAST-NBC DEAL FACES CLOSE SCRUTINY
HOUSE PUSHES SENATE ON SATELLITE TV BILL

WEDNESDAY DEC. 2, 2009

BILL ACTION WARMING UP
DISH NETWORK STANDS BY CHRISTMAS SPOTS
NCTA PROPOSES BROADBAND PROGRAM
FCC CHAIRMAN KEEPS QUIET ON COMCAST-NBC

TUESDAY DEC. 1, 2009

DIRECTV SATELLITE MOVES CLOSER TO LAUNCH
CHARTER MAKES IT OUT OF BANKRUPTCY
SMALL CABLE BACKS TIME WARNER CAMPAIGN
CRTC SETS UP BROADCAST COMMENT SYSTEM
KARMAZIN PLAYS DOWN REVERSE SPLIT IDEA
DISH NETWORK SIGNS NEW CSG DEAL

WEDNESDAY NOV. 25, 2009

TIVO SEES MORE DIRECTV SUB DEPARTURES
SATELLITE TV BILLS STILL TAKING FORM
ECHOSTAR PUSHES SLING IPHONE APP ACCESS
ROGERS PLAYS UP TIVO LITIGATION PROSPECTS
NEWS & NOTES: A federal appeals court in Washington plans to hear oral arguments Jan. 6 in Finisar’s appeal of a lower court’s decision to invalidate five patent claims Finisar had made against DirecTv... DirecTv told retailers it has started offering several more local affiliates in high-definition...PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed Tuesday.

MONDAY NOV. 23, 2009

MALONE PLAYS DOWN CHANCE OF DIRECTV SALE
FCC HEAD: PLAN AHEAD FOR SPECTRUM CRUNCH
DIRECTV RENAMES SPORTS CHANNEL GROUP
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Lou Dobbs did CNN a big favor by leaving..Malone takes cheap shots at Carey...Dish Network makes lobbying push against PBS requirement...Satellite TV will have to choose its official Frito-Lay snack.

FRIDAY NOV. 20, 2009

VOTES CLEAR PATH TO DIRECTV INDEPENDENCE
PEPSI EXEC BUBBLES UP AS DIRECTV PRESIDENT
SENATE COMMITTEE CLEARS SATELLITE TV BILL
DUGAN RETURNS TO ECHOSTAR AS PRESIDENT
DBS SERVICES OFFER VARIED REACTIONS TO BILL
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv started offering local stations in high-definition in the Sherman, Texas-Ada, Okla., and Minot-Bismarck-Dickinson, N.D., markets...EchoStar-Dish Network Associate General Counsel Jeff Blum has been tapped to become the head of the companies’ Washington office...Dish Network said Greg Jimenez pleaded guilty before a district court magistrate judge in the U.S. Virgin Islands to selling a so-called free-to-air, or “FTA,” satellite receiver modified to steal Dish Network’s DBS service.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 18, 2009

SENATOR CONSIDERS LOCAL TV AMENDMENT
KARMAZIN PLAYS UP SIRIUS XM, SELF
NAB SQUARES OFF WITH CEA, CTIA ON SPECTRUM
DISH NETWORK, ECHOSTAR EYE FCC DATA PLAN
CABLEVISION BEMOANS PROGRAM ACCESS RULES
NEWS & NOTES: Bell Canada’s Bell TV DBS service added 40,000 net new subscribers during the third quarter of this year, giving it a total of 1.924 million at the end of this year’s third quarter.

MONDAY NOV. 16, 2009

SENATE COMMERCE SETS BILL MARK-UP
DIRECTV PUTS BONUS IN CARDS FOR NEW SUBS
NAB PRESSES CASE TO KEEP SPECTRUM
XM CANADA ADDS UP SUBS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Independence will be a big change for DirecTv...Dish Network in tough spot with PBS provision with bills.

FRIDAY NOV. 13, 2009

DISH NETWORK WARY OF PBS PROVISIONS
HARTENSTEIN MOVES TO SIRIUS CHAIRMAN SEAT
VIEWTECH BACKS STAY IN ECHOSTAR CASE
DIRECTV EXPANDS LOCAL STATION COUNT
WCS COALITION WANTS RULES SETTLED
NEWS & NOTES: Sea Launch said it has secured up to $12.5 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Space Launch Services to fund Sea Launch’s operations while it completes its chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization…Insight Communications reported it lost a net total of 1,900 basic cable subscribers, dropping its total subscriber base to 718,200.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 11, 2009

PROMOTIONS PUSH DISH NETWORK SUB GROWTH
ROCKEFELLER, KERRY ADD BILL TO MIX
ERGEN LOOKS FOR ECHOSTAR TO FIND WAY
ERGEN PLAYS UP HAND IN TIVO CASE
LIBERTY MEDIA EYES DIRECTV DEAL CLOSE
NEWS & NOTES: Loral Space and Communications reported revenues of $249.2 million during the third quarter…Intelsat said it took in revenues of $617.9 million.

MONDAY NOV. 9, 2009

TIVO, ECHOSTAR KEEP TALKING ATTORNEY FEES
SATELLITE KEEPS PRESSING BROADBAND CASE
DIRECTV WANTS BAR BOUNCED OVER ACCOUNT
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network reached an agreement to offer video-on-demand programming from The Ski Channel...Mediacom Communications reported that it lost 19,000 net basic cable subscribers during the third quarter.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK:Oral argument will not be the end of the story for complicated EchoStar-TiVo case...DirecTv should keep the current crew in charge of the ship...Interesting to see how Dish Network's advertising paid off in the third quarter.

FRIDAY NOV. 6, 2009

DIRECTV SAYS IT HAS ‘SOLID’ THIRD QUARTER
LEAHY EYES QUICK WORK ON SATELLITE TV BILL
AUTO SALES PUSH UP SIRIUS XM SUB COUNT
COMCAST PLANS DBS SUB PHONE, DATA PITCH
VIASAT LOOKS FORWARD TO WILDBLUE CLOSE
DIRECTV READY TO CLOSE LIBERTY DEAL

WEDNESDAY NOV. 4, 2009

ECHOSTAR, TIVO MAKE CASE TO APPEALS COURT
EXECS SHOW UP IN STANDS FOR ARGUMENT
CABLEVISION SEES BASIC SUB DROP
FRONTIER ADDS DISH NETWORK SUBSCRIBERS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to offer video-on-demand programming from HDNet and HDNet Movies…Viacom reported revenues of $3.3 billion during the third quarter, down from $3.4 billion during the third quarter of last year.

MONDAY NOV. 2, 2009

DISH NETWORK, TIVO HEAD TO APPEALS COURT
DISH NETWORK-ESPN CASE GOES TO MAGISTRATE
SIRIUS XM PITCHES USED CHRYSLER DEAL
JUDGE KEEPS DIRECTV LEASE FEE CASE GOING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Criticism over DirecTv Farley ad silly...Dish Network picture-in-picture helps New York sports fans...Dish Network-EchoStar face big day in court
NEWS & NOTES: ViaSat and WildBlue Communications said Friday the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department gave their approvals to the transaction in which ViaSat would acquire WildBlue.

FRIDAY OCT. 30, 2009

ECHOSTAR TESTS NEW TIVO WORKAROUND
WHEELS CHURN ON SATELLITE LEGISLATION
ECHOSTAR PUSHES FOR MORE FEES IN NDS CASE
MCDOWELL SOUNDS WARNING ON
NET NEUTRALITY
CABLEVISION SIGNALS LOOMING RATE INCREASE

WEDNESDAY OCT. 28, 2009

IRS GIVES LIBERTY-DIRECTV DEAL TAX-FREE NOD
VIEWTECH OWNER PLEADS GUILTY
DIRECTV ADDS CUSTOMER INCENTIVES
SENATORS QUIZ NTIA, RUS ON PLANS
VERIZON NETS FEWER VIDEO SERVICE SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: Shaw Communications added 2,728 net subscribers to its Shaw Direct Canadian satellite TV service.

MONDAY OCT. 26, 2009

VERSUS CHIEF KEEPS UP DIRECTV RHETORIC
SIDES MAKE PITCHES FOR SPECTRUM POLICIES
FCC SETS ANTENNA RESTRICTION TIMELINE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Broadcasters make unreasonable demands about multicast reception.
NEWS & NOTES: Shaw Direct adds DBS subs.

FRIDAY OCT. 23, 2009

LOOPHOLE DEBATE LINGERS IN HEARING
FCC LAUNCHES NET NEUTRALITY RULEMAKING
SIDES WAY IN ON FCC INTERNET PROCEEDING
AT&T SEES SATELLITE SUB BASE DROP
AT&T DENIES TIVO ALLEGATIONS

WEDNESDAY OCT. 21, 2009

LIBERTY, DIRECTV SET VOTES ON DEAL
SATELLITE INDUSTRY GIVES BROADBAND INPUT
FCC NET NEUTRALITY PLAN STIRS REACTION
JUDGE DUMPS BUNDLING ANTITRUST CASE
HOUSE PANEL SETS WITNESS LIST
NEWS & NOTES: The Consumer Electronics Association released a study predicting consumers will spend 8 percent more than they did last year on consumer electronics gifts this holiday selling season.

MONDAY OCT. 19, 2009

LIBERTY SEES DIRECTV DEAL DONE NEXT MONTH
DIRECTV CEO SEARCH CONTINUES
LIBERTY, SIRIUS XM PLAY UP PERFORMANCE
MALONE KEEPS WATCH ON COMCAST-NBC DEAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: If it happens, a Comcast/NBC-Universal deal should only be allowed with some major conditions.
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM extended Jim Meyer’s contract as president of operations and sales through May 1, 2013…The House Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee plans to hold a hearing Thursday regarding “video competition in a digital age.”

FRIDAY OCT. 16, 2009

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES SATELLITE BILL
SATELLITE FIRM PRAISE HOUSE BILL
DISH NETWORK BEMOANS PBS AMENDMENT
SCHOLARS BACK DROPPING OHIO SATELLITE TV TAX
NEWS & NOTES: Telesat said its recently launched Nimiq-5 high-power DBS orbital slot is now operational…An administrative law judge recommended the FCC reject Wealth TV’s carriage complaint against various cable operators.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 14, 2009

ERGEN TRUMPETS NFL RED ZONE CHANNEL
DISH NETWORK EYES LEGISLATIVE HELP
DISH NETWORK REFINING NEW RECORDER
DIRECTV OFFERS PRICE LOCK-UP
FCC PONDERING SLING/IPHONE ISSUE
NEWS & NOTES: Monsoon Multimedia plans to make a Hava Mobile Player application available for users of Apple iPhones or iPod Touches

FRIDAY OCT. 9, 2009

DBS SERVICES PUT PRICE ON LOCAL EXPANSION
TELCOS, DBS TOP CABLE SATISFACTION SCORES
DISH NETWORK, PBS KEEP TALKING CARRIAGE
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network blamed a server failure at an uplink center Wednesday night for a “small percentage” of its subscribers temporarily losing programming....The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition in the Jackson, Miss., market...Dish Network reached an agreement to be the “exclusive satellite television partner” of the Professional Bull Riders competitions...DirecTv said it plans to add the MBC Every1 channel to its Korea Direct programming package and Korean Direct Golf packages.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 7, 2009

SENATE COMMITTEE SETS HEARING LINE-UP
DIRECTV ADDS HD WEATHER INFO
SBCA FIGHTS LOCAL DISH INSTALL RESTRICTIONS
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV OFFER SPORTS PREVIEW
DIRECTV TAKES ON BAR OWNER
DISH NETWORK FINISHES UP DEBT OFFERING
DIRECTV ADDS MAG RACK PROGRAMMING

MONDAY OCT. 5, 2009

LIBERTY, DIRECTV AMEND DEAL TERMS
VIEWTECH SEEKS STAY IN ECHOSTAR CASE
NORTHPOINT DISPUTES DBS COUNTERCLAIMS
CRTC PLOTS RETRANSMISSION FEE HEARING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast stance in DirecTv-Versus dispute flies in the face of its own position in its fight with The NFL Network...WildBlue transaction signals change of heart for Malone...Dish Network gets laugh with claim about NFL Red Zone channel.

FRIDAY OCT. 2, 2009

VIASAT MAKES MOVE FOR WILDBLUE
FCC CLEARS LIBERTY-DIRECTV SPIN-OFF DEAL
SENATE PANEL PLANS SATELLITE TV HEARING
DIRECTV, VERSUS FACE-OFF CONTINUES
DISH NETWORK-ESPN LAWSUIT GOES ON

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 30, 2009

DIRECTV TAKES SLAP SHOT AT VERSUS
TIVO PLAYS DOWN ECHOSTAR APPEAL
FCC SEES BIG BILL FOR BROADBAND EXPANSION
DIRECTV TIPS OFF NBA LEAGUE PASS BONUS
DIRECTV TAKES ISSUE WITH FINISAR POINTS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar named Vernon Smith senior vice president of business development and head of EchoStar Satellite Service’s “ViP-TV” satellite-delivered Internet protocol video service…Dish Network plans today to move the ESPNU channel from its Classic Gold 250 programming package to the Classic Bronze 100 package...Dish Network said it plans to offer a free preview of the NFL RedZone channel Sunday.

MONDAY SEPT. 28, 2009

LOST DOCUMENTS FORCE OHIO TAX CASE DELAY
DIRECTV ADDS ENTICEMENT TO OFFER
ECHOSTAR, GOL TV SPAR OVER FEES
COMCAST PUSHES BROADBAND PLAN PROPOSALS
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM reached an agreement to make broadcasts of every Big Ten Conference football and basketball game available to XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers.

FRIDAY SEPT. 25, 2009

SENATE COMMITTEE CLEARS SATELLITE TV BILL
ECHOSTAR GETS DATE FOR TIVO APPEAL
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV MAKE DEBT MOVES
SATELLITE TV BILL DRAWS SUPPORT
DIRECTV ADDS MORE LOCAL HD MARKETS

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 23, 2009

SENATE COMMITTEE SETS BILL MARK-UP
DISH RETAILERS SETTLE DO-NOT-CALL DISPUTES
DIRECTV WRAPS UP DEBT ISSUE
ECHOSTAR LOOKS ON BRIGHT SIDE OF SANCTIONS
DIRECTV SUFFERS SUPERFAN HEADACHES
FCC CLEARS SIRIUS XM FOR PUERTO RICO
FCC CHAIRMAN STIRS NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE
NEWS & NOTES: A federal appeals court in Washington heard oral arguments yesterday in Cablevision’s challenge to a lower court’s ruling upholding the FCC’s decision in 2007 to extend the program access rules to 2012.

MONDAY SEPT. 21, 2009

DIRECTV PREPS WINTER DISCOUNT OFFER
NAB NAMES FORMER SENATOR PRESIDENT
DIRECTV THROWS PENALTY FLAG AT BARS
NEWS & NOTES: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski (D) is slated to give a speech today at the Brookings Institution supporting a “free and open Internet.”
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast's doesn't come up with banner ad idea against DirecTv in Versus dispute.

FRIDAY SEPT. 18, 2009

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES SATELLITE BILL
ECHOSTAR SECURES USE OF NEW TELESAT BIRD
HOUSE JUDICIARY BILL DRAWS PRAISE
DISH ADDS LOCAL HD OFFERINGS
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV COUNTER NORTHPOINT
XM CANADA SETTLES
ROYALTY DISPUTE

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 16, 2009

JUDICIARY COMMITTEES START MOVING BILLS
DBS SERVICES SEE GOOD STARTS IN BILLS
DIRECTV MAKES MONEY MOVES
DISH NETWORK, TELCOS TAKE ON COMCAST
DBS SERVICES BLUE OVER MICHIGAN TAX IDEA
OMAHA RETHINKS DISH INSPECTION FEE
TIVO PLAYS UP PROSPECTS FROM LITIGATION

MONDAY SEPT. 14, 2009

DISH NETWORK PONDERS SANCTIONS IMPACT
VERSUS BEMOANS DIRECTV STANCE
TELESAT SATELLITE PREPS FOR LAUNCH
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Versus needs DirecTv more than DirecTv needs Versus...Jugde keeps going after EchoStar-Dish Network
NEWS & NOTES: The House Energy and Commerce Committee scheduled a FCC oversight hearing for Thursday. The hearing was originally schedule to take place in June...Cable overbuilder RCN agreed to distribute the NFL RedZone channel.

FRIDAY SEPT. 11, 2009

ECHOSTAR, WILDBLUE SEEK BROADBAND FUNDS
DIRECTV KEEPS EYE ON SUBSCRIBER ADDITIONS
DISH NETWORK SEEKS CUBA OK
TIVO EYES NEW DIRECTV DEAL
DIRECTV THROWS IN MORE SOCCER COVERAGE
DISH NETWORK, DIRECTV ADD LOCAL HD

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 9, 2009

ECHOSTAR PRESSES TIVO APPEAL
DIRECTV, VERSUS HOLD STANCES
JUDGE SANCTIONS ECHOSTAR FOR $200 MILLION
DIRECTV STEPS UP COUNT
ON LOCAL HD
CABLE SEEKS LIFT OF EXCLUSIVITY BAN
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM Radio said last night its Sirius-FM5 satellite is now operational. The satellite, which was launched June 30, is being used to transmit programming to Sirius radios.

FRIDAY SEPT. 4, 2009

DIRECTV SUES CABLE SYSTEMS FOR THEFT
XM CANADA SUED OVER ROYALTY DISPUTE
OMAHA EYES SATELLITE DISH “INSPECTION FEE”
VIEWTECH PRESSES COUNTER ECHOSTAR CASE
DIRECTV ADDS LOCAL HD
IN LEXINGTON
NEWS & NOTES: Next Generation Home Products, which is changing its name to NextGen, said it plans to introduce several new products at the CEDIA convention...Verizon reached an agreement to add the NFL RedZone channel to its line-up this football season.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 2, 2009

CARRIAGE FIGHT LEAVES VERSUS OFF DIRECTV
HUGHES, WILDBLUE EYE BROADBAND INCLUSION
DIRECTV FILLS IN LOCAL HD LINE-UPS
VOLVO STARTS USED CAR DEAL ON SIRIUS
FCC SEEK MORE PARENTAL CONTROL INFO
DIRECTV OPPOSES TERRESTRIAL DBS WAIVER

MONDAY AUG. 31, 2009

SATELLITE TV DERIDES CALIFORNIA TAX IDEA
CABLE GETS WIN IN OWNERSHIP CAP CASE
FCC GETS RUNDOWN ON COMPETITION

FRIDAY AUG. 28, 2009

TIVO TALKS TOUGH ON ECHOSTAR LITIGATION
TIVO PUTS AT&T, VERIZON ON LEGAL DOCKET
MORE DIRECTV SUBS DEFECT FROM TIVO
DIRECTV BOOSTS HD RECORDER SOFTWARE
SIRIUS XM TOUTS NEW PRODUCTS
NEWS & NOTES: The National Cable and Telecommunications Association named Rick Chessen senior vice president of law and regulatory policy.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 26, 2009

DISH NETWORK SETTLES FREETECH FTA CASE
DISH NETWORK, COMCAST GO TO REDZONE
TIVO SEEKS BLOCK OF ECHOSTAR APPEAL
SIRIUS XM RAISES DEBT TO PAY OFF LIBERTY

MONDAY AUG. 24, 2009

FINISAR LAYS OUT APPEAL IN DIRECTV CASE
WILDBLUE CROSSES 400,000 SUB MILESTONE
DIRECTV PUTS UP MORE PBS HD
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: HBO's "Hard Knocks" makes the cut...Dish Network sub results show improvement, but some financial results show signs of trouble.

FRIDAY AUG. 21, 2009

DIRECTV, VERSUS HEAD TO WIRE IN TALKS
DISH NETWORK UPS LOCAL MARKET COUNT
FCC LOOKS FOR BROADBAND HELP
DISH NETWORK SEEKS SONICVIEW INJUNCTION
DIRECTV ADDS INTERNATIONAL FARE
NEWS & NOTES: The National Football League extended its agreement with NBC to broadcast Sunday night NFL games…The DirecTv Group reached an agreement with GuestSpan under which GuestSpan will market DirecTv’s high-definition channels to hotels…Starz Chairman Bob Clasen announced he plans to retire…DirecTv and ESPN are scheduled to host a tennis exhibition Wednesday in New York City’s Bryant Park in advance of the U.S. Open tournament.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 19, 2009

ECHOSTAR SEEKS COURT VIEW ON TIVO ACTION
DISH NETWORK, GOL TV SPAR OVER FEE CASE
NEW TELESAT SATELLITE NEARS LAUNCH
DIRECTV SETS
SUNDAY TICKET ONLINE TRIAL

MONDAY AUG. 17, 2009

DIRECTV PLAYS UP RESULTS TO RETAILERS
ECHOSTAR, NDS SEEK FEE ORDER DELAY
CRTC EYES BROADCAST RETRANS SCHEME
AT&T TAKES ON CABLEVISION OVER MSG CARRIAGE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering the local PBS station in high-definition in Sioux Falls, S.D…Dish Network reached an agreement to obtain video-on-demand and pay-per-view programming from Image Entertainment…Wyoming is now using the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Associations’ certification process as a qualification for receiving a satellite installer license from the state.

FRIDAY AUG. 14, 2009

NDS PUSHES FOR MORE FEES IN ECHOSTAR CASE
DISH NETWORK EYES $1 BILLION DEBT OFFERING
SIRIUS XM LOOKS TO DEBT TO REPAY LIBERTY
WCS COALITION, SIRIUS XM ARGUE OVER TESTS
DIRECTV ADDS LOCAL HD MARKET
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv plans to offer customers with high-definition receivers a free preview Aug. 13 to Aug. 23 of the channels in its HD Extra Pack add-on package...Intelsat reported revenues of $642.5 million during the second quarter of this year…Dish Network reached an agreement to distribute The Documentary Channel as part of the DBS service’s Classic Bronze 100 programming package...Robert Jacobson has left his position as president of the cable-owned In Demand Networks.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 12, 2009

DISH NETWORK ADDS NET SUBSCRIBERS
TIVO DOWNPLAYS PATENT OFFICE ACTION
ECHOSTAR SEES REVENUE DROP, PROFIT RISE
WILDBLUE OPENS UP MORE CAPACITY
DIRECTV SETS UP SEARCH COMMITTEE
FCC BUMPS BACK SIRIUS XM
CHANNEL DEADLINE
NEWS & NOTES: Loral Space and Communications reported revenues of $448 million during the second quarter of this year. That represents an improvement over the $383 million it posted in the second quarter of last year.

MONDAY AUG. 10, 2009

LIBERTY SEES SIRIUS XM LOANS PAYING OFF
FCC STARTS WORK ON BROADBAND DATA
MCDOWELL: LET BUSINESS DRIVE BROADBAND
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Satellite TV legislation looks like it will be a last-minute deal...DirecTv shows solid results.
NEWS & NOTES: Next Generation home products, the remote control and accessory company founded by industry veteran Bob Dolatowski, announced it is changing its name to NextGen...The DirecTv Group started offering the local CBS affiliate in high-definition format in the Milwaukee market. It also added the local PBS station in high-definition to its line-up in the Mobile, Ala.-Pensacola, Fla., market, and the local CW affiliate in high-definition in the Denver market.

FRIDAY AUG. 7, 2009

DIRECTV KEEPS UP NET SUB “MOMENTUM”
ESPN CHIMES IN ON DISH NETWORK LAWSUIT
SIRIUS XM SEES AUTO IMPROVEMENT
COMCAST
SEES BIG
BASIC SUB LOSS
DISH NETWORK ADDS HD IN PUERTO RICO
BELL TV ADDS UP MORE DBS SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: ReelzChannel reached an agreement to provide video-on-demand programs to DirecTv…Hughes Communications added a net total of 38,000 subscribers to its HughesNet service…DirecTv is making the movie “The Burning Plain” available on pay-per-view Aug. 21, in advance of its Sept. 17 theatrical release date.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 5, 2009

PATENT OFFICE STIRS ECHOSTAR, TIVO REACT
DISH NETWORK SUES ESPN OVER DEAL
CLYBURN TAKES FIFTH FCC SEAT
FRONTIER ADDS
DISH NETWORK SUBSCRIBERS
ECHOSTAR-SLING WEIGH IN ON IPHONE QUERY
FCC PREPS FOR BROADBAND WORKSHOPS

MONDAY AUG. 3, 2009

WORK LIES AHEAD ON SATELLITE TV BILL
FCC CLOSES IN ON FULL HOUSE
COMCAST SEES BETTER FCC
FCC MOVES FORWARD ON REVERSE BAND

FRIDAY JULY 31, 2009

VERIZON, DIRECTV PITCH NFL OFFER
TIME WARNER, CABLEVISION SEE BASIC DROP
LIBERTY, DIRECTV TWEAK MERGER TERMS
FCC KEEPS GETTING COMPETITION INPUT
LAWMAKERS CHIME IN ON PADRES DISPUTE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition format in the Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va., market…Sirius XM Radio extended President and Chief Content Scott Greenstein’s contract through July 27, 2013.

WEDNESDAY JULY 29, 2009

JUDGE EYES NOVEMBER SANCTION RULING
DISH NETWORK HAILS HACKER SITE SHUTDOWN
SMALL CABLE BEMOANS RETRANS PROCESS
FCC APPROVES DIRECTV REVERSE BAND BIRD
SMALL TELCO ORDERS ECHOSTAR IP VIDEO SERVICE
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network and EchoStar are scheduled to separately release their second quarter financial results Aug. 10…Viacom reported it took in revenues of $3.299 billion during the second quarter.

MONDAY JULY 27, 2009

SENATE CONFIRMS FCC PICKS
FCC SLATES SATELLITE RADIO, WCS TESTS
DISH NETWORK FIGHTS FTA FIRMS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Consumers will tire of being charged for programming everywhere...Apple mistakenly sticks to single battery stance on new iPhone
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv offeres PBS stations in HD in several more markets...Adelstein confirmed for RUS head.

FRIDAY JULY 24, 2009

AT&T SEES DIRECTV SUBS ADD UP
DIRECTV KICKS OFF NEW OFFER
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM Radio plans to release its second quarter earnings Aug. 6...The DirecTv Group continued to add stations to its line-ups in markets where it offers local stations.

WEDNESDAY JULY 22, 2009

QWEST, DIRECTV RENEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL
FTC, STATES PRESS DISH NETWORK CASE
GENACHOWSKI, MCDOWELL EYE FCC REFORM
SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES FCC NOMINEES
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv is working with the new NBC show "The Wanted."...Move Networks is declining to comment on whether Roxanne Austin made an investment in the company in conjunction with her being named its president...Distributors DSI Systems, Dow Electronics, Pace International, and Case-SRS are offering discounts to The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association members.

MONDAY JULY 20, 2009

ECHOSTAR LAYS OUT TIVO APPEAL POINTS
ECHOSTAR WORKS ON NEW TIVO FIX
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Move Networks press release crediting Roxanne Austin with turning around DirecTv was wrong, and insulting...Sad news about former SBCA/DirecTv anti-piracy head Larry Rissler...Anniversary of lunar landing provides great benchmark for technology...Cronkite call of moon walk deserves more attention than the end of Michael Jackson's moon walk.
NEWS & NOTES: The House Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee has scheduled an FCC oversight hearing for Thursday that will serve as new FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s first appearance in front of the subcommittee.

FRIDAY JULY 17, 2009

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CIRCULATES DRAFT BILL
STATES SETTLE DISH NETWORK COMPLAINTS
SENATE COMMITTEE SETS FCC NOMINATION VOTE
DIRECTV PLAYS DOWN FEE CASE
NEWS & NOTES: HBO received the most Emmy nominations of any channel or network with 99. NBC received the mot nominations among the broadcasters with 67. Showtime received 29 nominations.

WEDNESDAY JULY 15, 2009

ROSS INTRODUCES ‘SPLIT MARKET’ BILL
JUDGE STICKS TO SANCTION HEARING PLAN
VIEWTECH OWNER JAILED ON PIRACY CHARGES
CONTINENTAL SETS UP DIRECTV SERVICE
NEWS & NOTES: International Launch Services and SES reached an agreement for the launch in 2011 of the QuetzSat-1 satellite...Reelzchannel reached agreements to make programming available on Dish Network and Charter Communications’ video-on-demand services…Mercedes-Benz USA said it plans to offer buyers of certified pre-owned vehicles three fee months of Sirius XM Radio’s Sirius Everything package…Former DirecTv President Roxanne Austin was named president and chief executive officer of Internet video streaming company Move Networks.

MONDAY JULY 13, 2009

HOUSE WORKS ON SATELLITE TV LEGISLATION
TIVO FIGHTS ECHOSTAR SANCTION DELAY
DIRECTV ADDS MORE LOCAL STATIONS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast comes up with a good add...The lesson of Karmazin's story...America's endless line of media freak shows.

FRIDAY JULY 10, 2009

TIVO PATENT CASE RULING UNLIKELY THIS YEAR
CANADIAN DBS SERVICES DERIDE FUND FEE HIKE
ECHOSTAR, GOL TV FILE DUELING MOTIONS
CAL AMP SEES ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
NEWS & NOTES: Shaw Communications said its Shaw Direct DBS service, formerly known as Star Choice, added 1,580 net new subscribers during its fiscal third quarter

WEDNESDAY JULY 8, 2009

TIVO PATENT CASE RULING UNLIKELY THIS YEAR
OHIO HIGH COURT TAKES UP DBS TAX CASE
SENATE SETS FCC CONFIRMATION HEARING
NORTHPOINT SUES DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK
KARMAZIN GETS SIRIUS EXTENSION, PAY RAISE
DBS SERVICES
SET UP FOR
MORE LOCAL HD

WEDNESDAY JULY 1, 2009

SIRIUS XM TUNES IN LAUNCH SUCCESS
FCC DELAYS SIRIUS XM COMMITMENT, AGAIN
DISH NETWORK ADS SPARK LEGAL TALK
GENACHOWKSI TAKES HELM
AT FCC
NEWS & NOTES: As expected, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) signed a state budget bill into law Monday that includes a 5 percent tax on satellite TV service in the state.

MONDAY JUNE 29, 2009

DIRECTV READY TO SPRING FALL NFL OFFER
KENTUCKY COURT STRIKES DOWN TAX
SEARCH STARTED FOR NEW DIRECTV PRESIDENT
DIRECTV ADDS LOCAL STATIONS
VIEWTECH PUSHES NEW CLAIMS AGAINST ECHOSTAR
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Tip-of-the-Dish to Chase Carey...AT&T raises suspicions by blocking Slingbox use on its network
NEWS & NOTES: The launch of the Sirius-FM5 satellite for Sirius XM Radio is now scheduled to take place tomorrow at 3:10 p.m. (EDT), rather than today at that time, International Launch Services said Saturday. ILS pushed the launch back one day to fix a stuck fuel fill-and-drain valve on the rocket. ILS plans to show the launch on Galaxy 28, C-band transponder 12…The Senate confirmed Larry Stickling (D) to be the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

FRIDAY JUNE 26, 2009

SUBCOMMITTEE PASSES BOUCHER BILL
LIBERTY LOOKS FORWARD TO DIRECTV DEAL
SENATE, OBAMA ACT ON FCC NOMINATIONS
SIRIUS XM DEAL PAYS OFF FOR LIBERTY
SIRIUS XM UPS DEBT OFFERING
NEWS & NOTES: Comcast and Time Warner said they reached an agreement under which Comcast cable customers could access some TNT and TBS programming for free on their computers once they are “authenticated” as customers of the companies.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2009

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE SLATES BILL MARK-UP
TIVO SEEKS ECHOSTAR INTEREST PAYMENT
FCC GETS MORE VIDEO COMPETITION INPUT
ILS SETS SIRIUS SATELLITE LAUNCH
SIRIUS XM MAKES CREDIT MOVE
SEA LAUNCH FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

FRIDAY JUNE 19, 2009

CHARTER, DIRECTV SETTLE AD LAWSUIT
SIRIUS XM RINGS UP IPHONE APP
DIRECTV PICKS UP BUYBACK SPEED
SENATE COMMERCE APPROVE FCC NOMINATIONS
COURT CHARTS ECHOSTAR-TIVO APPEAL SCHEDULE
FCC DROPS NEWS CORP. RESTRICTIONS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said it plans next week to start offering a “mix” channel with six screens of coverage of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, as well as various interactive features...A Department of Agriculture telecommunications program has approved CommScope’s "Flat Drop" cable designs, and that will allow those seeking funding from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to include the use of the "Flat Drop" products in various applications submitted to the RUS grant and loan programs.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2009

HEARING DIVIDES SATELLITE TV, BROADCASTERS
DBS SERVICES PITCH LOCAL TV COOPERATION
ECHOSTAR WORKS ON NEXT TIVO FIX
SATELLITE TV AGREES NOT TO EXPLOIT LAW
SENATORS EYE GENACHOWSKI, MCDOWELL OK
FCC DROPS NEWS CORP. RESTRICTIONS
NEWS & NOTES: Today marks the 15th anniversary of the launch of high-power DBS service by DirecTv and USSB…DirecTv said it plans to offer three channels of additional coverage of all four rounds of the U.S. Open Championship golf tournament this week.

MONDAY JUNE 15, 2009

BOUCHER STARTS SATELLITE TV BILL DRAFTING
FCC, BROADCASTERS PLAY DOWN DISRUPTION
DIRECTV SWEETENS POT WITH SHOWTIME OFFER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Digital television transition notable for how many people no longer rely on off-air TV...Liberty Chairman John Malone might want to tell President Greg Maffei to tone down comments.

FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2009

TIVO PUSHES AGAINST STAY IN ECHOSTAR CASE
NPS SWITCHES DISTANT QUALIFICATION COURSE
FINAL EXAM ARRIVES FOR DIGITAL TV EDUCATION
DISH NETWORK, FISHER END DISPUTE
TIVO LOOKS FOR MORE CABLE AGREEMENTS

WEDNESDAY JUNE 10, 2009

NPS UNIT TO LAUNCH HD DISTANT NETWORKS
ERGEN PLAYS UP HD OFFERINGS
LIBERTY EYES QUICK REGULATORY REVIEW
DIRECTV SETS BLIMP FLIGHT TO AIR TAX PROTEST
FCC GETS BROAD HIGH-SPEED DATA PLAN INPUT
JUDGE KEEPS CHARTER-DIRECTV CASE GOING
LIBERTY: SIRIUS XM
CAN RIDE OUT ECONOMIC STORM
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing Tuesday regarding the nominations of Julius Genachowski (D) to be FCC chairman and FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R) to serve a full term.

MONDAY JUNE 8, 2009

DIRECTV SEEKS CHARTER AD CASE DISMISSAL
FINISAR APPEALS ONE CASE, DROPS ANOTHER
DIGITAL TRANSITION ENTERS FINAL COUNTDOWN
CABLEVISION CITES ECONOMIC IMPACT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Letting decision stand in EchoStar-TiVo cast could unleash a TiVo monopoly.

FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2009

ECHOSTAR WINS TEMPORARY STAY IN TIVO CASE
CAREY MAKES DIRECTV DEPARTURE OFFICIAL
FCC PREPS FINAL DIGITAL TV CONVERSION PUSH
SIA REPORT CHARTS SATELLITE REVENUE GROWTH
NEWS & NOTES: The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association said it is offering online certification courses for MDU/SMATV installations…In response to inquires regarding the 80-channel package featuring the telecasts that race tracks offer to gambling establishments around the nation that it plans to launch in September, Dish Network said yesterday it did not know or would not say what satellite or spectrum the new service will use.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2009

JUDGE POUNDS ECHOSTAR IN TIVO RULING
TIVO RELISHES ORDER; ECHOSTAR EYES STAY
CAREY PLAYS UP DIRECTV PERFORMANCE
JUDGE NIXES VIEWTECH COUNTERCLAIMS
SIRIUS XM GET MORE TIME FOR CHANNEL SET ASIDE
NEWS & NOTES: President Obama yesterday announced he intends to nominate FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R) to serve a new five-year term...EchoStar announced a plan to try to expand its reach to Asia by entering into a partnership agreement with AsiaSat to offer a high-power DBS service to Taiwan and other parts of Asia...DirecTv extended its agreement under which Convergys provides various customer service and billing services for DirecTv...Dish Network reached a deal to continue distributing stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2009

DELAWARE COURT PUNTS TIVO CASE TO TEXAS
DIRECTV SETS UP RECORDER BONUS PROGRAM
JUDGE PONDERS FINISAR-XM CASE FUTURE
CABLE EXPECTS SLUGGISH SECOND QUARTER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Becoming truly independent will be a major, long-awaited change for DirecTv.

FRIDAY MAY 29, 2009

TIVO SEES MORE SUB DROP SLOWDOWN
CAREY SEES VALUE IN DIRECTV SUB ADDS
ROGERS QUESTIONS ERGEN’S STRATEGY
VERIZON, NCTA SPAR OVER PROGRAM ACCESS
LIBERTY STILL LIKES SIRIUS XM INVESTMENT
NEWS & NOTES: AT&T and RaySat said they plan Monday to start offering a satellite TV service for larger cars, recreational vehicles, and semi-trucks that is slated to include 22 video and 20 music channels. Hardware and programming prices were not immediately available.

WEDNESDAY MAY 27, 2009

DISH NETWORK URGES CALL CASE DISMISSAL
APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS MDU EXCLUSIVITY BAN
SIRIUS XM SHUTS DOOR ON SHAREHOLDER EVENT
ECHOSTAR SIGNS IPTV CLIENT
DIRECTV DOWNPLAYS FEE LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to continue carrying television stations owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

FRIDAY MAY 22, 2009

DIRECTV PRESSES FOR COMPETITIVE CHANGES
JUDGE SIDES WITH DIRECTV ON FINISAR CLAIMS
BROADCASTERS START DIGITAL STRETCH RUN
COPPS PLAYS UP NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN
DISH NETWORK ADDS FUEL TV TO LINE-UP
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said it plans to again offer an interactive “mix” channel showing six screens of coverage of the French Open between Sunday and May 31…EDITOR’S NOTE: In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed Wednesday

WEDNESDAY MAY 20, 2009

DIRECTV LEADS SATISFACTION SURVEY PACK
DEAL ENDS NFL NETWORK-COMCAST FEUD
LIBERTY SEES POSSIBLE SIRIUS XM OPTIONS
FCC GETS MORE PARENTAL CONTROL INPUT
NEWS & NOTES: Former Dish Network and EchoStar Vice Chairman Carl Vogel was named a partner at sports and entertainment company SCP Worldwide…The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to move the ESPNU channel from the Premier package to the Choice package…After holding a hearing yesterday on his and other nominations yesterday, the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee said yesterday it plans to hold a mark-up session today that will include a vote on whether to confirm President Obama’s choice of former FCC official Larry Stickling to be the next head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

MONDAY MAY 18, 2009

DIRECTV MOVES TO ABIDE BY CHARTER ORDER
NEVADA POSES NEXT DBS TAX THREAT
FCC STARTS SATELLITE COMPETITION INQUIRY
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Dish Network takes interesting, and risky, tack by planning to take on DirecTv in ads...AT&T's move to block Sling app for iPhones is about competition, not technical or capacity issues.

FRIDAY MAY 15, 2009

ORDER PUSHES DIRECTV TO ALTER CHARTER ADS
KARMAZIN GIVES UP SIRIUS XM OPTIONS
DISH NETWORK ADDS TO HAWAII, ALASKA SLATES
DISH NETWORK PLACES BET ON RACETRACKS
DIRECTV-LIBERTY DEAL FACES LAWSUIT
FCC PREPS FINAL PUSH ON
TRANSITION
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar’s Sling Media unit started selling an application that enables users of Apples iPhone and iPod Touch units to access programming through Slingboxes…Intelsat reported revenues of $631.8 million during the first quarter of this year and a net loss of $557.6 million during the period.

WEDNESDAY MAY 13, 2009

DISH NETWORK MAKES MOST OF SUB LOSSES
CHARTER SUES DIRECTV OVER AD CAMPAIGN
ERGEN PREDICTS VICTORY OVER TIVO
ERGEN PRAISES ECHOSTAR PROGRESS
DISH NETWORK SEES STEPS TOWARD REBOUND
DISH NETWORK DEALS WITH AT&T DEPARTURE
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM Radio plans to offer a free preview to XM subscribers next week of the two Howard Stern channels that are currently available only to Sirius subscribers, or XM subscribers who pay for the “Best of Sirius” package

MONDAY MAY 11, 2009

DISH NETWORK TO TARGET DIRECTV IN ADS
LIBERTY PLAYS UP DIRECTV, SIRIUS XM MOVES
DBS BEATS BACK TEXAS TAX HIKE
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network and EchoStar plan to announce their first quarter results this morning, and it is widely expected Dish Network will report a significant net subscriber loss. Both companies also plan to hold their annual shareholder meetings today in Denver...The DirecTv Group started offering locals stations in high-definition format in the Bozeman-Butte, Mont., and Lafayette, Ind., markets.

FRIDAY MAY 8, 2009

DIRECTV SPENDS WAY TO HUGE SUB ADDS
AUTO WOES STING SIRIUS XM SUB TALLY
SIRIUS XM PLAYS DOWN DIRECTV TIE-IN
CABLEVISION, CHARTER SEE SUB DROPS
REHR SIGNS OFF AS NAB CHIEF
COMMITTEE DELAYS GENACHOWSKI HEARING
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network’s annual retailer event, using the theme “Rock Solid,” got underway yesterday, according to those in attendance...Dish Network has started telling customers that if they have not done so already, they must switch to new conditional access cards by Tuesday, at which point it plans to start turing off the authorization streams for some well-known channels in favor of the new cards...Hughes Communications reported its HughesNet two-way satellite-delivered Internet service added 22,000 net new subscribers in the first quarter.

WEDNESDAY MAY 6, 2009

LIBERTY, DIRECTV STAKE OUT COMBINATION
TAXES WOULD IMPACT FUTURE DIRECTV DEALS
AT&T SEEKS ACCESS RECONSIDERATION
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv said it extended its distribution deals for Liberty’s Starz Entertainment and QVC…DirecTv awarded DirectPlus its multiple-dwelling unit dealer of the year award.

MONDAY MAY 4, 2009

DBS SERVICES TRY TO BLOCK VERMONT TAX
BELL TV EYES FREE SATELLITE TV IN CANADA
MINNESOTA TRIES TO FLUSH OUT GAMBLING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cablevision runs more misleading ads...Flu story keeps scaremongering news channels in business.

FRIDAY MAY 1, 2009

SIRIUS XM EYES ‘POISON PILL’ PROTECTION
ECHOSTAR KEEPS NDS ATTORNEY FEE SPAT GOING
COMCAST, NFL AGREE TO KEEP TALKING
SMALL CABLE PUSHES IN-STATE/DISTANT RULE
TIME WARNER GAINS, COMCAST LOSES BASIC SUBS
BARTON, STEARNS PROPOSE FCC REFORMS
OBAMA GIVES CLYBURN NOD FOR FCC
NEWS & NOTES: Qwest reported it added a net total of 34,000 new DirecTv subscribers during the first quarter of this year. The company had a total of 832,000 video customers at the end of the quarter…KVH reduced the retail prices for its mobile satellite TV reception equipment by $300 to $600. The systems, which can be used to receive DirecTv, EchoStar, or Bell TV services, now range in price from $999 to $2,299…DirecTv started offering local stations in high-definition in Harrisonburg, Va.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 29, 2009

DISH NETWORK SHUFFLES EXECUTIVE RANKS
SATELLITE TV KEEPS PUSHING ON CAPITOL HILL
SIRIUS XM EYES PUERTO RICO SERVICE
FISHER AGAIN BLAMES ERGEN FOR DISPUTE
NEW & NOTES: NDS Group reached an agreement to license electronic programming guide patents from Macrovision Solutions, the companies said.

MONDAY APRIL 27, 2009

LIBERTY MEDIA SETS SPLIT-OFF VOTE
DIRECTV LIGHTS UP INTERACTIVE SCOREBOARD
DIRECTV RAISES BAR ON INCENTIVES
MORE CITIES GETTING DIRECTV LOCAL HD
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Issues retailers raised at DirecTv event have been hovering around the industry since the beginning.

FRIDAY APRIL 24, 2009

EARLY DIRECTV RESULTS PLEASE AT&T
LIBERTY ADDS TWO TO SIRIUS XM BOARD
NFL NETWORK-COMCAST WAIT FOR RULING
DIRECTV DETAILS SUCCESS, CHALLENGES
DISH NETWORK OFFERS WORLD VIEW
JUDGES DELAYS NDS-ECHOSTAR FEE ORDER

WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, 2009

DIRECTV TWEAKS DISH AT RETAILER EVENT
DBS SERVICES PUSH IN-STATE/DISTANT STATIONS
ECHOSTAR, TIVO SPAR OVER CASE RELOCATION
DIRECTV TELLS RETAILERS TO SKIP TWITTER
NAB CHIEF TOUTS TRANSITION EFFORTS
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network reached an agreement with Ion Media Networks to extend distribution of Ion Television to Dish Network’s most widely distributed programming package, Classic Bronze 100...ReelzChannel is slated to open its new headquarters Thursday in Albuquerque, N.M.

MONDAY APRIL 20, 2009

DIRECTV RETAILERS DESCEND ON DALLAS
SIDES GIVE V-CHIP MIXED RATINGS
DIRECTV ADDS TO ASIAN SLATE
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee postponed a hearing regarding reforming the FCC that had been scheduled to take place Wednesday. No new date for the hearing date had been set at press time.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Lack of baseball for Sirius subscribers illustrates what a failure the Sirius-XM merger is...Comcast and The NFL Network should stop whining at each other.

FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2009

DIRECTV RESOLVES DO-NOT-CALL LAWSUIT
AFFILIATES, DBS SERVICES SPAR OVER BILL
NBA, DIRECTV NET NEW DEAL
DISH NETWORK ADDS INTERNATIONAL FARE
DIRECTV RAISES LOCAL HD MARKET TOTAL
NEWS & NOTES: A FCC administrative law judge is slated to complete a hearing today in The NFL Network’s program carriage complaint against Comcast...The Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing Wednesday to discuss possible reform of the FCC. At press time, the committee had not released a witness list.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2009

DIRECTV DEALS RETAILERS IN ON MAIL OFFER
GOVERNMENT GETS BROAD BROADBAND INPUT
OBAMA MOVE OPENS SATELLITE PATH TO CUBA
DIRECTV DROPS PORTABLE UNIT PRICES
MORE STATIONS READY FOR DIGITAL SWITCH
SIRIUS XM WEIGHS IN ON SET-ASIDE PLAN
COMCAST, NFL TAKE DISPUTE TO FCC JUDGE
NEW & NOTES: Liberty Media’s Liberty Sports Group signed an agreement to use satellite capacity on Intelsat’s Galaxy-17 satellite to transmit its FSN Northwest, FSN Pittsburgh, and FSN Rocky Mountain channels to cable head-ends…The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association said yesterday it introduced a program to offer group health benefits to its members.

MONDAY APRIL 13, 2009

DISH NETWORK, NFL NETWORK STRIKE DEAL
DISH NETWORK ADDS VIACOM CHANNELS IN HD
LAWMAKERS SEEK CONVERTER BOX INFO

FRIDAY APRIL 10, 2009

FCC ADDS TO COMPETITION DATA COLLECTION
FCC APPROVES LIBERTY SPIN PLAN
FCC STARTS WORK ON BROADBAND PLAN
DIRECTV ADDS ASIAN PROGRAMMING
DIRECTV ADDS TO LOCAL HD SLATE

WEDNESDAY APRIL 8, 2009

DELAWARE COURT PUNTS ON ECHOSTAR-TIVO
DISH NETWORK WANTS DO-NOT-CALL CASE TIME
DIRECTV ADDS HD OPTIONS
ECHOSTAR SEEKS 61.5-DEGREE CHANNELS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said its digital video recorder scheduler application for Apple’s IPhones and IPod Touches. The application enables users to schedule their digital video recorders remotely, as well as view programming guides…Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen wrote an editorial that ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday reiterating Comcast’s position that it should be allowed to continue offering The NFL Network as part of a sports programming tier.

MONDAY APRIL 6, 2009

CABLE SHOW BEATS LOWERED EXPECTATIONS
SIRIUS SUBS STILL SHUT OUT OF BASEBALL
COMMISSIONERS SHOW NO LOVE FOR MARTIN
A LA CARTE PUSH SUBSIDES
FCC, NTIA KEEP WARY EYE ON TRANSITION
BROADBAND PLAN STIMULATES
MORE DEBATE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cable deserves some credit for convention...Internet, mobile TV become companies' latest obsessions.

FRIDAY APRIL 3, 2009

CABLE INDUSTRY KEEPS CHIN UP IN RECESSION
SATELLITE TV BILL TALK STARTING TO HEAT UP
LEGISLATION, REGULATION TAKE STAGE AT SHOW
NCTA PRESSES DEREGULATORY APPROACH
DISH NETWORK SIGNS UNIVISION AGREEMENT
NEWS & NOTES: Comcast and The NFL Network acknowledged this week that Comcast could stop distributing the channel entirely at the end of this month.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 1, 2009

CABLE TAKES CONVENTION TO D.C.
AFFILIATES OPPOSE IN-STATE STATION IDEA
VOGEL REDUCES ECHOSTAR-DISH NETWORK ROLE
KERRY OUTLINES SUBCOMMITTEE AGENDA
ECHOSTAR TAKES WRAPS OFF CABLE SLINGBOX
FCC GETS INPUT ON SATELLITE RADIO SET ASIDE
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network and Spanish-language programmer Univision are coming down the wire on a distribution and retransmission consent agreement, several sources said...The DirecTv Group is offering a version of its remote digital video recorder scheduler application for IPhone and IPod Touch users...Dish Network and EchoStar plan to hold its annual shareholders meetings May 11.

MONDAY MARCH 30, 2009

FCC ENLISTS AMERICORPS FOR TRANSITION HELP
WILDBLUE EYES CAPACITY FOR SUB EXPANSION
DIRECTV READIES AD CAMPAIGN
CHARTER FILES FOR CHAPTER 11
OBAMA TAPS STRICKLING
FOR NTIA CHIEF
JUDGE HOLDS DOWN ECHOSTAR FEES
HOUSE SLATES RURAL BROADBAND HEARING

FRIDAY MARCH 27, 2009

DISH NETWORK DISPUTES DO NOT CALL LAWSUIT
DIGITAL TRANSITION DRAWS VARIED REACTIONS
SENATE PUTS PROGRAM ACCESS ON AGENDA
SATELLITE MAKES PLAY FOR RURAL BROADBAND
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network added Fargo-Valley City, N.D.; Odessa-Midland, Texas; Palm Springs, Calif.; and Terre Haute, Ind., to the list of markets where it offers local stations in high-definition format...DirecTv Group President Chase Carey entered into a plan to exercise up to 764,296 options to purchase DirecTv stock and to sell the shares “assuming certain price targets are met,” according to a filing DirecTv submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission…DirecTv told retailers it has started offering new customers three free months of Showtime.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 25, 2009

DIRECTV KEEPS NFL SUNDAY TICKET EXCLUSIVE
NTIA BEGINS RENEWING EXPIRED COUPONS
CABLE BRISTLES AT DIRECTV-NFL DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate last night confirmed former Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D) to be Secretary of Commerce. As reported, the Senate Commerce Committee approved President Obama’s nomination of Locke last week…Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps (D) is among eight witnesses scheduled to testify at a House Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee hearing Thursday.

MONDAY MARCH 23, 2009

ADELSTEIN GETS OBAMA NOD TO MOVE TO RUS
SIRIUS XM, WCS SPAR OVER RULES
DBS SERVICES FRET OVER WHITE SPACE RULES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast's latest goofy ad...Ergen will not sell and will not change...NFL looks for legal resolutions for channel...CBS online coverage of NCAA games has some issues.
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said yesterday it experienced a “hardware problem” at one of its uplink centers that caused a “relatively small number of subscribers” to lose programming guide data Saturday.

FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2009

SATELLITE INDUSTRY EYES BROADBAND SUBSIDY
JUDGE PUTS BRAKES ON NDS-ECHOSTAR FEES
HOUSE COMMITTEE PLANS DIGITAL TV HEARING
SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES COMMERCE PICK
OBAMA COUNTS ON DIRECTV FOR NCAA TOURNEY
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network said it is in the process of hiring 325 Denver-based employees.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 2009

FISHER RADIO ADS BLAME ERGEN FOR IMPASSE
MOST STATIONS PLAN TO WAIT TO DROP ANALOG
DISH NETWORK, FANDANGO EYE TICKET SALES
CHARTER SEES BASIC SUB DROP
CABLE BALKS
AT MORE REPORTING RULES
NEWS & NOTES: Loral Space and Communications reported revenues of $466.7 million for the fourth quarter of last year, and $1.57 billion for the full year...Satellite and cable stocks largely followed the broader market higher yesterday.

MONDAY MARCH 16, 2009

FCC LAYS OUT MORE TRANSITION GROUND RULES
NAB HEAD: BROADCASTERS DEAL WITH NEW DATE
DIRECTV ADDS MORE INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: CNBC and Jim Cramer deserved Jon Stewart's skewering...Karmazin misplaces blame on media for Sirius XM's subscriber numbers...Liberty gaining complete control of Sirius XM would be the best hope for Sirius XM
NEWS & NOTES: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self appeared on TV last night to promote DirecTv’s out-of-market package for the NCAA tournament, which begins Thursday...Telesat reported revenues of $207 million (Canadian) during the fourth quarter of last year. But the company said it recorded a net loss of $671 million during the period, which the company blamed on a $483 million write-down of “intangible assets,” as well as losses related to “foreign exchange fluctuations.”

FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2009

KARMAZIN FOCUSES ON SAVINGS, NOT SUBS
SIRIUS XM SEES RELIEF AFTER LIBERTY LOAN
NEW YORK DROPS TV TAX PLAN
SIRIUS XM EYES DIRECTV SUBS, IPHONE USERS
JUDGE SETS TIMELINE FOR TIVO-ECHOSTAR CASE
NEWS & NOTES: ReelzChannel said it plans tonight to launch a new feature called “ReelzChannel Friday Night Movie,” in which it will show a movie each Friday at 9 p.m. EST…The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association formed the Satellite Industry Leadership Council to make recommendations to the board of directors about satellite industry issues.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 11, 2009

SIRIUS XM SEES STEEP NET SUB ADDITION DROP
FCC LEAVES ‘TERRESTRIAL LOOPHOLE’ OPEN
ERGEN CHIDES BROADCASTERS ON LEGISLATION
DISH NETWORK STARTS ADDING TO HD LINE-UP
DISH NETWORK DISCUSSES
CHANNEL ISSUES

MONDAY MARCH 9, 2009

LIBERTY FINISHES NEXT SIRIUS XM DEAL PHASE
DIRECTV TIES BONUSES TO CUSTOMER CALLS
JUDGE SETS FISHER-DISH NETWORK COURT DATE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Circuit City failure was not hard to see coming...Cirucit City played ealry role in satellite TV rollout, local-into-local fight.

FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2009

FCC GETS RUNDOWN ON TRANSITION LESSONS
NTIA READY TO TURN FUNDS INTO COUPONS
DISH NETWORK EXILES MORE RETAILERS
DISH NETWORK ADDS MORE LOCAL HD
DIRECTV TOUTS MARCH MADNESS PACKAGE
COMCAST, TIME WARNER SEE SLOWDOWNS

WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2009

DISH NETWORK WORKS ON TURNAROUND
GENACHOWSKI GETS OBAMA NOD FOR FCC
DISH NETWORK SAW RADIO OPPORTUNITY
ERGEN PONDERS POSSIBILITIES With TIVO
WRITE-DOWNS HIT ECHOSTAR BOTTOM LINE
TIVO PLAYS UP YEAR-END PROFIT AS SUBS DROP
NEWS & NOTES: The American Cable Association named long-time cable trade press reporter Ted Hearn to the new position of vice president of communications.

MONDAY MARCH 2, 2009

FCC EYES SIRIUS XM PUBLIC INTEREST RULES
ESHOO PRESSES PBS MULTICAST MUST-CARRY
DIRECTV ADDS SPRING RETAILER INCENTIVES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Broadcasters refuse to let go of outdated arguments...Satellite TV industry needs to stand up to Stupak on local stations issue.
NEWS & NOTES: OpenTV said its board of directors is considering conditional access company Kudelski’s offer to pay $127 million to obtain the shares of Open TV it does not already own…The National Cable and Telecommunications Association announced Senior Vice President for Law and Public Policy Dan Brenner left the organization to become a partner at the law firm of Hogan and Hartson…Dish Network and EchoStar are scheduled to release their fourth quarter and 2008 year-end results today. TiVo is also slated to announce its results today.

FRIDAY FEB. 27, 2009

SATELLITE, BROADCAST DIFFERENCES ABOUND
LAWMAKERS EYE NEXT LEGISLATIVE STEPS
LIBERTY SEES NO SIRIUS XM-DIRECTV COMBO
LIBERTY PLAYS UP DIRECTV-TELCO PARTNERSHIPS
DIRECTV FILES ARIZONA CABLE LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: Cablevision said it lost a net total of 3,800 basic cable subscribers during the fourth quarter of last year…Hughes Communications said it finished 2008 with 433,000 subscribers to its HughesNet two-way satellite-delivered Internet service...The DirecTv Group said James Cronelius resigned from its board of directors.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 25, 2009

SATELLITE, BROADCASTERS CLASH AT HEARING
LAWMAKERS PUSH SMALL, MAJOR CHANGES
NPS LAUNCHES WEB SITE FOR DISTANT IDEAS
NEWS & NOTES: News Corp. announced President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin, who has been with the company for 20 years, plans to resign, effective June 30.

MONDAY FEB. 23, 2009

HEARINGS START NEXT DISTANT DEBATE
ADELSTEIN OPTIMISTIC AFTER EARLY SWITCH
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Karmazin missteps put Sirius XM in a pecarious state...Justice Department could have something to say aout Sirius XM-Liberty deal...Sirius XM used leaks to the consumer press... Hard to say Ergen lost even though he did not end up with a deal...Sirius XM future still up in the air
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group told retailers that starting March 5 they will be allowed to sell a DirecTV-branded version of WildBlue’s two-way, satellite-delivered Internet service to both new and existing customers…Local media reports said police in Webb City, Mo., arrested a man following a two-hour standoff after he allegedly shot his television because he was unhappy about his cable TV service being turned off and not being able to receive digital off-air broadcast signals on his analog television.

FRIDAY FEB. 20, 2009

TIVO, ECHOSTAR GET IN CLOSING PUNCHES
FCC, NAB ENCOURAGED BY EARLY SHUTOFFS
SIRIUS GETS OK TO ISSUE STOCK TO LIBERTY
COMCAST
SEES BIG
BASIC SUB LOSS
DISH NETWORK BEAMS IN MORE LOCAL HD STATIONS
NEWS & NOTES: CBS Broadcasting reached a new retransmission consent agreement for its owned-and-operated stations to continue to be distributed by Dish Network’s DBS service.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 18, 2009

LIBERTY LOAN KEEPS SIRIUS XM ABOVE WATER
TIVO, ECHOSTAR LAWYERS SQUARE OFF
ECHOSTAR MAY STILL PROFIT FROM SIRIUS XM
BAILOUT BUMPS UP SIRIUS XM SHARES
DBS SERVICES DOWNPLAY
TRANSITION
NEWS & NOTES: The House and Senate Judiciary Committees, as well as the House Energy and Commerce Committee are planning to hold hearings next week regarding the Satellite Home Viewer Enhancement and Reauthorization Act...A court-mandated settlement conference last week between Gol TV and EchoStar failed to result in an agreement to end Gol TV’s lawsuit against EchoStar.

TUESDAY FEB. 16, 2009

LIBERTY LOAN RESCUES SIRIUS XM

FRIDAY FEB. 13, 2009

COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE FOR SIRIUS XM
BOUCHER SEEKS MORE LOCAL-INTO-LOCAL
OBAMA MAKES DIGITAL DELAY OFFICIAL
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar and Bell TV, formerly Bell ExpressVu, signed a new agreement under which EchoStar will remain the exclusive reception equipment supplier for the Canadian DBS service through Dec. 31, 2011...The DirecTv Group reached a new retransmission agreement with Salt Lake City station KJZZ, which shows Utah Jazz games…Time Warner and Time Warner Cable said they plan to complete their plan to split into separate companies by the end of the quarter…Charter Communications reached an agreement with some of its debt holders to reduce its debt commitments by $8 billion, as part of a plan to restructure through chapter 11 bankruptcy…SES New Skies’ NSS-9 C-band satellite was successfully launched yesterday.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 11, 2009

SIRIUS XM EYES BANKRUPTCY; ECHO TALKS COOL
DIRECTV POSTS BIG FOURTH QUARTER SUB ADDS
STUPAK URGES MANDATORY LOCAL-INTO-LOCAL
DIRECTV FOCUSES ON WIRELESS, AT&T DEALS
DIRECTV STAYS BUOYANT IN CHOPPY WATERS
FCC: 500 STATIONS PLAN EARLY DIGITAL SWITCH
DISH NETWORK DROPS MORE RETAILERS

MONDAY FEB. 9, 2009

DIGITAL DELAY BILL AWAITS OBAMA SIGNATURE
JUDGE PUSHES GOL TV-ECHOSTAR SETTLEMENT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Sirius XM gamble nothing new for Ergen...Even with digital TV delay, government still needs a better plan
NEWS & NOTES: The Ciel-2 high-power DBS satellite Dish Network has contracted to use is now operational at the 129-degree orbital slot…The DirecTv Group is scheduled to release its fourth quarter 2008 financial results tomorrow afternoon.

FRIDAY FEB. 6, 2009

CONGRESS TRANSITIONS TO NEW DIGITAL DATE
DBS SERVICES STATE DIGITAL TV READINESS
FCC EXAMINES DIGITAL DELAY IMPLICATIONS
DISH NETWORK SLATES MORE LOCAL HD
NEWS CORP. COMPLETES NDS PRIVATIZATION

WEDNESDAY FEB. 4, 2009

HOUSE SET TO VOTE ON DIGITAL TV DELAY BILL
DISH NETWORK INKS DEALS WITH FOX
MCDOWELL HEAPS PRAISE ON COPPS
SATELLITE TAKES STAND AGAINST NEW YORK TAX
DISH NETWORK IN SMITHSONIAN SPAT

MONDAY FEB. 2, 2009

OBAMA WAITING TO SIGN DIGITAL DELAY BILL
DIRECTV PREPARES TO SPRING NEW OFFER
AT&T STARTS DIRECTV DISTRIBUTION
COURT DISMISSES APPEALS OF SIRIUS XM OK
COPPS OFFERS GLOOMY VISION
OF TRANSITION
NEWS & NOTES: Some 7,000 people attended DirecTv's annual "Celebrity Beach Bowl" football game in Tampa on Saturday.

FRIDAY JAN. 30, 2009

SENATE GIVES HOUSE NEW SHOT AT DELAY BILL
DIRECTV SLATES PRICE INCREASES
AT&T POSTS DISH NETWORK SUBSCRIBER ADDS
DIRECTV,
DISH NETWORK ADD LOCAL HD
NDS GETS ATTORNEY FEE APPEAL SCHEDULE
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network plans on Saturday to start allowing existing customers to subscribe to its “Turbo HD” packages of high-definition-only programming packages. Those packages have only been available to new subscribers since Dish Network launched them in August

WEDNESDAY JAN. 28, 2009

DIGITAL DELAY BILL MOVES CLOSER TO REALITY
FCC SENDS NFL COMPLAINT BACK TO JUDGE
COPPS VOWS MORE COMMUNICATION FOR FCC
DISH NETWORK DISPUTES FISHER LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network reached an agreement under which Comcast Spotlight will sell advertising time for Dish Network on 10 regional sports networks in seven markets...Verizon said it added 303,000 net new customers to its fiber-delivered video service in the fourth quarter of last year, pushing its total to 1.9 million subscribers.

MONDAY JAN. 26, 2009

DIGITAL TV DELAY DEBATE COMING TO HEAD
COPPS GETS EARFUL ON CARRIAGE COMPLAINTS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Split court decision leaves questions hanging over NFL Network...Martin leaves on a typically low note...Not everyone could have an exclusive with President Obama...MLB Network hits, NFL Network misses, on old game presentations.

FRIDAY JAN. 23, 2009

ROCKEFELLER MAKES DIGITAL DELAY BILL DEAL
SIRIUS XM PLANS ADDITIONAL RADIO PRICE HIKE
OBAMA NAMES COPPS ACTING FCC CHAIRMAN
BARTON KEEPS PUSHING AGAINST DELAY
NEWS & NOTES: Viacom confirmed it had reached a new wholesale distribution agreement with Dish Network, but declined to provide details. Dish Network declined comment.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 21, 2009

HOUSE COMMITTEE SETS DELAY MARK-UP
DBS SERVICES OFFER INAUGURATION COVERAGE
FCC FINALLY RELEASES COMPETITION REPORT
FCC AWAITS NEW CHAIRMAN
FCC SETS CARRIAGE DISPUTE SCHEDULE
NEWS & NOTES: The bankrupt Circuit City announced it plans to shut down the company after it was unable to find a buyer by last Friday. The company employs 30,000 people and operates 567 stores in the United States and 765 internationally.

FRIDAY JAN. 16, 2009

ROCKEFELLER INTRODUCES DIGITAL DELAY BILL
MARTIN SLATES FCC EXIT
VIDEOCIPHER PASSES QUIETLY INTO OBLIVION
NFL NETWORK OFFERS CONFLICTING OPINION
DIRECTV EYES NEXT STOCK BUYBACK
JUDGE DELAYS COMPLAINT HEARING
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network started making at least one local station available in high-definition in Wilkes Barre, Penn.; Abiline, Texas; Joplin, Mo.; Springfield, Mo.; Wichita Falls, Texas; Little Rock, Ark., and Louisville...Sirius XM Radio said it issued 100 million shares of its common stock to pay for $13 million principal amount of its 2.5 percent convertible notes due this year. Sirius XM still has $174 million of those notes outstanding…DirecTv said it plans to offer a mix channel Tuesday that will show coverage of Barack Obama’s inauguration from eight channels on a single screen…DirecTv plans to offer a six-screen mix channel devoted to coverage of the Australian Open tennis tournament, starting Sunday...PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and barring major breaking news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 14, 2009

ECHOSTAR SITES WIN IN NFL NETWORK CASE
ECHOSTAR, TIVO SPAR OVER PATENT ORDER
OBAMA FCC CHAIRMAN PICK GETS PRAISE
MARTIN SEES EVEN CHANCE ON DIGITAL DELAY
DIRECTV EYES NEXT STOCK BUYBACK
JUDGE DELAYS COMPLAINT HEARING
NEWS & NOTES: Several Sling Media executives have left the company, including founder Blake Krikorian. Sling Media is owned by EchoStar, which bought the company in 2007.

MONDAY JAN. 12, 2009

MARTIN AGAINST DIGITAL TV DELAY
DISH NETWORK, SLING GET NOTICE AT QUIET CES
MARTIN REFLECTS ON FCC TENURE
MARTIN DEFENDS XM-SIRIUS APPROVAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Delay the digital TV transition and set up "Digital TV AmeriCorps...Powell and Kennard must have enjoyed taking dig at Martin in op-ed...CEA unwise to oppose Obama on digital TV delay

FRIDAY JAN. 9, 2009

DISH NETWORK MAKES SLING THE THING AT CES
CAUTIOUS ATTENDEES KICK OFF CES
SIRIUS XM READIES ‘INTEROPERABLE’ RADIO
OBAMA ASKS FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION DELAY
CAREY: DIRECTV STANDING UP TO PRESSURE
MARKEY, BOUCHER SWAP SUBCOMMITTEES
ERGEN FORESEES ‘TECHNICAL’ COPYRIGHT BILL
DIRECTV IN CHANNEL SPAT WITH COMCAST
NEWS & NOTES: The NBC-affiliate in the Fargo, N.D., market stopped being available to DirecTv customers last night after the station could not reach a retransmission consent agreement with DirecTv. Meanwhile, after a week-long dispute that took it off Dish Network’s DBS service, Topeka, Kan., CBC affiliate KTKA reached a new retransmission consent agreement with the DBS service...DirecTv started offering local stations in high-definition format in the Greenville-New Bern, N.C., market…The ReelzChannel plans to move its corporate headquarters to Albuquerque, N.M…The T. Howard Foundation named board members.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 7, 2009

NDS APPEALS ECHOSTAR ATTORNEY FEE RULING
FCC JUDGE HOLDS TO COMPLAINT DEADLINE
NTIA STARTS CONVERTER SUBSIDY WAITING LIST
AUDIOVOX LINES UP SIRIUS AFTERMARKET DEAL
DISH NETWORK DROPS MORE RETAILERS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar’s Sling Media unit said it is demonstrating a version of its SlingPlayer Mobile software at this week’s Macworld convention that enables IPhone users to access their Slingboxes...CSG Systems and Dish Network signed a one-year extension of their agreement under which CSG will continue to provide customer and billing services to the DBS service…Arianespace signed a contract to perform as many as five satellite launches for Intelsat through 2015.

MONDAY JAN. 5, 2009

DBS SERVICES SEE SCATTERED RETRANS FIGHTS
VIACOM, TIME WARNER REACH CARRIAGE DEAL
COMCAST FIGHTS FCC ON NFL NETWORK ISSUE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Fourteenth Annual Notebook Awards
NEWS & NOTES: The Fox Business Channel is no longer available to Sirius and XM subscribers.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 31, 2008

CES LOOKS TO BE QUIET FOR SATELLITE
ADELSTEIN FORESEES ‘MESSY’ TRANSITION
MARTIN SETS SLIM AGENDA FOR FINAL MEETING
MLB NETWORK READIES NEW YEAR’S LAUNCH
CARRIAGE COMPLAINTS AWAIT ACTION

MONDAY DEC. 29, 2008

FCC, NTIA LAY OUT TRANSITION STATUS
FCC TAKES CONTROL OF CARRIAGE COMPLAINTS
CABLEVISION TALLIES VOOM SHUTDOWN CHARGE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DirecTv's "QuickTune" feature is a welcome addition...DirecTv and Dish Network take different paths in 2008...CES could be very quiet next week...Thanks for making 20 years of Satellite Business News possible.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 24, 2008

DISH NETWORK: ‘VERY FAR APART’ WITH FISHER
FCC CHARTS DIGITAL TV COVERAGE AREAS
SIRIUS XM TAKES SMALL BITE OF DEBT
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC last night said it now plans to hold a conference call Tuesday that will serve as its monthly public meeting...Sling Media started offering a new version of its SlingPlayer software that enables 15 mobile phones that use the Windows Mobile operating system to access Slingboxes. Sling also released updated software for its SlingCatcher units..The DirecTv Group and Finisar submitted filings to a federal judge in Texas disputing the other’s argument regarding what the scope should be of the new trial in Finisar’s patent lawsuit against DirecTv next October.

MONDAY DEC. 22, 2008

DISH NETWORK PLANS PRICE, PACKAGE CHANGES
WAXMAN, DINGELL AGREE TO PLAY NICE
MARKEY QUERIES FCC, NTIA ON DIGITAL SWITCH
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Leno move marks latest low in NBC's spiral...Washington residents looking for a way out of D.C. for inauguration...Slingcatcher could open up new avenues for Sling, Dish Network

FRIDAY DEC. 19, 2008

SIRIUS SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE MOVES
RAINBOW LOWERS BOOM ON VOOM SERVICE
NEW RETRANS DISPUTE HITS DISH NETWORK
DBS SERVICES WORKING ON DIGITAL TRANSITION
LIBERTY SEES SPLIT-OFF BRINGING VALUE
NEW YORK FLOATS CABLE/DBS SALES TAX
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering local PBS stations in high-definition in the Atlanta; Baltimore; Cleveland; Omaha, Neb.; Savannah, Ga.; and Lincoln-Hastings, Neb…The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association named Lisa McCabe director of public policy and outreach…EchoStar’s Sling Media unit said it plans to roll out Slingbox software Dec 30 for users of several newer Blackberry models.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 17, 2008

BROADCASTERS PREP FOR DIGITAL TEST
CABLE PLANS DIGITAL MOVE ‘QUIET PERIOD’
LIBERTY PLANS TO FLESH OUT SPIN-OFF PLANS
 SES PLANS TO HALT IPTV PRIME SERVICE
ROCKEFELLER GETS SENATE COMMERCE POST
NEW DISPUTE BREWS FOR
DISH NETWORK
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network is now offering CW affiliate XETV in high-definition format in the San Diego market. The DBS service also started offering RAI News 24 in its Panorama Italiano programming package.

MONDAY DEC. 15, 2008

LIBERTY SETS PARTIAL ENTERTAINMENT SPIN
DISH NETWORK ADDS ‘EASTERN ARC’ INSTALLS
MARTIN DROPS CONTROVERSIAL MEETING PLANS
DISH NETWORK TERMINATES MORE RETAILERS
C-BAND UNIVERSE SEES SLIGHT SLIP
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network and Young Broadcasting have apparently reached a retransmission consent agreement that has allowed Dish Network to return the 11 Young-owned TV stations to the DBS service’s channel line-up.

FRIDAY DEC. 12, 2008

YOUNG STATIONS LEAVE DISH NETWORK
LIBERTY PRESSES CASE FOR DIRECTV PLANS
DISH NETWORK SEES CIEL-2 LAUNCH SUCCESS
SIDES DEBATE SATELLITE RADIO HD MANDATE
DIRECTV TARGETS “GRAY MARKET” SALES IN CANADA
NEWS & NOTES: The National Association of Broadcasters urged President Bush to sign a bill that would allow broadcasters to continue transmitting analog signals for 30 days past Feb. 17 in order to provide emergency and other information.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 10, 2008

DIRECTV CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ON ECONOMY
ERGEN LOOKS BACK ON ‘BUSY’ 2008
DISH-LEASED CIEL-2 SET FOR LAUNCH
JUDGE TELLS NDS DEFENDANTS TO FOOT BILLS
CRITICS WEIGH IN ON MARTIN PROPOSALS
DISH NETWORK FINALLY CONFIRMS GOODFRIEND EXIT
JUDGE AXES SIRIUS SHAREHOLDER LAWSUIT
SUPREME COURT REBUFFS FINISAR REQUEST

MONDAY DEC. 8, 2008

JUDGES NIXES DELAY REQUEST IN TIVO CASE
ECHOSTAR EDGES NDS IN ATTORNEY FEES
DISH NETWORK AWAITS CIEL-2 LAUNCH
ADELSTEIN PRESSES FOR SMOOTH TRANSITION
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Martin's wholesale prgramming scheme is another reason cable is counting the days until his chairmanship ends...Though he likely will leave, Martin could stay on as a regular commission.

FRIDAY DEC. 5, 2008

KARMAZIN KEEPS UP OPTIMISTIC TONE
DISNEY/ABC LAYS INTO CARRIGE RULE CHANGES
DIRECTV STARTS ROLLING OUT PBS IN HD
MARTIN LAYS OUT MEETING AGENDA
CEA DOWNGRADES HOLIDAY FORECAST
DISH NETWORK FILLS IN LOCAL HD STATIONS

WEDNESDAY DEC. 3, 2008

ECHOSTAR ASKS FOR DELAY IN TIVO BENCH TRIAL
DIRECTV, FINISAR SEEK SUMMARY JUDGMENTS
MARTIN PLANS TO LEAVE LOOPHOLE OFF AGENDA
SIDES WEIGH IN ON WCS
ISSUES
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network/EchoStar congressional lobbyist David Goodfriend has told a number of colleagues in Washington that he plans to leave the company and form his own lobbying firm...Broadcast stations in Washington, D.C., yesterday evening conducted the first of what they said would be several two-minute digital TV tests in which they turned off their analog signals…Ted Rogers, the founder of Canadian cable company Rogers Cable and the owner of several media and sports properties, died yesterday at 75.

TUESDAY DEC. 2, 2008

MARTIN PLOTS CARRIAGE ITEMS FOR AGENDA
SIRIUS XM GETS TIME FOR LEASE CONDITION
DISH NETWORK CALLS FOUL ON GOLTV LAWSUIT
ECHOSTAR
SIGNS SES SATELLITE DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: Satellite and cable-related stocks followed the overall market down yesterday.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 26, 2008

ECHOSTAR PLANS DBS SERVICE IN MEXICO
TIVO TALKS TOUGH ON ECHOSTAR PATENT CASE
GOODELLL STANDS BEHIND NFL NETWORK
TIVO SUBS TAKE ANOTHER DIP
AT&T CONTINUES FIGHT AT FCC AGAINST COX
NAB CHIDES ESPN-BCS AGREEMENT
SMALL CABLE CHASTISES
NEWS CORP.
NEWS & NOTES: Liberty Media said that it has chosen to sell 11.25 million shares of a 22.5 million shares of a DirecTv Group equity collar it obtained in April. Liberty, which holds a 52 percent equity share and 48 percent voting share in DirecTv, repaid the portion of the loan on the equity collar using funds from that loan…PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, and barring major breaking news, the next edition of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed Tuesday.

MONDAY NOV. 24, 2008

DISH NETWORK LIFTS RETAILER RESTRICTION
DIRECTV EYES CABLE SWITCH OPPORTUNITIES
STUPAK FORESEES DIGITAL TRANSITION DELUGE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Contempt ruling against EchoStar that TiVo says is inevitable might turn out not to be.

FRIDAY NOV. 21, 2008

JUDGE SETS NEW ECHOSTAR-TIVO HEARING
WAXMAN GRABS CHAIRMANSHIP FROM DINGELL
NFL SUFFERS SETBACK IN COMCAST COMPLAINT
DISH NETWORK ADDS TO ‘EASTERN ARC’ CITIES
DISH NETWORK EXTENDS FRONTIER DEAL
DISH NETWORK ADDS INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv Senior Vice President of Advertising and Public Relations Jon Gieselman was among eight people inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement…Sea Launch reached an agreement to launch five satellites for Intelsat between 2010 and 2012...Dish Network started showing “Dish Studio” on its video-on-demand service…The Senate passed a bill that would give broadcast stations permission to continue broadcasting analog signals for 30 days past the scheduled Feb. 17 transition to digital-only off-air broadcast signals in order to provide consumers with emergency and other information...Sirius XM Radio’s stock price closed down 2 cents at an all-time low of 14 cents.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 19, 2008

DISH NETWORK PARES INTERNATIONAL OPTIONS
TIVO TURNS TO LAYOFFS TO CUT COSTS
MORE RETAILERS GET DISH NETWORK AX
DISH NETWORK ADDS TO LOCAL HD LINE-UP
DISH NETWORK OFFERS MEXICO PRICE BREAK
NEWS & NOTES: Bob Marsocci, who served as DirecTv's chief spokesman for years, has joined Broadcom Corp. as vice president of corporate communications…The Securities and Exchange Commission filed insider trading charges against HDNet founder and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, alleging he avoided losses of more than $750,000 by selling shares of mamma.com stock based on non-public information. Cuban issued a statement disputing the charges and accused the SEC staff of misconduct…The FCC is currently reviewing whether several cable companies, including Comcast, have fully complied with an FCC request for information regarding the companies moving channels from analog to digital programming tiers.

MONDAY NOV. 17, 2008

NDS, ECHOSTAR FIGHT OVER LAWSUIT VICTORY
DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK CHANGE MUSIC DIALS
NTIA BACKS RETRANS QUIET PERIOD
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Ergen offers frank assessment while Karmazin's rosy forecast flies in face of evidence...Tough to make predictions about what how an Obama-picked FCC will operate.
NEWS & NOTES: President-elect Barack Obama named former Washington attorney Susan Crawford and former FCC counsel Ken Werbach as the “FCC review team leads” for his administration’s transition team.

FRIDAY NOV. 14, 2008

SIRIUS XM UNVEILS MERGED CHANNEL LINE-UP
DIRECTV TRIES TO CAPITALIZE ON NFL SPATS
CONYERS EYES JUDICIARY JURISDICTION CHANGE
INTELSAT SEES REVENUE UPGRADE
COMCAST ADS
SEEK TO KICK DIRECTV HABIT
NEWS & NOTES: The transition team President-Elect Barack Obama named to help advise him on who to appoint to top positions at various agencies, including who would takeover as chairman of the FCC from Kevin Martin (R), included several familiar names. Among them are former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt (D), former FCC International Bureau Chief Don Gips, and Tom Wheeler, who has headed trade associations for the both the cable TV and cellular telephone industries...The Satellite Industry Association named Marie-Pierre Bloch director of communications.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 12, 2008

ECONOMY DRAGS ON DISH NETWORK RESULTS
SIRIUS SEES SLOW SUB ADDS, BIG WRITE-DOWN
DISH NETWORK TALKS PIRACY PROBLEM
AT&T LOSS LOOMS FOR
DISH NETWORK
ERGEN PONDERS TIVO POSSIBILITIES
SIRIUS XM BEG OUT OF HD RADIO REQUIREMENT
DISH NETWORK READIES RECORDER OPTIONS
NEWS & NOTES: National Football League executive Steve Bornstein sent a letter to various publications reiterating the NFL’s stance that Comcast and Time Warner are improperly refusing to carry The NFL Network on their most widely distributed programming tiers…National Association of Broadcasters President David Rehr sent a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama detailing broadcasters efforts to educate consumers about the planned Feb. 17 transition to digital-only off-air broadcast signals.

MONDAY NOV. 10, 2008

INOUYE SHIFT SHUFFLES SENATE COMMERCE
DINGELL, MARKEY SEEK DIGITAL TV ANSWERS
DISH NETWORK PLANS MEXICO PACKAGE
DINGELL, WAXMAN FIGHT OVER COMMERCE SPOT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Networks leave viewers without election night home...All-news channels pull out tricks to little good effect... Mix channel helped cut through election clutter...Obama victory shows is big statement on Bush, economy, celebrity.
NEWS & NOTES: The Chicago City Council is scheduled to vote today on a budget proposal that would require satellite TV customers to pay an “amusement” tax, which Dish Network and The DirecTv Group oppose.

FRIDAY NOV. 7, 2008

DIRECTV” ‘SOLID’ QUARTER IN TOUGH TIMES
AUTO SLUMP HITS SIRIUS XM NUMBERS
TIME WARNER, CABLEVISION LOSE BASIC SUBS
DINGELL, WAXMAN FIGHT OVER COMMERCE SPOT
DISH NETWORK DUMPS MORE RETAILERS
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network is working with the Community Broadcasters Association, which represents low-power broadcasters, to promote Dish Network’s line of digital-to-analog off-air broadcast signal converter boxes...The DirecTv Group launched a web site to provide current and potential advertisers with information about placing ads on its channels and interactive offerings…Perfect 10 signed an agreement to distribute DirecTv’s DBS service to the multiple-dwelling unit market...The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition format in Boise, Idaho; Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, Texas; Macon, Ga.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Traverse City,-Cadillac, Mich.; and Fort Smith, Ark.
PAST FAX HEADLINES....

WEDNESDAY NOV. 5, 2008

COMMITTEE INCUMBENTS UNSCATHED
GOODELL DEFENDS NFL NETWORK SCHEDULE
NDS, ECHOSTAR HAGGLE OVER FEES
SIRIUS XM DENOUNCES SHAREHOLDER LAWSUIT
DISH NETWORK DUMPS MORE RETAILERS
AUTHORIZED
C-BAND TOTALS SLIP IN OCTOBER
NEWS & NOTES: William Loesch was named chief executive officer of Monsoon Multimedia, which sells the Hava line of devices that enables users to simultaneously access video programming remotely on computers or mobile phones…The FCC sent letters to Comcast and several other cable operators inquiring about the shift of some channels to digital programming tiers.

MONDAY NOV. 3, 2008

DIRECTV LETS NEW SUBS LOCK IN RATES
VIEWTECH RENEWS CLAIM AGAINST ECHOSTAR
COURT BACKS FCC DUAL MUST-CARRY DECISION
DIRECTV KEEPS UP FRIENDLY OFFER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Early results could be key to picking presidential winner...Would have been nice for Sirius XM to give customers a few free "best of" months...Specter's campaign against NFL turns into a bad joke.

FRIDAY OCT. 31, 2008

LIBERTY: MARKETS MIGHT PUSH BACK SPLIT-OFF
CONSUMERS UNION SPARKS CABLE RATE DEBATE
SPECTER REVIVES ANGST OVER NFL TELECASTS
SIRIUS XM MAKES DEBT MOVE
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC late yesterday upheld an independent arbiter’s ruling that Time Warner had discriminated against the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network by refusing to carry the channel on the basic tier of its North Carolina cable system...Qwest said it added a net total of 39,000 DirecTv subscribers during the third quarter...Dish Network said yesterday it has started offering the local CW stations in Los Angeles and Denver in high-definition to HD subscribers in those markets…Bell Canada’s Bell TV satellite service, formerly called ExpressVu, added a net total of 7,000 subscribers during the third quarter of this year.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 29, 2008

ECHOSTAR-NDS CASE TURNS TO ATTORNEYS FEES
ECHOSTAR OBJECTS TO REVERSE BAND SWITCH
SES READIES CIEL-2 SATELLITE FOR LAUNCH
DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK STAND BY FEE VIEW
DISH NETWORK OFFERS ELECTION COVERAGE CHANNEL
NEWS & NOTES: More than a dozen television stations in New York last night conducted a “test” just before 6 p.m. EDT during which they turned off their analog transmissions for two minutes and ran messages telling anyone relying on an off-air antenna to receive the signal about the planned Feb. 17 transition to digital-only off-air broadcasts…Verizon said it added 233,000 net new subscribers to its fiber-delivered video service, pushing its total to 1.6 million.

MONDAY OCT. 27, 2008

DIRECTV ADDS HD INCENTIVE TO FALL OFFER
SATELLITE STOCKS SEE UPS, DOWNS
JUDGE SETS NEW FINISAR-DIRECTV TRIAL DATE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Satellite could ride out financial storm better than most...Election outcome makes little difference.

FRIDAY OCT. 24, 2008

AT&T CHARTS DBS SUBSCRIBER LOSS
DIRECTV TESTS HOME NETWORK DISTRIBUTION
NDS REVENUES FALL FOR QUARTER
DIRECTV TAKES LOCAL HD TO MORE MARKETS
STAR CHOICE TALLIES REVENUE RISE
TECH FACES DIRECTV FRAUD CHARGES
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering the Telecentro Spanish-language channel as part of its DirecTv Mas Spanish/English-language programming service.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 22, 2008

DISH NETWORK SEES DEALER GAIN IN AT&T LOSS
DISH NETWORK DOWNPLAYS ECONOMIC IMPACT
LAWMAKERS QUERY NTIA COUPON ISSUES
SIRIUS XM EXCHANGES DEBT FOR STOCK
DISH READIES MORE LOCAL HD
DISH NETWORK PIRATE GETS
JAIL TIME
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv yesterday downloaded a software upgrade to its HR-21 and HR-20 high-definition digital video recorders that will enable the units to process programming in the 1080p HD format. The download also upgraded certain guide search functions. But there were also indications a significant number of the recorders crashed during the process.

MONDAY OCT. 20, 2008

FCC DROPS C-BAND ANALOG BAN IDEA
COMMISSION SEES SATELLITE COMPETITION
JUDGE ORDERS NEW DIRECTV-FINISAR TRIAL
ACA BACKS CARRIAGE DURING DISPUTES
DISH NETWORK PLANS EXPANSION
OF ‘EASTERN ARC’
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DirecTv "Poltergist" ads send scary message to cable...Sirius XM problems likely could continue, and could have been avoided
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network told retailers it is offering them an additional $30 commission for each new subscriber they sign up to WildBlue’s two-way, Ka-band satellite-delivered data service…The DirecTv Group started carrying the Fox News Channel in high-definition...TBS’ live coverage of the Boston-Tampa Bay baseball playoff game Saturday night was delayed until late in the first inning because of a transmission facility power outage in Atlanta.

FRIDAY OCT. 17, 2008

JUDGE KNOCKS DOWN ECHOSTAR CLAIM ON NDS
SIRIUS XM EYES STOCK MOVES, STARTS LAYOFFS
GOLTV SEEKS DISH NETWORK PAYMENTS
DISH NETWORK CUTS MORE RETAILERS LOOSE
DISH NETWORK PLANS EXPANSION
OF ‘EASTERN ARC’
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius XM Radio and Pioneer introduced a new $279.99 portable XM radio that also plays MP3 files, can record up to 100 hours of XM programming, and also receive Sirius programming.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 15, 2008

TIVO BANKS ON ECHOSTAR RULING
MARTIN DROPS LOW-POWER MUST-CARRY ITEM
MCDOWELL EYES REFINED TRANSITION EFFORTS
DISH NETWORK BACKS REVERSE BAND PROPOSAL
FCC PUSHES OFF PROGRAM ACCESS ACTIONS

FRIDAY OCT. 10, 2008

JUDGE LEANS AGAINST ECHOSTAR NDS CLAIM
ECHOSTAR FORKS OVER TIVO PAYMENT
DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK BOOST LOCAL HD
SATELLITE SUFFERS MORE WALL STREET WOES
CEA HOPES FOR MORE PORTABLE DIGITAL TV
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar’s Sling Media unit started selling the SlingCatcher, which costs $299.99 and enables users to view programming delivered from a Slingbox unit, their computers, or via the Internet on a TV set…EchoStar named former Sirius Chairman and Thomson Chief Joe Clayton to its board of directors...Intelsat named former EchoStar Chief Financial Officer Michael McDonnell executive vice president and chief financial officer…NOTICE: Barring major breaking news, the FaxUPDATE will not be distributed Monday in observance of the Columbus Day holiday.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 8, 2008

HIGH COURT LEAVES ECHOSTAR WITH TIVO BILL
PACE SIGNS DISH NETWORK DISTRIBUTION DEAL
DIRECTV, FINISAR TAKE STANDS ON LAWSUIT
CAL AMP WORKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK
BROADCASTER STANDS BY
SIRIUS XM REQUEST
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network signed an agreement to purchase video-on-demand programming from Gravitas Ventures…SES Americom’s medium-power Ku-band AMC-21 satellite is now operational at the 125-degree orbital slot.

MONDAY OCT. 6, 2008

DIRECTV TRIES TO REASSURE DEALERS ON AT&T
DISH NETWORK DROPS RETAILERS
HILL RECESS LEAVES UNRESOLVED ISSUES
DISH NETWORK OFFERS GIFT IN DISPUTE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Election coverage from MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN leaves a lot to be desired..Sirius XM a la carte option is a flop.

FRIDAY OCT. 3, 2008

SIRIUS GETS A LA CARTE, XM NOT YET
AT&T, VERIZON TOP CONSUMER VIDEO RANKINGS
STOCKS SEES ANOTHER SLIDE
DIRECTV ADDS MORE LOCAL HD
NCTA CHIEF WARNS ON RETRANS TALKS
OBAMA PAYS FOR DISH NETWORK TIME
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network started carrying the Ecuadorian channel TeleAmazonas as part of its DishLatino basic programming package.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 1, 2008

DISH NETWORK SHARES START AT&T RECOVERY
DBS SERVICES REJECT FCC FEE CHANGES
MARKEY PUSHES MANDATORY HD RADIO TUNERS
REPS. FAVOR LONGER RETRANS QUIET PERIOD
DIRECTV, PEGASUS , INTELSAT EYE
BAND PLAN
NEWS & NOTES: WFXS, the Fox affiliate in the Wassau/Rhinelander, Wisc., market, reached a new retransmission consent agreement with Dish Network yesterday...EchoStar reached an agreement to provide “multiple” transponders on the AMC-15 medium-power satellite capacity to SkyWay USA.

MONDAY SEPT. 29, 2008

AT&T SETS SWITCH TO DIRECTV
MALONE KNOCKS DBS MERGER CHANCES—AGAIN
NPS PUSHES DIGITAL DISTANT PLAN
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: AT&T-DirecTv deal represents a major challenge for Charlie Ergen and Dish Network.

FRIDAY SEPT. 24, 2008

SATELLITE STOCKS SEE BETTER DAYS
LAWMAKERS HOME IN ON ANTENNA ISSUE
DIRECTV BOLSTERS LOCAL HD LINE-UP
DISH NETWORK UNVEILS OFF-AIR CONVERTER
DISH FACES NEW RETRANS FLAP
NEWS & NOTES: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested four people after conducting searches in nine locations as part of an investigation into an alleged satellite piracy ring...The DirecTv Group renewed its agreement to carry the Star India Plus, Star One, Star India News, and Vijay channels as part of its Hindi-language programming packages…Dish Network reached an agreement to offer Sony Pictures Television’s movies and other programming on Dish Network’s video-on-demand and pay-per-view services…Intelsat’s Galaxy-19 C-band/medium-power Ku-band satellite was successfully launched from the floating Sea Launch platform Wednesday...The Louisiana Broadcasters Association urged the FCC to require DirecTv and Dish Network to have to offer local stations in all markets by Feb. 17 rather than 2013 as currently required.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 24, 2008

DIGITAL TV TRANSITION DRAWS MORE CONCERN
SATELLITE STOCKS SEE ANOTHER ROUGH RIDE
DISH NETWORK, AT&T SIGN SHORT EXTENSION
DIRECTV, FINISAR HAGGLE OVER LAWSUIT
SIRIUS XM
OBJECTS
TO REQUEST
NEWS & NOTES: Reelz Channel reached an agreement with Borders Media under which the bookstore chain’s Internet site will show segments from Reelz Channel’s “Secret’s Out” program, hosted by Leonard Maltin. The agreement also includes cross promotion provisions.

MONDAY SEPT. 22, 2008

DBS SERVICES DEAL WITH HURRICANE CLEANUP
DIRECTV TAKING OVER ITS WILDBLUE INSTALLS
NIMIQ-4 LAUNCHES WITHOUT HITCH
SATELLITE STOCKS PUT CHOPPY WEEK IN BOOKS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group plans to start offering the VietDirect Plus package of five Vietnamese channels Oct. 8. The package will retail for $29.99 per month.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Murdoch actually "frightened" of how Malone would have been able to control News Corp.'s future...CNBC takes advantage of bad Wall Street news...More needs to be done to get battery-powered digital TVs to market.

FRIDAY SEPT. 19, 2008

LIBERTY, DIRECTV PONDER FUTURE MOVES
DIRECTV DISCUSSES AT&T POSSIBILITIES
MURDOCH SEES POSSIBLE MISSTEP ON DIRECTV
DIRECTV UPS LOCAL HD STATION COUNT
DISH NETWORK DEBUTS AZTECA CHANNEL
LAWSUIT TAKES ON DIRECTV FEES
NEWS & NOTES: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration only has enough money left in its administrative budget to process requests for digital-to-analog converter box coupons through the end of January, a month before the scheduled shutdown of off-air analog TV signals, NTIA chief Meredith Attwell Baker said in a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.)..The NTIA’s Baker and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) are among the witnesses scheduled to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday on the digital television transition.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 17, 2008

WILMINGTON TEST RAISES MORE QUESTIONS
DISH NETWORK ALIGNS WITH LIN TV
WALL ST.’S WEEK IMPACTS SATELLITE STOCKS
BROADCASTERS, CABLE DEBATE “QUIET PERIOD”
DISH NETWORK CHIPS IN
ON RELIEF

MONDAY SEPT. 15, 2008

DIRECTV PROVIDES HOUSTON STORM COVERAGE
NFL REARRANGES SUNDAY TICKET SCHEDULE
COPPS PRESSES BETTER DIGITAL TV EDUCATION
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Wilmington test shows digital transition could lead to trouble...Good job by DirecTv providing hurricane coverage.

FRIDAY SEPT. 12, 2008

AT&T SEEKS ACCESS TO COX PADRES CHANNEL
DEAL PUTS STATION BACK ON DISH NETWORK
FCC GETS MORE ‘QUIET PERIOD’ INPUT
SIRIUS XM MAKES REPEATER PITCH TO FCC
NEW YORK POLICE LOOK INTO
DBS FRAUD
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to continue carrying the Outdoor Channel...Intelsat’s C-band/medium-power Galaxy-19 satellite is scheduled to be launched from the floating Sea Launch platform Sept. 23.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 10, 2008

KARMAZIN STATES CASE FOR SIRIUS XM FUTURE
SIRIUS XM UNVEILS “BEST OF” LINE-UPS
LIBERTY PONDERS NEXT DIRECTV STEPS
SENATORS WANT FCC TO FOCUS ON TRANSITION
WILMINGTON THROWS
DIGITAL TV SWITCH
TIME WARNER SEES HD PROGRESS

MONDAY SEPT. 8, 2008

CITADEL, DISH NETWORK SETTLE SQUABBLE
WILMINGTON ON SCHEDULE FOR EARLY SWITCH
ECHOSTAR TAKES ON VIEWTECH COUNTER SUIT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: TiVo has backed itself into a hole with EchoStar litigation and licensing deals.

FRIDAY SEPT. 5, 2008

JUDGE PONDERS TIVO CONTEMPT MOTION
LIBERTY SLATES ENTERTAINMENT GROUP SPLIT
DIRECTV PLOTS NEXT CONSUMER OFFER
TIVO, DIRECTV EXTEND RELATIONSHIP
NEWS & NOTES: Liberty Media, Intelsat, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, and private equity firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers combined to provide WildBlue Communications with $50 million in equity financing. Liberty controls WildBlue...The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition in the Baton Rouge, La.; Springfield, Mo.; and Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Ark., markets...DirecTv and AT&T each reached agreements to carry 50 local television stations owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 29 markets…Comcast signed a new deal to carry HDNet and HDNet Movies.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 3, 2008

TIVO CHIDES ECHOSTAR SUPREME COURT TRY
SATELLITE STEPS UP HURRICANE HELP EFFORTS
FCC GETS EARFUL ON “QUIET PERIOD”
DIRECTV SETTLES WITH FCC OVER
EEO VIOLATIONS
WILDBLUE UNVEILS LEASE PLAN
NEWS & NOTES: Golf Channel said yesterday it reached a new carriage agreement with Dish Network. Dish Network also signed an agreement last week to continue carrying HDNet and HDNet Movies, sources said...The Big Ten Network reached carriage deals with Time Warner and Charter Communications…The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga.

MONDAY AUG. 25, 2008

ACA APPLAUDS DUAL MUST-CARRY RELIEF
DISH NETWORK RETAILERS GET DEBIT PRIMER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: NBC's not-so-live Olympics coverage...XM-Sirius merger, Dish Network struggles make summer headlines

FRIDAY AUG. 22, 2008

DISH NETWORK MAKES PLAY FOR CONVERSIONS
DIRECTV ADDS MORE HD LOCALS
MCDOWELL SLATES ALASKA DIGITAL TV TRIP
NEWS & NOTES: The Big Ten Network said it reached a carriage agreement with US Cable…ESPN and Major League Baseball reached a new agreement that provides ESPN the rights to offer Major League Baseball content on its web sites and mobile phone service.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 20, 2008

COMMISSIONERS PLAN DIGITAL TV ROAD TRIPS
DIRECTV SPOTS LOCAL AD DEAL
CONSUMERS UNION SEEKS ACCESS CHANGES
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to add INSP-The Inspiration Network to its channel line-up next Wednesday in all of its programming packages…Sports radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo signed a five-year contract to work for a new sports talk channel that will be available on both XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

MONDAY AUG. 18, 2008

DISH NETWORK SPEAKS UP ON QUIET PERIOD
DIRECTV OFFERS OFF-AIR LOCAL SOLUTION
DIRECTV SLATES NEXT LOCAL HD MARKETS
PROGRAMMERS PUSH UNBUNDLING
TELESAT DEFENDS REVERSE BAND PROPOSAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: NBC Olympic offerings too tough to navigate...HBO's football show worth watching...Watch LA Times stock price.
NEWS & NOTES: Former DirecTv President Eddy Hartenstein was named publisher of The Los Angeles Times.

FRIDAY AUG. 15, 2008

ECHOSTAR PRESSES TIVO WORKAROUND CASE
NAB PLEDGE FALLS SHORT FOR DISH NETWORK
NDS MOVES CLOSER TO GOING PRIVATE
PROGRAMMERS PUSH UNBUNDLING
TELESAT DEFENDS REVERSE BAND PROPOSAL
NEWS & NOTES: An Arianespace rocket successfully launched SES Americom’s AMC-21 Ku-band/C-band yesterday from French Guiana. The satellite is slated to occupy the 125-degree orbital slot…According to reports, Sirius XM Radio President Mel Karmazin said during a televised interview that he plans to announce executive level lay-offs next month. Most expect Karmazin to largely keep his former staff from the standalone Sirius Satellite Radio service.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 13, 2008

DISH NETWORK SEEKS SUPREME TIVO REVIEW
LIBERTY ADDS MORE DOUBT TO DBS COMBO TALK
RETAILER PAYS PRICE FOR DISH NETWORK FRAUD
ECHOSTAR, INTELSAT SQUABBLE OVER TIMING
CABLE SCOFFS
AT NAB
RETRANS PLEDGE
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar licensed CableLabs’ “Tru2way” technology…Dish Network said it was named “official high-definition satellite television service provider” of the 2008 Democratic Convention, which is taking place Aug. 25 28 in Denver, where Dish Network is based.

MONDAY AUG. 11, 2008

DISH NETWORK PLOTS “EASTERN ARC” OPTION
DIRECTV SEEKS TO NET GOLTV VIEWERS
DISH NETWORK EYES WIDER TURBOHD ROLLOUT
BCE CHANGES BELL EXPRESSVU TO BELL TV
MARTIN SEES NO LET UP IN
A LA CARTE PUSH
NEWS & NOTES: David Wolford, who in the early 1980s founded Satellite Orbit Magazine, the first full-scale listing/guide magazine for C-band dish owners, died last month in Arizona, according to an obituary published last week in an Idaho newspaper. Wolford's company, CommTek Publishing, also published one of the first industry trade publications, Satellite Dealer Magazine. He was 70 and had not been active in satellite TV industry affairs for well over a decade…TiVo filed an opposition under seal objecting to EchoStar’s motion asking a federal judge in Delaware to declare that the software “workaround” EchoStar downloaded to millions of Dish Network digital video recorders does not violate TiVo’s so-called Time Warp patent.

FRIDAY AUG. 8, 2008

IMPROVEMENTS DRIVE ‘SOLID’ DIRECTV RESULTS
SIRIUS XM LOOKS TO IMPROVE SHARE PRICE
SIRIUS XM PLANS RADIO ROLLOUTS
DIRECTV LATIN AMERICA STEPS UP TALLY
CAREY DISMISSES
MERGER IDEA
DISH NETWORK BACKS RETRANS “QUIET PERIOD”
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network plans to offer a “mosaic” channel of NBC Universal’s coverage of the Summer Olympics. Dish Network also plans to make various interactive information available, such as athlete profiles, medal counts, and late-breaking news. It also is offering two high-definition channels for soccer and basketball coverage...Applian Technologies and All Alex developed screen capture software called WM Capture that will enable users to record NBC’s online Olympics coverage on their computers.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 6, 2008

DISH NETWORK SEES RECOVERY FROM SUB LOSS
FCC ORDER DETAILS XM-SIRIUS JUSTIFICATIONS
DISH NETWORK PLANS FOR AT&T UNCERTAINTY
ERGEN SHOWS ‘STUBBORN’ SIDE ON TIVO
NDS CLOSES IN ON GOING PRIVATE
DISH NETWORK BACKS RETRANS “QUIET PERIOD”
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv said it plans to offer four high-definition channels carrying coverage of the PGA Championship this weekend, as well as various interactive features...Sirius XM President Mel Karmazin paid more than $2.7 million to purchase 2 million shares of Sirius XM stock. Meanwhile, Sirius XM subsidiary XM Satellite Radio offered to buyback about $200 million in debt.

MONDAY AUG. 4, 2008

CITADEL STATIONS LEAVE DISH NETWORK
WYDEN DROPS TAX BILL IN SENATE
SIRIUS MAKES MANAGEMENT MOVES
DISH NETWORK GIVES GOL TV RED CARD
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: GM shareholders might regret leaving satellite TV business...Could be tough day for Dish Network...Karmazin comments show mean and nasty side...Tate loses chance to make a mark...Broadcasters asking too much in satellite TV law changes.

FRIDAY AUG. 1, 2008

DISH NETWORK EYES 150 HD CHANNELS
KARAMZIN THANKS NAB FOR MERGER APPROVAL
TATE DEFENDS ROAD TO “DIFFICULT” VOTE
NEWS & NOTES: The T. Howard Foundation elected Comcast Cable Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Andrew Topping to its board of directors...Dish Network asked the FCC to ensure that both Time Warner and Time Warner Cable are subject to program access conditions if Time Warner Cable is allowed to split from Time Warner...Comcast said it lost a net total of 138,000 basic cable subscribers during the second quarter, dropping its total to 24.6 million. Cablevision said it added a net total of 7,000 basic cable subscribers, bringing its total to 3.34 million.

WEDNESDAY JULY 30, 2008

FCC PUTS STAMP ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL OK
XM, SIRIUS WRAP UP MERGER
COMMISSIONERS EXPLAIN SIDES IN SPLIT VOTE
DIRECTV LAYS OUT HD EXPANSION PLANS
DIRECTV SPICES UP FALL OFFER
DISH NETWORK SEEKS RETAILER TAX HELP
NEWS & NOTES: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, was indicted yesterday on federal charges he did not report more than $250,000 in gifts he received.

TUESDAY JULY 29, 2008

XM, SIRIUS COMPLETE MERGER

MONDAY JULY 28, 2008

XM-SIRIUS EYE CLOSING AFTER GETTING FCC OK
MERGER APPROVAL GETS MIXED REVIEWS
SKYTERRA, MSV GET DEBT FINANCING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Martin goes down in the books as the worst FCC Chairman ever and Tate misses a chance to be remembered...Kudos to DirecTv and Dish Network for state tax bill bill success

FRIDAY JULY 25, 2008

FCC APPROVES XM-SIRIUS DEAL

FRIDAY JULY 25, 2008

XM-SIRIUS STILL WAITING TO CROSS FINISH LINE
DEAL ON VIOLATIONS TEES UP XM-SIRIUS OK
SATELLITE TV GETS TAX BILL WIN
AT&T SEES
DISH NETWORK SALES SLUMP
ECHOSTAR, TIVO AGREE OVER REPAIRS
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio said it priced an offering of $778.5 million in new senior notes.

WEDNESDAY JULY 23, 2008

XM-SIRIUS APPROVAL NOW ON HALF-INCH LINE
XM RESULTS SHOW SUBS ADDS, LOWER LOSS
DIRECTV TAKES CONTROL OF DIRECTV-11
ALPHASTAR OFFERS HAND IN XM-SIRIUS REVIEW
NEWS & NOTES: The House Judiciary Committee’s Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee plans to mark-up Committee Chairman John Conyers’ (D-Mich.) bill that would prohibit states from imposing “discriminatory” taxes against satellite TV services compared to those imposed on cable services...Dish Network notified retailers it has started making PBS stations available in the Billings, Great Galls, and Helena, Mont., markets…KVH, which manufacturers satellite TV reception equipment for recreational vehicles, reported revenues of $22.3 million during the second quarter, down from the $23.2 million it generated in the second quarter of last year.

MONDAY JULY 21, 2008

TIVO WORKS OVER ECHOSTAR ‘WORKAROUND’
DISH NETWORK SWITCHES ON MORE LOCAL HD
COURT SETS ECHOSTAR-VIEWTECH MEETING
ALPHASTAR OFFERS HAND IN XM-SIRIUS REVIEW
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Tate should do the right thing and cast vote against XM-Sirius...EchoStar-Viewtech case is more important than some might think.

FRIDAY JULY 18, 2008

TATE TAKES MEETINGS ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL
VOOM DISPUTES ECHOSTAR CLAIMS
SEARS SELLS DISH NETWORK DTVPAL UNITS
DISH NETWORK SUFFERS ECHOSTAR-2 LOSS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said yesterday it is now offering a selection of Olympics-related video-on-demand programming from NBC...Emmy nominations announced.

WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2008

LAUNCH BOOSTS DISH NETWORK HD PLANS
SATELLITE TV PUSHES TAX ISSUE ON HILL
NAB, MARKEY PILE ON XM-SIRIUS OBJECTIONS
DIRECTV FLOATS ALL-STAR MESSAGES TO CABLE
TWO DISH DEALERS RING UP DO-NOT-CALL FINES
BROADCASTERS PONDER NPS RULING
NEWS & NOTES: A Canadian man pleaded guilty to one count of violating federal anti-piracy laws.

MONDAY JULY 14, 2008

ONLY MARTIN HAS VOTED ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NDS BLASTS ECHOSTAR RESTITUTION CLAIM
DISH NETWORK EYES OFF-AIR VIEWERS
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv told retailers it is allowing qualified dealer to offer customers additional $10 per month discounts for four months.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Sad news about John Quale...Ergen and EchoStar will not change gameplan to appease Wall Street or press.

FRIDAY JULY 11, 2008

DISH NETWORK PLANS “TURBO HD” LAUNCH
TIVO ASKS COURT TO DISMISS ECHOSTAR ACTION
WILDBLUE AUGMENTS CAPACITY
DIRECTV CLOSES DEAL TO TAKE OVER INSTALLS
GROUPS SEEK MORE XM-SIRIUS DOCUMENTS
CAL AMP RAMPS UP DISH SALES
NEWS & NOTES: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) is expected to announce this morning that he intends to recommend the commission take action against Comcast regarding the cable company’s management of its high-speed data network.

WEDNESDAY JULY 9, 2008

NPS TOUTS APPEALS COURT VICTORY
VIEWTECH COUNTERPUNCHES ECHOSTAR
DIRECTV EXTENDS SPRING OFFER
C-BAND DIPS SLIGHTLY IN JUNE
XM-SIRIUS LOBBYING KEEPS UP
COMCAST, NFL NETWORK AGREE TO MEDIATION

TUESDAY JULY 8, 2008

NPS WINS DISTANT STATION APPEAL
DISH NETWORK LOSES STATION IN DISPUTE
BROADCASTERS, STATES FIGHT XM-SIRIUS
NEWS & NOTES: The floating Sea Launch platform has left its home port in Long Beach, Cal., carrying the EchoStar-11 satellite, which is scheduled to be launched in the middle of this month, once it reaches the Equator…Dish Network is now offering customers in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lansing, Mich.; and Syracuse, N.Y., markets local stations in high-definition. As expected, the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association formally announced Joseph Widoff as its new executive director.

WEDNESDAY JULY 2, 2008

AT&T MAKES NEXT MOVE IN DBS TALKS
KARMAZIN PUSHES XM-SIRIUS APPROVAL AT FCC
COPYRIGHT OFFICE SUGGESTS DISTANT CHANGES
DIRECTV ROLLS OUT VOD SERVICE
TIVO URGES AGAINST ECHOSTAR REQUEST
NEWS & NOTES: Long-time Washington communications attorney John Quale died Sunday after a long batter with cancer. He was 61...As expected, Dish Network added Grand Rapids, Mich., and Memphis, Tenn., to the list of markets where its offers local stations in high-definition…The DirecTv Group opened a new call center in Huntington, W. Va.…RFD-TV said it is starting a new national advertising campaign that will include sponsorship of a car running Friday in the Nascar race in Daytona.

MONDAY JUNE 30, 2008

ECHOSTAR CLAIMS VOOM BREACHED CONTRACT
ECHOSTAR STANDS BY $94 MILLION NDS CLAIM
NEWS CORP. LOOKS TO TAKE NDS PRIVATE
XM MAKES FINANCING MOVES
NEWS & NOTES: A New York state appeals court upheld a lower court ruling calling for Cablevision’s Rainbow DBS to pay Loral Space and Communications $52 million.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Do not be surprised if the FCC releases a decision on XM-Sirius Thursday night...Reporters will miss Abe Peled's unintentionally funny conference calls..Wishing a happy July 4th holiday and summer to all.

FRIDAY JUNE 27, 2008

COPPS, ADELSTEIN MAY SPLIT ON XM-SIRIUS
DISNEY DISPUTES KOHL STANCE
DISH NETWORK ROLLS OUT OFF-AIR DIGITAL BOX
PARTIES KEEP WEIGHING IN ON
XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: RFD-TV announced it has reached a master distribution agreement with Verizon that will allow the service to be offered to Verizon’s own video subscribers in 13 states over the next few months...Joseph Widoff has joined the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association as executive director.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 25, 2008

FOES KEEP PUMMELING XM-SIRIUS PROPOSAL
KOHL VOICES PROGRAM ACCESS CONCERNS
DIRECTV PREPS LOCAL DEALER ADS
DIRECTV SLATES HINDI PACKAGE OFFER

MONDAY JUNE 23, 2008

DBS, BROADCASTERS DUEL OVER MUST-CARRY
DISH NETWORK SEES TRANSITION OPPORTUNITY
DIRECTV DROPS INSTALLATION COMPANY
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: XM-Sirius decision propels Martin past Hundt as worst FCC Chairman ever.

FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2008

NAB SEES NO RELIEF IN XM-SIRIUS PROPOSAL
COMCAST, BIG TEN NETWORK REACH ACCORD
CANADIAN VIDEO SERVICES SEE REVENUES RISE
DIRECTV KEEPS UP CHANNEL CHANGES

WEDNESDAY JUNE 18, 2008

MARTIN MOVES XM-SIRIUS TO VOTING STAGE
AT&T FORCES DISH NETWORK STAKE BUYBACK
XM, SIRIUS DETAIL NEW CONDITIONS TO FCC
NDS HEAPS OBJECTIONS ON ECHOSTAR CLAIM
C-BAND USERS HOLD UP
ABOVE 50,000
NEWS & NOTES: Hughes Network Systems’ HughesNet satellite-delivered, two-way Internet service is now offering the Elite and ElitePlus packages that offer speeds of up 2 megabytes per second and 3 Mbps, respectively.

MONDAY JUNE 16, 2008

TIVO SEEKS ‘WORKAROUND’ CONTEMPT ORDER
MARTIN TO SUPPORT XM-SIRIUS MERGER
NDS CHIDES ECHOSTAR OVER RESTITUTION BID
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cable trying to block competition with high-speed data stance...Russert coverage goes overboard.

FRIDAY JUNE 13, 2008

ECHOSTAR WANTS NDS TO PAY $94 MILLION
DIRECTV, OTHERS DEFEND TERMINATION FEES
TERRESTAR MOVES FORWARD WITH DEALS
BROWNBACK BEMOANS XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: Futron issued a report commissioned by the Satellite Industry Association showing the commercial satellite industry took in total revenues of $123 billion in 2007, a 16 percent increase over the previous year...Dish Network renewed its retransmission agreement to carry the analog and digital versions of Tribune’s 23 local television stations...Frontier Airlines added seven channels to the DirecTv service it offers on certain flights.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 11, 2008

ERGEN SAYS VOOM TO BLAME FOR DROP
LAWMAKERS’ OFFER FOGGY DIGITAL OUTLOOK
DIRECTV, LIBERTY PONDER OWNERSHIP IDEAS
DISH NETWORK PROMISES MORE HD LOCALS
XM, SIRIUS DEFEND RECORD AT FCC
VERIZON SEES STRONGER DIRECTV BOND
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio and EMI settled the lawsuit EMI filed claiming the recording functions of XM’s Pioneer-built Inno unit violated the company’s copyrights...The DirecTv Group reached a new agreement to retransmit LIN TV’s digital and analog broadcast stations in 15 markets…Dish Network said that starting tomorrow it plans to offer a “mosaic” channel with video from six ESPN feeds of U.S. Open golf coverage.

MONDAY JUNE 9, 2008

DIRECTV OFFER TIES NFL PACKAGE TO NASCAR
DIRECTV TAKES ON RESTAURANTS
THOMSON, DIRECTV FOCUS ON MDU TECH
LIBERTY PLAYS UP DIRECTV PROSPECTS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Wilmington, N.C., digital TV test plan will not prove anything...There is still no answer to what happens to all those small portable TVs people use in emergencies.

FRIDAY JUNE 6, 2008

DBS SERVICES OBJECT TO MORE MUST-CARRY
LIBERTY SEES OPPORTUNITIES WITH DIRECTV
HDNET RAILS AGAINST PROGRAM TYING
MARTIN SEES ‘DIFFICULT ISSUES’ IN XM-SIRIUS
NEWS CORP. OBJECTS TO ACCESS STANCE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2008

DIRECTV STARTS CHANNEL NUMBER SHUFFLE
AT&T, DISH NETWORK EXTEND FREE OFFER
FCC HEARS MORE ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL
COPYRIGHT OFFICE PROPOSES CABLE FEES
JUDGE KEEPS VIEWTECH RULING IN PLACE

MONDAY JUNE 2, 2008

ECHOSTAR SEEKS TIVO ‘WORKAROUND’ OK
VOOM FILES NEW LAWSUIT AGAINST ECHOSTAR
XM, SIRIUS PUSH REPEATER TESTING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DBS services manage to always deal with the next big thing from cable TV.

FRIDAY MAY 30, 2008

COURT REJECTS FINISAR REHEARING REQUEST
TIVO REMAINS CONFIDENT IN ECHOSTAR CASE
DIRECTV KEEPS EYE ON COMPETITION
DISH NETWORK SPICES UP RETAILER OFFERS
DIRECTV SUBS KEEP DEPARTING FROM TIVO
BROADCAST GROUP FIGHTS AGAINST XM-SIRIUS
NEWS & NOTES: Space Systems/Loral delivered Dish Network’s EchoStar-11 satellite to Sea Launch...Dish Network added several features to its interactive election campaign application.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28, 2008

ECHOSTAR DEFENDS TIVO WORKAROUND
MARTIN EYES JUNE/JULY XM-SIRIUS DECISION
XM JUGGLES BASEBALL FINANCING
DIRECTV SETS UP RETAILERS FOR WILDBLUE
NEWS & NOTES: Slingbox competitor Monsoon Multimedia released a version of its software that enables users of Symbian mobile phones to remotely view their home televisions.

FRIDAY MAY 23, 2008

TIVO ASKS BLOCK OF ECHOSTAR ‘WORKAROUND’
DISH NETWORK SLATES MPEG-4 UPGRADE
DISH NETWORK EYES $750 MILLION DEBT OFFER
CABLE EXECS DEMAND VOD RESPECT
SENATORS SEEK XM-SIRIUS CONDITIONS
NEWS CORP. GETS MORE STATIC ON CONDITIONS
DIRECTV OFFERS BLACKOUT SEARCH TOOL

WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2008

FCC WANTS XM-SIRIUS DEAL CUT WITH CRITICS
STUDY HAILS DIRECTV, DISH CUSTOMER SERVICE
HILL SIGNALS TALK ABOUT DISTANT STATIONS
CABLE EXECS DEMAND VOD RESPECT
DIGITAL TRANSITION QUESTIONS REMAIN
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network subsidiary EchoStar DBS said it plans to offer approximately $500 million in debt...Dish Network said it reached an agreement to incorporate the ability for subscribers with digital video recorders to use their remote controls to request more information about advertisements seen on NBC Universal’s 14 channels, as well as 10 NBC owned-and-operated local broadcast stations.

MONDAY MAY 19, 2008

ERGEN PLANTS HD FLAG AT TEAM SUMMIT
CABLE PLAYS UP PERFORMANCE, PROSPECTS
NFL LOSES INJUNCTION REQUEST AGAINST DISH
SMALL CABLE, NEWS CORP. SPAR OVER ACCESS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: There are lessons in the EchoStar/Nagra-NDS trial...NCTA makes difficult return to New Orleans.

FRIDAY MAY 16, 2008

NDS COMES OUT AHEAD IN TRIAL
DISH NETWORK DROPS OTHER SHOE ON VOOM
DIRECTV SETS UP STOCK BUYBACK FINANCING
DIRECTV TOUTS HD, NET SUB SUCCESS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar/Dish Network opened its eleventh annual “Team Summit” retailer event, last night in Nashville. According to those in attendance, the theme of this year’s show is “Decision Dish Network, Leadership Through Innovation.”

THURSDAY MAY 15, 2008

SPLIT VERDICT MOSTLY GOOD NEWS FOR NDS

WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2008

DISH NETWORK SEES STEEP NET SUB ADD DROP
XM, SIRIUS BEMOAN REVIEW PROCESS
DISH NETWORK STARTS TO DROP BOOM ON VOOM
AUTO SALES STEER XM, SIRIUS RESULTS
LIBERTY STAYS BULLISH ON DIRECTV
DISH FOLLOWS SUIT IN PAY-PER-VIEW TIME LIMITS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar plans to demonstrate the SlingModem at the NCTA convention.

MONDAY MAY 12, 2008

ECHOSTAR-NDS JURY SET TO RETURN TO WORK
DISH NETWORK SETS UP HD CHANNEL BOOST
CONDITION CALLS KEEP COMING FOR XM-SIRIUS
CALAMP ALMOST BACK TO WORK FOR DISH
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cable has trouble keeping up with DirecTv HD ads...It will be interesting to see how Dish Network addesses its HD needs at its retailer event...Jury break another strange twist in EchoStar-NDS case.

FRIDAY MAY 9, 2008

NDS-ECHOSTAR TRIAL BECOMES WAITING GAME
DIRECTV TURNS IN ‘STRONG’ QUARTER
DIRECTV UPS DEBT FOR $3 BILLION BUYBACK
DISH OFFERS HELPING HAND IN DIGITAL TEST
REP. CLARIFIES XM-SIRIUS POSITION
CLEARWIRE LEAVES DBS QUESTIONS
NEWS & NOTES: Hughes Network Systems said it now has more than 400,000 subscribers to its HughesNet satellite-delivered, two-way Internet service…Dish Network is now offering local stations in high-definition in Hartford and New Haven, Conn., and Portland/Auburn, Maine.

WEDNESDAY MAY 7, 2008

TRIAL NEARS END; PELED, KUDELSKI TAKE STAND
COURT SIDES WITH DISH AGAINST VOOM
XM-SIRIUS TALK KEEPS UP AT FCC
DISH NEWS CORP. CONDITIONS
TO REMAIN
NEWS & NOTES: The NFL Network said yesterday it filed a complaint with FCC accusing Comcast of “anti-consumer and anti-competitive” treatment compared to national sports channels Comcast owns...The DirecTv Group told retailers this week it plans to let them offer their existing customers the ability to participate in DirecTv’s “refer a friend” program.

MONDAY MAY 5, 2008

NDS-ECHOSTAR/NAGRA TRIAL NEARS END
XM-SIRIUS KEEPS DRAWING NAB OPPOSITION
NAB DEFENDS CALL FOR FULL SIGNAL CARRIAGE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Placing conditions on XM-Sirius deal will not protect consumers...EchoStar/Nagra case against NDS comes down to which hacker the jury believes most, or disbelieves least.

FRIDAY MAY 2, 2008

DINGELL, MARKEY EYE XM-SIRIUS CONDITIONS
XM, SIRIUS AGREE TO KEEP WAITING FOR OK
SMALL CABLE OPS WEIGHS IN ON NEWS CORP.
NDS KEEPS QUIET ON ECHOSTAR LAWSUIT
DISH ADDS ANOTHER LOCAL HD MARKET
CABLE SEES UPS, DOWNS WITH BASIC SUBS

WEDNESDAY APRIL 30, 2008

XM, SIRIUS PUT OFF SHAREHOLDER MEETINGS
DISH NETWORK OFFERS MDU FIBER SERVICE
JUDGE KEEPS ECHOSTAR-NDS TRIAL GOING
NAB KEEPS UP FIGHT AGAINST XM-SIRIUS DEAL
FINISAR SEEKS STAY IN XM CASE
COURT SETS UP ECHOSTAR-TIVO HEARING

MONDAY APRIL 28, 2008

STATE ATTORNEYS PUSH XM-SIRIUS CONDITIONS
DIRECTV WARNS ON COMPRESSION RULES
NCTA MAKES CASE FOR SMALL CABLE WAIVER
DISH NETWORK RESULTS TAKE TOLL ON GOALS

FRIDAY APRIL 25, 2008

LAWYERS PLAY HACKER VS. HACKER AT TRIAL
DISH NETWORK SLATES CARD SWAP
DISH ADS TAKE ON DIRECTV OVER PRICING
MARTIN: RADIO SILENCE ON XM-SIRIUS
MORE MARKETS GET DISH LOCAL HD
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network and Alcatel-Lucent said they will test mobile video devices...Tony Petitti was named president of the MLB Network.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 23, 2008

DISH NETWORK DEALS WITH TIVO INJUNCTION
LAWYERS SLOG THROUGH ECHOSTAR-NDS TRIAL
AT&T ADDS UP VIDEO SUBSCRIBERS
HACKER ACTION CONTINUES IN CANADA
DORGAN LAYS INTO XM-SIRIUS MERGER
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar reached an agreement for Loral Space and Communications subsidiary Space Systems/Loral to build a new satellite for Dish Network. The EchoStar-15 satellite is slated to be launched in 2010, Loral said in a statement.

MONDAY APRIL 21, 2008

DIRECTV TURNS IN 180 CONNECT DEAL
COURT GIVES DIRECTV WIN OVER FINISAR
DISH NETWORK ADDS MORE NATIONAL HD
ACA SEES NEED FOR NEWS CORP. ACCESS RULES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Wishing a speedy recovery to Dave Robison...Retailers have long-standing concerns about direct marekting have efforts...180 Connect deal shows DirecTv is serious about improving installs... Judge makes unusual statements in NDS-EchoStar trial.

FRIDAY APRIL 18, 2008

JUDGE FRETS OVER ECHOSTAR, NDS CASE
DISH NETWORK LOCAL HD COUNT GROWS
XM-SIRIUS DEAL DRAWS CONDITION CALLS
HBO PULLS ECHOSTAR LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: The Smithsonian Channel contracted its advertising sales operations to Trifecta Entertainment and Media…Wireless high-speed Internet service Clearwire joined the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association...A Canadian judge found alleged hacker Jeremy Corkery in contempt of court for not complying with an order to turn over various items to EchoStar, Bell ExpressVu, and their conditional access supplier as part of a piracy investigation.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 16, 2008

DIRECTV EXECS SAY “REVOLUTION” CONTINUES
HBO FILES NEW ECHOSTAR LAWSUIT
SUPREME COURT DENIES KENTUCKY TAX REVIEW
NAB CHIEF BLASTS JUSTICE ON XM-SIRIUS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar voluntarily disPROGRAMMERS BEMOAN MARTIN A LA CARTE IDEA
NEWS & NOTES: Dish Network started offering local stations from the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Richmond-Petersburg, Va.; and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota, Fla., markets in high-definition.

MONDAY APRIL 14, 2008

ECHOSTAR VOWS TRIP TO SUPREMES WITH TIVO
SES WRITES OFF CHANCE OF AMC-14 REVIVAL
DIRECTV RETAILERS HEAD TO ORLANDO
OPPONENTS KEEP UP XM-SIRIUS COMPLAINTS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit it filed in February in a federal court in Colorado seeking a ruling that ads it has started running featuring comedian Frank Caliendo impersonating celebrities does not violate any copyright laws. EchoStar declined comment.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: EchoStar-NDS case could be damaging to both sides...DirecTv will get to gauage retailers' mood in Orlando

FRIDAY APRIL 11, 2008

ECHOSTAR, NDS LAWYERS COME OUT SWINGING
CEA BACKS XM-SIRIUS MERGER
CANADIAN DBS SERVICES GIVE WISH LIST
XM CANADA
UPS SUB NUMBERS
FCC REACHES DIGITAL TV SETTLEMENTS

MONDAY APRIL 7, 2008

ECHOSTAR CASE AGAINST NDS HEADS TO TRIAL
FCC SETS SCHEDULE FOR NEWS CORP. PETITION
SIDES KEEP UP XM-SIRIUS INPUT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Above all, Liberty increasing its stake in DirecTv shows it believes in DBS...Reaction comes in on XM-Sirius analysis
NEWS & NOTES: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) and Meredith Atwell Baker, the acting head of the NTIA, are slated to testify tomorrow at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the transition to digital-only off-air TV broadcasts.

FRIDAY APRIL 4, 2008

LIBERTY RINGS UP HIGHER DIRECTV STAKE
KERRY CHIMES IN WITH XM-SIRIUS ‘CONCERNS’
AT&T WIDENS DISH OFFERINGS
DIRECTV DETAILS BASEBALL EXTRAS
NEWS CORP. PUSHES AGAINST PROGRAM ACCESS
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv said it plans to carry all IndyCar Series races in high-definition this season, starting with Sunday’s race…XM Satellite Radio started offering a 20 music/comedy channel package for Blackberry users…DirecTv reached an agreement to show new episodes of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” on its DBS service prior to their showings on NBC next season.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 2, 2008

DISTANT STATION APPEAL SET FOR NEXT WEEK
C-BAND UNIVERSE SHRINKS SLIGHTLY
ECHOSTAR FILES NEW PIRACY LAWSUITS
DISH NETWORK SHUFFLES INTERNATIONAL DECK
INVESTORS BUY GILAT FOR $475 MILLION
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv is slated today to add ESPNews, The Disney Channel, and Toon Disney in high-definition. Dish Network, which is suing Disney/ABC over carriage of the HD feeds, declined comment.

MONDAY MARCH 31, 2008

XM, SIRIUS PRESS CASE FOR FCC OK
SKY ANGEL DBS EXIT ARRIVES
VIEWTECH SEEKS APPEAL TIME
NEWS & NOTES: The SBCA announced its new slate of board members
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Examining the Justice Department'swrong-headed decision on XM-Sirius merger.

FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2008

JUSTICE XM-SIRIUS OK RILES STATE ATTORNEYS
DISH, DIRECTV CHIME IN ON MUST-CARRY
DISH NETWORK UPS LOCAL HD COUNT
DIRECTV EXPANDS SPECIAL AT&T OFFER
COMMISSIONERS SEE WISDOM IN PHASE-IN
NEWS & NOTES: ESPN is slated to start offering ESPNews in high-definition Sunday.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 26, 2008

JUSTICE OUTLINES XM-SIRIUS APPROVAL
XM, SIRIUS TURN ATTENTION TO FCC
JUSTICE OK BRINGS MAINLY JEERS, FEW CHEERS
DIRECTV RECOVERS FROM CHANNEL GLITCH

MONDAY MARCH 24, 2008

HD RADIO FIRM KEEPS UP XM-SIRIUS PRESS
DIRECTV SEES MARCH MADNESS BOUNCE
XM, SIRIUS WANT REPEATER GROUND RULES
TIME WARNER BACKS PROGRAM ACCESS RULE REVERSAL
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in standard-definition in the Odessa-Midland, Texas, market…DirecTv added the Gospel Music Channel to its programming packages.

FRIDAY MARCH 21, 2008

DBS SERVICES GET MUST-CARRY PHASE-IN
ECHOSTAR UNIT GRABS 700 MHZ LICENSES
DIRECTV-11 LAUNCH LIFTS DIRECTV HD HOPES
MARTIN: NO XM-SIRIUS DECISION THIS MONTH
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar reached an agreement to lease 16 transponders on Telesat Canada’s Nimiq-5 high-power DBS satellite from Bell ExpressVu, according to a filing Dish Network submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission...XM Canada, said yesterday it now has more than 400,000 subscribers, after adding a net total of about 50,000 during its fiscal second quarter.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19, 2008

DISH KEEPS HD GOAL, DESPITE AMC-14 MISHAP
FCC SET TO GIVE DBS MUST-CARRY TIME
SEA LAUNCH CLEARS DIRECTV-11 FOR LIFT-OFF
ECHOSTAR SEEKS RESET IN TIVO APPEAL
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC’s auction of licenses to use the 700 MHz spectrum band closed yesterday, with bidders committing a total of $19.59 billion for 1090 licenses after 261 rounds of bidding.

MONDAY MARCH 17, 2008

AMC-14 OUT OF DISH’S REACH, FOR NOW
COUNTDOWN FOR DIRECTV-11 LAUNCH STOPPED
NRTC BACKS DBS HD MUST-CARRY SCHEDULE
DISH SLATES BIG TEN NETWORK MOVE
REP. STEARNS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TRANSITION
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: AMC-14 failure shows why FCC needs to think carefully about DBS digitial/HD must-carry...Government needs to make decision on XM-Sirius deal...Government could have save money on converter box coupons...Brotherly birthday/St. Patrick's Day wishes
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar asked a federal court in San Diego not to stay its case against free-to-air satellite receiver manufacturer Viewtech while Viewtech appeals the court’s decision to allow EchoStar’s case to go forward...Dish Network asked a federal court in San Diego to conduct a jury trial of the lawsuit Fox News filed against the DBS service over its placement of the Fox-owned channel.

FRIDAY MARCH 14, 2008

XM, SIRIUS IMPATIENT FOR REVIEW TO END
NAB, DISH SPAR OVER HD MUST-CARRY
BUSY LAUNCH SCHEDULE ON TRACK
DISH SLATES BIG TEN NETWORK MOVE
DIRECTV GOES MAD FOR NCAA TOURNEY HD
DISH, LIN REACH RETRANS DEAL

WEDNESDAY MARCH 12, 2008

CAREY SEES RUNNING ROOM ON HD
DIRECTV TAKES ON NAB HD MUST-CARRY IDEAS
ERGEN REVIEWS NFL NET PACKAGE PLAY
TIVO SEES ‘WORKAROUND’ RUNNING AGROUND
MURDOCH PINS DIRECTV SALE ON DATA FEARS
NPS PUSHES DIGITAL SIGNAL QUALITY STANDARD

MONDAY MARCH 10, 2008

DISH DISPUTES NAB HD MUST-CARRY STANCE
PARTIES ASK TO KEEP PROGRAM ACCESS TWEAKS
DIRECTV STEERS RETAILERS TOWARD DATA DEAL
XM, SIRIUS GETS MORE STATIC
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The FCC should worry about broadcasters providing high-quality off-air digital signals to all of their viewers before imposing a digital/HD must-carry rule on DBS.

FRIDAY MARCH 7, 2008

DISH, DIRECTV SATELLITE LAUNCHES SET
TIVO BLASTS DISH ‘WORKAROUND’
NFL, TIME WARNER SPAR AT HEARING
DISH NETWORK OPEN TO PBS HD TALKS
GROUPS SUPPORT HD DBS MUST-CARRY PHASE-IN
DIRECTV LATIN AMERICA PASSES 5 MILLION SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: There were a total of 53,041 C-band dish owners subscribing to programming at the end of last month, down from 53,814 at the end of January...Political pundits Laura Ingraham and Donna Brazile will address the Consumer Electronics Association’s annual Washington event early next month. What connection either has to the consumer electronics industry was not immediately clear…DirecTv reached a deal to continue distributing the Hallmark Channel, as well as carry the HD version of the channel.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 5, 2008

MARTIN STILL EYEING DBS MUST-CARRY PLAN
MARTIN: XM-SIRIUS NOT OVER FCC ‘HURDLE’
BEST BUYS LAUNCHES DIRECTV HD OFFER
LIBERTY SETS UP ENTERTAINMENT UNIT
LAWMAKERS PLAN LOOK AT SPORTS PROGRAMMING
NEWS & NOTES: Hughes Network Systems reported it finished the fourth quarter of last year with a total of 380,000 subscribers to its HughesNet satellite-delivered, two-way data service, a net increase of about 40,000 during the quarter.

MONDAY MARCH 3, 2008

DISH NETWORK SUES ESPN OVER HD
XM, SIRIUS EXTEND MERGER TIMELINE
NAB PUSHES HD DBS MUST-CARRY
DISH WARNS RETAILERS ABOUT CONVERSIONS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Bittersweet week with Murdoch leaving DBS but Malone stepping in...Hopefully the FCC listens to DBS capacity concerns.

FRIDAY FEB. 29, 2008

DIRECTV SETS PATH FOR 2008
DISH NETWORK SEES NET ADDITIONS DIP
CAR SALES DRIVE XM RESULTS
NEWS & NOTES: Charter Communications lost a net total of 66,400 basic cable subscribers...Cablevision added about 1,100 net new basic cable subscribers in the fourth quarter of last year.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 27, 2008

APPROVALS PUT DIRECTV DEAL NEAR DONE
DISH NETWORK SEES NET ADDITIONS DIP
REVIEW PROCESS FRUSTRATES SIRIUS
DISH FACES NFL NETWORK, VOOM LAWSUITS
FCC DETAILS DIRECTV DEAL CONDITIONS
SIRIUS TOUTS FOURTH QUARTER RESULTS

NEWS ALERT!!!

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT GIVES OK TO DIRECTV DEAL

MONDAY FEB. 25, 2008

FEDS TO OK LIBERTY-NEWS CORP. DEAL TODAY
ECHOSTAR GETS TIME TO SEEK TIVO REVIEW
DIRECTV INKS MOUNTAIN WEST RSN DEAL
NAB URGES FCC TO PLAY TOUGH ON MUST-CARRY
CONSUMER GROUP PUSHES XM-SIRIUS TERMS
DIRECTV FACES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

FRIDAY FEB. 22, 2008

FCC OK OF DIRECTV DEAL EYED FOR TODAY
NFL NETWORK BEMOANS DISH NETWORK MOVE
NAB PRESSES LOCAL TV OBLIGATIONS
VIEWTECH FIGHTS JUDGE’S DECISION
ECHOSTAR
FACES PMC PATENT LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: Contrary to some published reports, a source to EchoStar/Dish Network said yesterday the company had never employed lobbyist Vicki Iseman, or the firm she works for, both of which have been the subject of widespread media attention in connection with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee…The DirecTv Group plans to offer a “mix channel” and three other channels of coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament, in addition CBS and ESPN’s coverage…Dish Network signed as a sponsor of Roush Fenway Racing for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series…SES Americom’s AMC-14 satellite is scheduled to be launched from Kazakhstan the night of March 14. Dish Network has contracted to use all of the payload…TerreStar named EchoStar President of Satellite Services Dean Olmstead, EchoStar Chief Administrative Officer David Rayner, and Pirinate Consulting Group Chairman Eugene Davis to its board of directors.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 20, 2008

DISH NETWORK THROWS FLAG AT NFL NETWORK
DIRECTV, DISH JOIN FORCES ON MUST-CARRY
GROUPS KEEP UP XM-SIRIUS OPPOSITION
LAWMAKERS CAUTION ON HD MUST-CARRY
PARTIES TAKE TELESAT PROPOSAL TO TASK
XM, SIRIUS PRESS REPEATER ISSUES
AT COMMISSION
NEWS & NOTES: SES’ AMC-14 satellite has arrived in Kazakhstan, where it is scheduled to be launched from at yet to be determined date next month...Dish Network asked a federal court in Colorado to issue a declaratory ruling stating impersonations of John Madden and Charles Barkley comedian Frank Caliendo performs in Dish Network commercials do not violate any federal or state trademark laws.

FRIDAY FEB. 15, 2008

DIRECTV BUILDS ON SUBSCRIBER NUMBERS
MARTIN PUSHES FOR LOW-POWER CARRIAGE
DIRECTV LOOKS FOR TIME ON HD MUST-CARRY
HOUSE COMMITTEE TACKLES STATE TAX ISSUE
CAREY PLAYS DOWN AT&T SWITCH
LAWMAKERS KEEP TALKING ABOUT DIGITAL TRANSITION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition format in Omaha, Neb., and local stations in standard-definition in Dothan, Ala…Patricia Sumler has resigned as the executive director of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association. She joined the SBCA in December 2005…Comcast said it lost a net total of 94,000 basic cable subscribers…PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of Presidents’ Day, the FaxUPDATE will not be distributed Monday.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 13, 2008

DIRECTV, DISH CAUTION ON HD MUST-CARRY
ECHOSTAR PLAYS UP CONVERTER BOX ROLLOUT
DBS SERVICES WEIGH IN ON PROGRAM ACCESS
NAB OFFERS REASONS TO BLOCK XM-SIRIUS
QWEST PICKS UP DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS

MONDAY FEB. 11, 2008

FCC CLOSES IN ON LIBERTY-NEWS CORP. OK
ECHOSTAR INVESTS $150 MILLION IN TERRESTAR
MARTIN DETAILS DBS DIGITAL MUST-CARRY IDEA
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast is better off without Specter's help...More must-carry for DBS is another bad idea from FCC Chairman Martin.

FRIDAY FEB. 8, 2008

MARTIN EYES HD MUST-CARRY FOR DBS
DBS SERVICES FIGHT TO KEEP MDU CONTRACTS
DIRECTV SETS EXTRA INNINGS PRICING
C-BAND HOLDS ABOVE 50,000
DIRECTV THINKS POORLY OF WEALTHTV IDEA
FCC AUCTION TOTAL SLOWLY ADDS UP
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started offering local stations in high-definition in the Wichita, Kan.; Louisville, Kent.; Paducah, Kent.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, markets.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 6, 2008

MURDOCH: DIRECTV DEAL NEARING CLOSURE
VOGEL SHIFTS ROLE AT DISH NETWORK
TOP DIRECTV RETAILERS GET NEW SALES TOOL
ION PUSHES DBS DUAL MUST-CARRY
PROGRAMMERS CHALLENGE DUAL MUST-CARRY
700 MHZ AUCTION BIDDING SLOWS

MONDAY FEB. 4, 2008

NFL NETWORK HOT TOPIC AT SUPER BOWL
SPECTER QUESTIONS NFL ANTITRUST EXEMPTION
DISH STOCKS GAIN AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
FCC AUCTION PUSHES TOWARD $20 BILLION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group was very visible in Phoenix over Super Bowl weekend. The company sponsored several events, including a charity party, and got widespread media attention for its annual celebrity touch football game...XM Satellite Radio reached an agreement with Sony BMG to settle the lawsuit in which the music company alleged the recording capabilities of XM’s Inno unit violated its copyright.

FRIDAY FEB. 1, 2008

SPLIT DECISION IN DISH NETWORK-TIVO APPEAL
DIRECTV OULTINES LOCAL TV STRATEGY
FCC AUCTION PASSES $15 BILLION MARKET
GROUP OBJECTS TO XM-SIRIUS RECEIVER PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group reached an agreement with TNS Media Research to develop an audience measurement tool using 100,000 DirecTv subscribers who opt into the program…DirecTv has added Vesti, a Russian-language news channel, to its RussianDirect II programming package…Dish Network started carrying the History Channel in high-definition.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 30, 2008

NFL, ESPN IN TALKS OVER NFL NETWORK
DIRECTV SATELLITE MOVES CLOSER TO LAUNCH
VERIZON ADDS UP VIDEO SUBSCRIBERS
AUCTION TOTAL KEEPS
MOVING UP
NDS TOUTS SECURITY RECORD
OPPOSITION TO XM-SIRIUS COMBO KEEPS UP
NEWS & NOTES: Continental Airlines entered into an agreement to start offering 36 DirecTv channels at each passenger’s seat, starting next January…XM Satellite Radio plans to start carrying the ESPN Xtra channel Monday…Dish Network started offering information about each presidential candidate as part of its Dish Decision 2008 interactive application.

MONDAY JAN. 28, 2008

SKY ANGEL EYES MARCH DBS SWITCH-OFF
WILDBLUE UPS PRICES IN SOME AREAS
FCC GETS MORE INPUT AGAINST XM-SIRIUS DEAL
700 MHZ BIDDING PUSHES CLOSE TO $4 BILLION
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Is XStreamHD for real?...DirecTv makes some good improvements to the HR-20.

FRIDAY JAN. 25, 2008

AUCTION BIDDING STARTS WITH $2.8 BILLION
NCTA CHALLENGES FCC MDU ORDER
DIRECTV TRIES TO COUNTER AT&T WITH OFFER
AT&T PLAYS UP OWN VIDEO SERVICE
DIRECTV UPS LOCAL HD
OUTPUT
NEWS & NOTES: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration said yesterday it has received applications from more than 2 million households to obtain more than 3.7 million coupons as part of the NTIA’s digital-to-analog off-air convertor box subsidy program. More than 15 federal agencies participated in a conference dealing with education efforts related to the planned Feb. 17. 2009, switch to digital-only TV signals.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 23, 2008

XM, SIRIUS KEEP DEFENDING MERGER PLANS
DIRECTV SETS STOCK BUYBACK
DIRECTV TAKES ON MORE BAR OWNERS
TIME WARNER VOWS APPEAL ON MASN RULING
FCC PREPS
FOR 700 MHZ AUCTION

FRIDAY JAN. 18, 2008

ECHOSTAR LAYS OUT PRICING, HD CHANGES
DIRECTV PLANS DISTANT HD MIGRATION
NPS, BROADCASTERS GET NEW COURT DATE
BROADCASTERS SEEK LIBERTY CONDITIONS
NEWS & NOTES: The House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee plans to hold a hearing Feb. 13 regarding the status of the planned Feb. 17, 2009, transition to digital-only broadcast transmissions…Chieftain Capital Management sent a letter to Comcast urging the company to fire Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 16, 2008

ECHOSTAR MAKES 700 MHZ AUCTION CUT
FCC EYES XM-SIRIUS FINISH LINE
C-BAND HOLDS ABOVE 50,000
DIRECTV DETAILS PRICE INCREASE PLANS
SEA LAUNCH SUCCESS PUTS DIRECTV NEXT UP
CALAMP MAPS PROGRESS WITH DISH NETWORK
NEWS & NOTES: Shaw Communications’ Star Choice Canadian DBS service added 1,544 net new subscribers in its fiscal first quarter, the company said. The service finished the period with 881,129 customers.

MONDAY JAN. 14, 2008

DISH NETWORK TAKES ON CABLE RATE HIKES
XM, SIRIUS DEFEND MERGER ANALYSIS
DIRECTV TRIES TO SACK BARS STEALING SERVICE
APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS NORTH CAROLINA TAX
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: CES has almost outgrown its usefulness...Trends push CE companies in new directions...Hopefully the DOJ will not fall for XM-Sirius a la carte promises as easily as Kevin Martin.

FRIDAY JAN. 11, 2008

LIBERTY LOOKS FOR DIRECTV DEAL OK SOON
DIRECTV, LIBERTY PLAY UP PROSPECTS
TIVO HINTS AT MORE LITIGATION
DIGITAL TRANSITION BRINGS WORRIES
TO CE STORES
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Holdings named Dean Olmstead president of its satellite services unit. Most recently Olmstead advised Loral Space and Communications and, among other things, was president of SES Americom. The appointment rounds out the leadership for newly spun-off EchoStar Holdings’ three main units. Mark Jackson is president of EchoStar Technologies and Steve Schaver is president of EchoStar International.
WEDNESDAY JAN. 9, 2008
MARTIN HINTS AT XM-SIRIUS, LIBERTY TIMING
DISH NETWORK PUSHES HD AGENDA
DIRECTV DISPLAYS PC CONNECTION
COMCAST MAKES PLAY FOR HD ATTENTION AT CES
DIRECTV, FINISAR MAKE APPEALS COURT CASES
MARTIN SEES TRANSITION DATE STAYING IN PLACE
NEWS & NOTES: Ovation TV acquired Universal Music group’s International Music Feed channel. The channel‘s distribution will increase to about 25 million homes, mostly due to EchoStar’s carriage of the channel, which begins today...DirecTv Senior Vice President Jon Gieselman was on stage to help present the championship trophy after Monday night’s LSU-Ohio state game in New Orleans.

MONDAY JAN. 7, 2008

CE INDUSTRY TAKES BUSINESS TO VEGAS SHOW
COMPANIES STAKE OUT SIDES ON ACCESS, TYING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Annual notebook awards

FRIDAY JAN. 4, 2008

ECHOSTAR SPIN-OFF STOCK TAKES OFF
NFL GETS HIGHLY RATED SEASON FINALE
SIRIUS TALLIES FOURTH QUARTER SUBS
DIRECTV GETS MARCH DATE
FOR NEXT LAUNCH
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv started offering local stations in MPEG-4 high-definition in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa., and Albany, N.Y., markets...DirecTv added The Tennis Channel and College Sports Television in high-definition to its line-up…The National Cable and Telecommunications Association named James Assey Executive Vice President…The oral argument in DirecTv’s appeal of a jury verdict that said it violated a digital video recorder patent held by Finisar is scheduled to take place Monday in the federal appeals court in Washington…The National Telecommunications and Information Administration said more than 853,000 households have requested 1.6 million digital-to-analog converter box subsidy coupons since Tuesday...ReelzChannel named Terry O’Reilly executive vice president and general manager.

FRIDAY DEC. 28, 2007

ECHOSTAR PLANS PRICE FREEZE FOR SOME SUBS
NFL AGREES TO BROADCAST DEAL FOR BIG GAME
LIBERTY PROPOSES PUERTO RICO CONDITIONS
SATELLITE RADIO DEAL DRAWS MORE COMMENT
NEWS & NOTES: A “technical error” caused EchoStar DBS customers to briefly lose access to some high-definition channels last Saturday, the company confirmed…XM Satellite Radio settled the copyright lawsuit Warner Music Group filed against it...PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the holiday, and barring any late-breaking major news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed next week at this time. Best wishes from everyone at Satellite Business News for a happy and safe New Year.

FRIDAY DEC. 21, 2007

DIRECTV, COMCAST WRAP UP HD SETTLEMENT
FCC CONFIRMS ECHOSTAR AUCTION FILING
NFL, CABLE BLITZ EACH OTHER WITH LETTERS
DIRECTV, PBS INK CARRIAGE AGREEMENT
NEWS & NOTES: Tomorrow will mark the anniversary of the News Corp.-Liberty Media announcement regarding Liberty buying a controlling stake in The DirecTv Group...EchoStar Communications yesterday started offering three new international channels, the Vietnamese-language Thuan Viet; Teluga-language channel Maa TV; and Greek-language radio station Net 105.8...PRODUCTION NOTICE: In observance of the holiday, and barring any late-breaking major news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed next week at this time. Best wishes from everyone at Satellite Business News for a happy and safe holiday.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 19, 2007

FOX NEWS SUES ECHOSTAR OVER PACKAGING
CALAMP, ECHOSTAR SETTLE DISH DIFFERENCES
FCC TAKES NEW STAB AT CABLE OWNERSHIP CAP
XM, UNIVERSAL SETTLE LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications notified SEC of planned board changes...Archos released a software download that enables its 705 and 605 Wi-Fi capable portable video player models to download shows saved on EchoStar’s VIP722 high-definition/digital video recorders...The FCC said yesterday it adopted final terrestrial repeater rules for satellite radio services, as well as rules related to interference between satellite radio services and 2 gighertz services.

MONDAY DEC. 17, 2007

BROADCAST GROUP GIVES DIRECTV DEAL STATIC
CABLE MAKES CASE AGAINST CAP
ANOTHER FILES IN FAVOR OF XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NFL WILLING TO SIT DOWN FOR KERRY MEETING
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Thoughts and prayers for Carol and Carl Vogel's son...DirecTv made a smart move to acquire Replay...Approving a cable ownership cap and approving XM-Sirius deal would make no sense...Planned departure of analog HBO East C-band feed will mark end of an era...Courts should stay out of The NFL Network spat.

FRIDAY DEC. 14, 2007

COMCAST ESCALATES NFL NETWORK DISPUTE
DIRECTV MAKES MOVE FOR REPLAY
MARTIN GETS MORE HEAT IN SENATE
LAWMAKERS WEIGH IN ON XM-SIRIUS REVIEW
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv reached a settlement with cable operator Cox to settle the lawsuit the DBS operator filed complaining Cox’s ads about the quality of its high-definition service compared to DirecTv’s were false and misleading...The appeals court hearing on broadcasters’ challenge to National Programming Service selling distant network stations to EchoStar system owners is being delayed because a judge on the panel recused himself for undisclosed reasons. Oral arguments had been scheduled for Feb. 11.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 12, 2007

AT&T MANUEVERS ON DBS FIRMS
MARTIN DEFENDS FCC PROCEDURES
NFL CHIEF CHASTISES COMCAST, TIME WARNER
FCC PLANS TERRESTRIAL REPEATER RULES
FCC DISPUTES GAO DIGITAL TRANSITION STUDY

MONDAY DEC. 10, 2007

DBS FIRMS DETAIL HD CONVERSION DIFFICULTIES
HDNET DROPS DIRECTV DEAL CONDITION CALL
GM BACKS XM-SIRIUS MERGER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cable could have chosen better than Comcast and Cablevision for challenging the program access rules...HDNet had a nice early impact but is still simply a nice, little niche service...Martin and his advisors keep digging a deeper hole.

FRIDAY DEC. 7, 2007

ECHOSTAR PLANS NAME CHANGE
DIRECTV EXTENSION IN CARDS FOR NDS
KERRY URGES CABLE, NFL NETWORK DEAL
OVERALL C-BAND NUMBERS HOLD STEADY
DIRECTV, HDNET SETTLE
DIFFERENCES
LAWMAKERS LAY INTO MARTIN AT HEARING
COMCAST SEES REASONS FOR SLOWDOWN

WEDNESDAY DEC. 5, 2007

LIBERTY ITCHING TO GET DIRECTV DEAL DONE
TIVO PREDICTS GOOD THINGS FROM PATENT CASE
SIRIUS STILL BANKING ON DEAL CLOSING SOON
BOARD SETS SATELLITE RADIO COPYRIGHT RATE
TIME WARNER DENIES HD DISADVANTAGE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group joined cable companies Time Warner and Comcast in saying it will not participate in the FCC’s planned Jan. 24 auction of licenses for the 700 megahertz spectrum band. EchoStar declined comment but it also filed to participate. If the company does bid, it will likely be done by its planned technology spin-off. Google and AT&T have said they applied to participate by the Monday deadline. Verizon is also expected to bid…EchoStar closed its acquisition of Sling Media...President Bush announced his intention to nominate Jonathan Adelstein to serve another five-year term as an FCC commissioner.

MONDAY DEC. 3, 2007

XM-SIRIUS SEE SPECULATION RUN-UP
SIDES KEEP WEIGHING IN ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL
TEXAS BROADCASTERS BEMOAN DIRECTV DEAL
TELESAT SEEKS REVERSE BAND RULE CHANGES
SCHERMANS NOTEBOOK: Internet sites should be held accountable for false EchoStar-AT&T stories

FRIDAY NOV. 30, 2007

PATENT OFFICE UPHOLDS TIVO PATENT
DIRECTV SUBS KEEP LEAVING TIVO
ECHOSTAR SEES LIFT FROM NFL-CABLE DISPUTE
AT&T CHIEF PUMPS UP OWN VIDEO SERVICE
XM-SIRIUS DEAL ATTRACTS MORE SUPPORT

WEDNESDAY NOV. 28, 2007

MARTIN FORCED OUT OF CABLE AGENDA
NDS MOVES TO REDUCE ECHOSTAR CASE
CONSUMER GROUPS PAN XM-SIRIUS DEAL
FORD MOVES FORWARD WITH SIRIUS
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee scheduled an FCC oversight hearing Dec. 13.
WEDNESDAY NOV. 21, 2007
LAWMAKERS CHIME IN AGAINST MARTIN PLANS
DISCOVERY DISPUTES HDNET CLAIMS
POLITICIANS LOBBY FOR NFL NETWORK
XM OFFERS PROMO FOR INACTIVE RECEIVERS
NEWS & NOTES: The Satellite Industry Association named Patricia Cooper president, effective immediately. She replaces David Cavossa, who recently left the association. Cooper has been senior satellite competition advisor for the FCC’s International Bureau…TenLab introduced a 2 terabyte external hard drive that can be connected to DirecTv HR-20 and HR-21 high-definition digital video recorders. The TenBox TB2000 retails for $1,999. Any eSATA hard drive can be connected to an HR-20 or HR-21, though doing so deactivates the existing internal hard drive.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 21, 2007

ECHOSTAR SHARES SETTLE DOWN AFTER RUN-UP
SIRIUS, XM HAND OVER INFO TO FCC
DIRECTV SWIPES BACK AT HDNET
NFL TALKS TOUGH ON CARRIAGE
FELLOW GOP HANDS DERIDE MARTIN’S CABLE PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar has started offering interactive services for ESPN and The Weather Channel to subscribers with enable receivers…In observance of Thanksgiving, the FaxUPDATE will not be distributed Friday. It will return Tuesday.

MONDAY NOV. 19, 2007

CUBAN CASTIGATES DIRECTV AT FCC
NFL NETWORK, PLAYERS SACK CABLE
DIRECTV PITCHES SPACE STATION HDTV
PARTIES BEG OUT OF BI-LINGUAL ALERTS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Martin migh be losig his grip...How can Martin approve XM-Sirius if he is trying to regulate cable again.

FRIDAY NOV. 16, 2007

XM, SIRIUS PUT IN TWO CENTS ON STUDIES
HDNET GETS ORDER AGAINST DIRECTV
NCTA CHIEF LAMBASTES MARTIN-LED FCC
DIRECTV UPS HD CHANNEL LINE-UP
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said yesterday it plans to switch its stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the NASDAQ Stock Market, effective Dec. 3...RFD-TV said it plans to simulcast controversial personality Don Imus’ new radio show, starting Dec. 3. DirecTv carries the service on channel 379, EchoStar on channel 231.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 14, 2007

XM, SIRIUS SHAREHOLDERS GREENLIGHT DEAL
"UNACCEPTABLE" CHURN HAMPERS ECHOSTAR
DIRECTV UPS ANTE ON FOURTH QUARTER OFFER
ERGEN MAKES CASE TO KEEP AT&T
ECHOSTAR WILLING TO TALK TO TIVO
NEWS & NOTES: Comcast runs ads claiming more HD than DirecTv...NCTA disputes 70/70 rule.

MONDAY NOV. 12, 2007

QUARTER BRINGS UPS, DOWNS FOR ECHOSTAR
ECHOSTAR PUSHES AHEAD WITH SPIN-OFF PLANS
LIBERTY SEES GOOD TIMES AHEAD FOR DIRECTV
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Big Ten, NFL Network disputes foreshadow more issues...DirecTv takes HD over data serice...NBC makes mistake letting Williams go on SNL
NEWS & NOTES: Big Ten and NFL Network disputes with cable operators raise larger issues...DirecTv focus on HD trumps need for data service...NBC makes some questionable calls with Brian Williams appearance on SNL and its green initiative.

FRIDAY NOV. 9, 2007

HD, RECORDERS DRIVE DIRECTV
TIME WARNER, CABLEVISION TAKE HIT ON SUBS
DIRECTV, NEWS CORP. LOOKING FOR CLOSURE
HDNET CRIES FOUL OVER DIRECTV MOVE
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio asked the FCC to impose strict restrictions on any further data the companies provide the FCC about their proposed merger...Hughes Communications said it added 12,000 new subscribers to its HughesNet two-way, medium-power satellite-delivered data service in the third quarter, giving it a total of 365,000.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 7, 2007

FCC PEPPERS XM, SIRIUS WITH QUESTIONS
FOX PANS PROGRAM ACCESS CHANGES
XM, SIRIUS CITE NEW SUPPORT
COWBOYS OWNER ROOTS FOR DBS, TELCOS
FCC GETS INPUT ON REVERSE BAND
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv named Steven Roberts senior vice president of new media and business development...Monsoon Multimedia plans today to introduce its HAVA Titanium HD unit, which enables multiple users to simultaneously access video programming remotely on computers or mobile phones. The unit also gives users the ability to pause, rewind, fast forward, and record programming on PCs using their devices.

MONDAY NOV. 5, 2007

DISTANT CASE GETS APPEALS COURT DATE
ECHOSTAR TAKES DIM VIEW OF VIEWTECH MOVES
C-BAND MARKS MODULE TALLIES
ECHOSTAR STARTS INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
ECHOSTAR ADDS TO PIRACY CASE DOCKET
DIGITAL TV TRANSITION CONCERNS COPPS

FRIDAY NOV. 2, 2007

FCC OPENS UP DOOR TO MDU COMPETITION
PBS BEMOANS LACK OF DBS CARRIAGE
JACKSON OBJECTS TO XM-SIRIUS MERGER
ECHOSTAR TALKS TOUGH ON HD, RECORDERS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group started carrying NHL TV in high-definition and standard definition…Telesat Canada completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Loral Space and Communications’ Loral Skynet unit

WEDNESDAY OCT. 31, 2007

SIRIUS POSTS LOWER LOSSES ON MORE SUBS
VERIZON, QWEST ADD UP VIDEO SUBS
SIRIUS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MERGER PROSPECTS
N. DAKOTA BROADCASTERS TAKE ON DIRECTV
JACKSON TAKES ON MARTIN AGENDA
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications added NBA TV to its high-definition programming line-up…The House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee approved similar bills designed to eliminate the automatic removal of telephone numbers from the federal do-not-call list...The House passed a bill to extend the Internet tax moratorium for seven years, the same measure the Senate passed last week.

MONDAY OCT. 29, 2007

LAWMAKERS PRESS CASE FOR XM-SIRIUS DEAL
LIBERTY, DIRECTV KEEP HANDING OVER INFO
CEA SUPPORT SATELLITE EFFORT ON TAXES
ECHOSTAR STARTS CLEARWIRE SALES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DirecTv and EchoStar show cable the next fight will be for HD subs...Market shows cable having trouble with triple play.

FRIDAY OCT. 26, 2007

XM SEES AUTO SALES OFFSET RETAIL SAG
MALONE SEES SLIM CHANCE FOR DBS MERGER
XM, SIRIUS OPPOSE ATTEMPT TO DELAY REVIEW
COMCAST TAKES HIT FROM COMPETITION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group has started promoting its new high-definition offerings using a blimp that took its maiden voyage over Fenway Park in Boston this week as part of Fox’s World Series coverage. Several references were made to the blimp. EchoStar and DirecTv both ran ads during the games promoting their respective high-definition offerings…The FCC is scheduled to vote Wednesday on an order that would prohibit cable operators from signing exclusive contracts to provide service in multiple-dwelling units.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 24, 2007

ECHOSTAR RAISES $800K FOR HILLARY CLINTON
AT&T EYES DBS DECISION
XM, SIRIUS HIGHLIGHT MORE SUPPORT
ECHOSTAR UNVEILS WHOLESALE IP VIDEO
CALIFORNIA FIRES SPARES SATELLITE, SO FAR
NEWS & NOTES: International Launch Services plans to launch the Ka-band/Ku-band Sirius-4 satellite for SES Astra’s Sirius European satellite TV service Nov. 18. That service is unrelated to Sirius Satellite Radio.

MONDAY OCT. 22, 2007

MURDOCH BALLYHOOS DIRECTV-LIBERTY DEAL
DIRECTV ADDS UP OBJECTIONS IN APPEAL
GROUP BACKS NAB PUSH TO BLOCK XM-SIRIUS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The more lawmakers talk about digital TV transition the more likely it is to be delayed...Approving XM-Sirius would still be a mistake.
NEWS & NOTES: General Motors plans to make XM Satellite Radio units standard features on all of its Buick, Hummer, and Saab vehicles. All of the vehicles will come with three-month trial subscriptions to the service.

FRIDAY OCT. 19, 2007

DIRECTV SUES COX OVER HD ADS
DIRECTV: ALL SUBS ALREADY TRANSITIONED
LAWMAKERS STRESS OVER DIGITAL EDUCATION
ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV HAIL OHIO COURT RULING
SIDES DEBATE PROGRAM CARRIAGE RULES
MARTIN PUSHES MULTICAST MUST-CARRY
LIBERTY, DIRECTV KEEP ANSWERING FCC QUESTIONS
WEDNESDAY OCT. 17, 2007
VIEWTECH KEEPS SEEKING DISMISSAL
DIRECTV HITS 70 HD CHANNEL GOAL
HOUSE ACTS ON INTERNET TAX BILL
HOUSE, SENATE LOOK INTO DIGITAL TV
SIDES DEBATE PROGRAM CARRIAGE RULES
NEWS & NOTES: Comcast named Daivd Krone senior vice president for corporate affairs, effective Jan. 2…Cable overbuilder RCN reached an agreement to start carrying the NHL Center Ice package of out-of-market games…News Corp. expanded Executive Vice President for Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Gary Ginsberg’s role to also include oversight of the company’s global marketing. He was also appointed to the office of the chairman, Rupert Murdoch.

MONDAY OCT. 15, 2007

DIRECTV SET TO HIT NEXT HD CHANNEL GOAL
KARMAZIN DEFENDS MERGER, CHASTISES NAB
FRONTIER OFFERS ECHOSTAR DEAL
ECHOSTAR ISSUES RETAILER WARNING
MARTIN KEEPS PUSHING UNBUNDLED CHANNELS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: EchoStar-TiVo case could go either way, and have long-term implications...DirecTv HD effort will be a good gauge of how important HD is to consumers.

FRIDAY OCT. 12, 2007

ECHOSTAR FOUNDERS BACK CLINTON CAMPAIGN
DBS KEEPS LOOKING FOR TAX HELP
XM, SIRIUS BRISTLE AT NAB ACTION
CAL AMP KEEPS WORKING ON DISH ISSUES
DIRECTV KEEPS ADDING TO
HD SLATE

WEDNESDAY OCT. 10, 2007

NAB URGES DELAY IN XM-SIRIUS REVIEW
ECHOSTAR KEEPS UP FIGHT WITH VIEWTECH
ECHOSTAR FILES PIRACY LAWSUITS
DIRECTV EXECUTIVE SUITE SEES CHANGES
ECHOSTAR DROPS RETAILERS OVER LEAD ISSUES
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications added TBS-HD to its high-definition channel-line-up...The Intelsat-11 C-band/medium-power Ku-band satellite was successfully launched Friday by an Arianespace rocket from French Guiana…The FCC rescheduled the auction of licenses to use the 700 MHz spectrum band from June 16, 2008, to Jan. 24, 2008.

FRIDAY OCT. 5, 2007

ECHOSTAR, TIVO MAKE CASES TO APPEALS COURT
SIRIUS, XM SET SHAREHOLDER MERGER VOTES
JUDGE KEEPS FINISAR, XM-SIRIUS CASE GOING
DIRECTV AUGMENTS
HD SLATE
NEWS & NOTES: An Arianespace rocket is slated to launch the Intelsat-11 C-band/medium-power Ku-band and Optus-D2 satellites today from French Guiana…NOTICE: In observance of the Columbus Day holiday, the FaxUPDATE will not be distributed Monday.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 3, 2007

FCC CLEARS ECHOSTAR-DOMINION TRANSACTION
FCC REVERSES COURSE ON ORBITAL SPACING
LAWMAKERS LOOK FOR DIGITAL TV INFO
C-BAND NUMBERS HOLDING STEADY
GROUP BLASTS STUDY IN FAVOR OF XM-SIRIUS MERGER
MARTIN KEEPS BACKING MULTICAST MUST-CARRY

MONDAY OCT. 1, 2007

ECHOSTAR, TIVO PREP FOR APPEALS ARGUMENTS
NTIA CHIEFS DEFENDS DIGITAL TV EFFORT
JUDGE LAYS OUT XM-LABEL LAWSUIT TIMELINE
SIRIUS, XM EXECS PITCH MERGER AT FCC
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Ergen is not going to sell EchoStar anytime soon...EchoStar buying Sling is a good thing, but look for broadcasters to step up their efforts to shut it down.

FRIDAY SEPT. 28, 2007

SATELLITE APPLAUDS “FAIR” TAX BILL
NAB CHIEF SLAMS XM-SIRIUS MERGER
ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV TUSSLE OVER SPACING
DIRECTV BOLSTERS
HD LINE-UP
ECHOSTAR ADDS MORE REGIONAL SPORTS HD
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv plans to start offering access to episodes of the soap opera “Passions” online for $19.95 per month...Sling Media started selling the $179.99 Slingbox Solo, which can process either standard-definition or high-definition programming. Sling Media also started offering a version of its SlingPlayer software for Nokia phones using the Symbian operating system.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 26, 2007

DIRECTV SLATED TO START HD ADDITIONS TODAY
ECHOSTAR CONSIDERS TECH UNIT SPIN-OFF
JUSTICE STILL LOOKING AT XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NTIA EXAMINES DIGITAL TRANSITION EDUCATION EFFORTS
SENATORS URGE END TO MOUNTAIN WEST ANGST
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group President Chase Carey last night accepted the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America for on behalf of DirecTv…ReelzChannel named Doug McCormick vice chairman of its executive management board. He is non-executive chairman of LIN TV and a partner with Rho Ventures.

MONDAY SEPT. 24, 2007

DIRECTV SEES NEW SERVICES DRIVING GROWTH
SMITHSONIAN SEALS DIRETV DEAL; EYES MORE
MALONE PONDERS LIBERTY, DIRECTV PLANS
HOUSE, SENATE PLAN DIGITAL TV HEARINGS
SENATE COMMERCE PLANS TAX MARK-UP

FRIDAY SEPT. 21, 2007

APPEALS COURT NIXES DBS KENTUCKY TAX CASE
PARSONS: XM FOCUSED AS REVIEW CONTINUES
LAWSUIT TAKES ON PACKAGING PRACTICES
DIRECTV HINTS
AT TIMELINE FOR HD ROLLOUT
GAO, ADELSTEIN BEMOAN DIGITAL EDUCATION
CO-OPS START OFFERING IP VIDEO SERVICE
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications is working with Sharp to offer discounts on some Sharp Aquos LCD-high-definition televisions to new and existing EchoStar customers who agree to lease EchoStar equipment…The DirecTv Group and Barclays have started offering a DirecTv Rewards Visa Card, which enables users to accumulate points that can be redeemed for various items…Industry Canada approved Loral Space and Communications’ acquisition of Telesat Canada. The FCC still must approve the transaction before it can be completed…EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen was ranked No. 27 on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in the country... International Launch Services established a “failure review board” to examine the results of the investigation into the failure of an ILS Proton rocket.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 19, 2007

CAREY PREDICTS BIG RESULTS FOR DIRECTV
ECHOSTAR CITES VICTORY IN FORGENT CASE
XM CHAIRMAN CHASTISES NAB
CABLE PLANS FIGHT FOR HD SUBS
DBS SERVICES EYE EDUCATIONAL LEEWAY
CO-OPS START OFFERING IP VIDEO SERVICE

MONDAY SEPT. 17, 2007

DIRECTV READIES HD; SEES SPOT-BEAM ISSUE
VIEWTECH SEEKS ECHOSTAR CASE DISMISSAL
NCTA HEAD PREACHES TRANSITION TEAMWORK
ECHOSTAR ADDS HD PAY-PER-VIEW CHANNELS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: FCC meeting make Martin look like a joke...FCC should reject cable pleas for satellite dual must-carry.

FRIDAY SEPT. 14, 2007

DIRECTV DOWNPLAYS HACKER RULING IMPACT
DIRECTV SEES HIGHER SUNDAY TICKET SALES
ECHOSTAR EYES LIBERTY-NEWS CORP. RULES
NFL, CABLE TUSSLE OVER CARRIAGE
DIRECTV SLATES TIER FOR
HD CHANNELS
ACCESS DECISION SITS WELL WITH DIRECTV

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 12, 2007

DIRECTV DOWNPLAYS HACKER RULING IMPACT
DIRECTV SEES HIGHER SUNDAY TICKET SALES
ECHOSTAR EYES LIBERTY-NEWS CORP. RULES
NFL, CABLE TUSSLE OVER CARRIAGE
DIRECTV SLATES TIER FOR
HD CHANNELS
ACCESS DECISION SITS WELL WITH DIRECTV

MONDAY SEPT. 10, 2007

SIDES MAKE LAST STANDS ON PROGRAM ACCESS
COURT PUSHES BACK DIRECTV, COMCAST AD CASE
DBS GETS UNLUCKY IN KETUCKY IN TAX CASE
ECHOSTAR STATES CASE AGAINST MUST-CARRY
NEWS & NOTES: Liberty Media plans to hold a special stockholders meeting Oct. 23.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: FCC should vote 5-0 in favor of extending program access provisions...Commission should not expand must-carry ruless...DirecTv scores with latest football ad.

FRIDAY SEPT. 7, 2007

BIG TEN NETWORK LANDS DEAL WITH ECHOSTAR
BOUCHER BACKS XM-SIRIUS MERGER
ILS FAILURE CAUSES FUTURE FALLOUT
C-BAND CHARTS USERS
CABLE PUSHES AGAINST PROGRAM ACCESS
NCTA TOUTS DIGITAL TV AD CAMPAIGN

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 5, 2007

FCC SETS PROGRAM ACCESS EXTENSION VOTE
DBS SERVICES DETAIL TRANSITION DIFFICULTIES
ECHOSTAR PLAYS UP MUST-CARRY BURDENS
C-BAND CHARTS USERS

FRIDAY AUG. 29, 2007

BIG TEN NETWORK LAUNCHES SMALL
DIRECTV SUBS KEEP DEFECTING FROM TIVO
TAX MORATORIUM GETS MORE TALK FROM DBS
DIRECTV DETAILS REASONS FOR FINISAR APPEAL
COMCAST STATES CASE AGAINST CLOSING LOOPHOLE
DIRECTV ADDS NEW LOCAL HD MARKET

WEDNESDAY AUG. 27, 2007

XM-SIRIUS, NAB SPAR OVER RULES
DIRECTV STARTS WILDBLUE “DOUBLE PLAY”
DIRECTV DROPS PRICE ON PORTABLE SYSTEM
VERIZON SEEKS PROGRAM ACCESS EXTENSION
NEWS & NOTES: Next Generation Home Products has developed a switch that can connect four HDMI satellite TV or other receivers and allow the user to choose between the sources and feed them to two HDTV sets...XM Satellite Radio said it is building new studios in Nashville.

MONDAY AUG. 27, 2007

GROUP PUSHES PROGRAM ACCESS CHANGES
FCC MAKES TWO-DISH LOCAL BAN OFFICIAL
DBS PLEADS AGAINST DUAL MUST-CARRY
ECHOSTAR PLAYS UP BIG TEN GAME COVERAGE
DBS SERVICES BEG OUT OF RULES FOR
PLUG-AND-PLAY
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Martin painted into a corner on a la carte...iPhone hack is no surprise...A prediction FCC will pass program access extension 5-0.

FRIDAY AUG. 24, 2007

DIRECTV APPEALS HD AD INJUNCTION
WILDBLUE SEES CRUNCH IN SOME MARKETS
XM-SIRIUS MERGER DEBATE CONTINUES
HNS OFFERS FREE EQUIPMENT
ECHOSTAR EXTENDS FREE SERVICE OFFER
SEA LAUNCH MAKES PROGRESS ON REPAIRS
MARTIN DEFENDS A LA CARTE STANCE

WEDNESDAY AUG. 22, 2007

APPEALS COURT SETS ECHOSTAR-TIVO DATE
DIRECTV LOOKS FOR EARLY SCORE WITH BIG TEN
NAB DETAILS DIGITAL TV EDUCATION EFFORTS
N. DAKOTA BROADCASTERS CHIME IN ON DIRECTV
DIRECTV SERVES UP TENNIS INTERACTIVITY
FCC SETS DATE FOR 700 MHZ AUCTION

MONDAY AUG. 20, 2007

JUDGE GIVES DIRECTV STATIC OVER HD ADS
NEWS CORP. BITES BACK ON BIG TEN COMPLAINT
ECHOSTAR EYES RETAILER ACTION ON TAX ISSUE
XM-SIRIUS DEAL GETS OPPOSITION, SUPPORT

FRIDAY AUG. 17, 2007

COMMITTEE CONFAB FOCUSES ON TAX ISSUE
DIRECTV LEADS WAY IN SATISFACTION SURVEY
ECHOSTAR EYES FOOTBALL FANS WITH PROMO
SIRIUS, XM PREP NEW RADIO LAUNCHES
DIRECTV PLUGS INTO BROADBAND POWERLINE DEAL

WEDNESDAY AUG. 15, 2007

XM-SIRIUS, NAB SQUARE OFF AT FCC
SPACEWAY-3 SATELLITE REACHES SPACE
DIRECTV PUNCHES UP STADIUM TICKET OFFER
DIRECTV TOUTS INTERACTIVE EFFORTS TO FCC
DIRECTV DETAILS NEW CAREY PAY PACKAGE
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications informed retailers it is extending until Jan. 31 its offer in which qualifying existing customers to its Dish’n It Up equipment lease program can receive up to $100 in credits…Rod Perth resigned as president of ReelzChannel Television.

MONDAY AUG. 13, 2007

ECHOSTAR DEALS WITH COMPETITION
DIRECTV READIES ONLINE SUNDAY TICKET
JUDGE BACKS ECHOSTAR IN FORGENT CASE
TIME WARNER BEMOANS PROGRAM ACCESS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Congratulations to the Hubbards on their new addition...Contrary to some opinions, EchoStar and DirecTv reported good quarters...Keeping Chase Carey on was a good idea...Blockbuster makes misstep with Movielink deal.
NEWS AND NOTES: Hughes Network Systems said it added 30,000 customers to its HughesNet service.

FRIDAY AUG. 10, 2007

DIRECTV EXPECTS HD COSTS TO PAY OFF
ECHOSTAR SEES PROFITS RISE, NET SUBS DIP
DIRECTV, TIME WARNER END HD AD FIGHT
LIBERTY PLANS STOCK TO INCLUDE DIRECTV
DIRECTV KEEPS CAREY ON WITH NEW CONTRACT
ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV SEEK DBS TAX RELIEF
CABLEVISION SEES SLIGHT BASIC SUB DIP
XM-SIRIUS DEAL DRAWS MORE OPPOSITION

WEDNESDAY AUG. 8, 2007

NAB, XM-SIRIUS CLASH OVER A LA CARTE PLAN
MARTIN TAKES LOOK AT XM-SIRIUS PLAN
COMPANY BLAMES ECHOSTAR FOR BANKRUPTCY
NDS SOUNDS NO ALARM BELLS OVER LIBERTY
ECHOSTAR KEEPS UP PROGRAM ACCESS EXTENSION PUSH

MONDAY AUG. 6, 2007

XM, SIRIUS PITCH A LA CARTE PLAN TO FCC
ECHOSTAR PLANS SPECIAL OFFERS
ECHOSTAR EXTENDS SWAPOUT FOR VOOM SUBS
BROADCASTERS DEFEND SHOPPING MUST-CARRY
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Rupert Murdoch shaking up the Wall Street Journal might be a good thing...Sports leagues' could be hurt by troubled times...C-band's inevitable decline.
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications co-founders Charlie and Cantey Ergen hosted a fund-raiser in Washington last Thursday night for Rep. Mark Udall, a Democrat running for the Senate from EchoStar’s home state of Colorado.

FRIDAY AUG. 3, 2007

NAB KEEPS SLAMMING SIRIUS-XM
C-BAND AUTHORIZED MODULE ROLLS DROP
SEASONAL SUB LOSSES HIT CABLE
SIRIUS TAPS LORAL FOR NEW SATELLITE
QWEST LOGS CALLS FOR
DIRECTV SYSTEMS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications appointed Jessica Heacock Insalaco to be its senior vice president and chief marketing officer…EchoStar started offering the Setanta Sports channel. EchoStar is running a free preview of the channel through Sept. 5, after which it will charge $14.99 per month.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 1, 2007

SIRIUS LOSSES DROP AS NET SUBS RISE
KARMAZIN SEES SIGNS POINTING TO APPROVAL
DIRECTV-ECHOSTAR GROUP GETS 700 MHZ WISH
DIRECTV SLATES TIVO UPGRADES
VERIZON COUNTS UP VIDEO SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: After nine years with the organization, Harry Thibedeau plans to leave the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, effective Friday...Federal authorities searched Senate Commerce Committee ranking Republican Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) home in Alaska Monday in connection with a political corruption investigation, according to numerous media reports.

MONDAY JULY 30, 2007

DIRECTV ADDS ON TO COMCAST HD LAWSUIT
DBS NOT IMPACTED BY CLEARWIRE-SPRINT DEAL
FCC READY TO SET UP 700 MHZ RULES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: XM-Sirius a la carte plan is frought with problems...TiVo playing up to cable is hilarious.

FRIDAY JULY 27, 2007

XM POSTS IMPROVED FINANCIAL RESULTS
XM SEES MERGER DEBATE GOING ITS WAY
XM, SIRIUS DETAIL A LA CARTE PLANS
ECHOSTAR, BIG TEN NETWORK TRADE BARBS
NAB BLASTS XM-SIRIUS A LA CARTE PLAN
SIDES SHOW CONCERN FOR DIGITAL TV PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: Comcast said it lost a net total of about 90,000 basic cable subscribers in the second quarter, bringing its total subscriber base to about 24.1 million.

WEDNESDAY JULY 25, 2007

XM, SIRIUS WEIGH IN AGAINST DETRACTORS
KARMAZIN TAKES CASE TO WASHINGTON
XM, SIRIUS DETAIL A LA CARTE PLANS
ECHOSTAR WANTS FCC RULING ON
BIG TEN NETWORK
DIRECTV, COMCAST GET COURT DATE
FOR HD AD DISPUTE
NEWS & NOTES: TiVo has started taking orders for a new $299.99 standalone high-definition digital video recorder it plans to roll out early next month...AT&T said it added a combined net total of about 162,000 DirecTv and EchoStar DBS subscribers during the second quarter, along with 38,000 subscribers to its own fiber/digital subscriber line video service.

MONDAY JULY 23, 2007

COALITION EYES BROAD 700 MHZ LICENSES
COPYRIGHT OFFICE PREPS FOR HEARINGS
ECHOSTAR TAKES FLIGHT WITH VIRGIN AMERICA
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Congratulations to HBO and Showtime on Emmy nominations...Smithsonian Channel has ingreidents for great pictures...CTAM hits Washington.
NEWS & NOTES: The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold an FCC oversight hearing tomorrow. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) and the four other commissioners are scheduled to testify.

FRIDAY JULY 20, 2007

NAB WANTS INFO ON XM, SIRIUS ISSUES
SIRIUS WANTS LID SHUT ON LICENSES
CABLE, BROADCASTERS SHOP MUST-CARRY IDEAS
PHONE COMPANIES SPICE UP ECHOSTAR OFFERS
COMCAST KEEPS UP OPPOSITION AGAINST PROGRAM ACCESS

WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 2007

ECHOSTAR SUES OVER FREE-TO-AIR BOXES
MORE LAWMAKERS OBJECT TO XM-SIRIUS DEAL
BROADCASTERS, CABLE DUEL OVER MUST-CARRY
CABLE, BELLS RAIL AGAINST NET NEUTRALITY
DIRECTV ADDS DOMINICAN CHANNEL
NEWS & NOTES: Hughes Network Systems Spaceway-3 satellite has arrived in French Guiana, from where it is scheduled to be launched aboard a Proton rocket Aug. 14.

MONDAY JULY 16, 2007

XM DEFENDS AGAINST MUSIC ALLEGATIONS
FORGENT SEEKS RULING VALIDATING PATENT
XM, SIRIUS LOOK TO PUSH OFF FINISAR CASE
SES OBJECTS TO ECHOSTAR REQUESTS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Congratulations to Harry Thibedeau...Comments on XM-Sirius reveiw shed no new light...Kudos to DirecTv on "Alien" commercial...EchoStar shows signs of broadening scope.

FRIDAY JULY 13, 2007

FCC GETS MORE INFO ON LIBERTY-DIRECTV DEAL
ECHOSTAR SLATES FREE HD OFFER
ECHOSTAR PREPS FALL PROMOS
VIDEOCIPHER MODULE USERS KEEP DROPPING
CAL AMP CLARIFIES ECHOSTAR DISH ISSUE COSTS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said it has raised about $1 million for schools through its DirecTv4Schools. About 3,000 schools participate in the program in which DirecTv donates $100 for every parent, teacher, or friend that activates DirecTv service for one year, and $50 for any current customer that makes a new programming commitment for a year...The Senate Commerce Committee scheduled a hearing for Thursday to examine how well consumers are prepared for the transition to digital-only broadcast signals.

WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2007

XM, SIRIUS CITE SUPPORT FOR MERGER
NAB NOT ALONE IN XM-SIRIUS OBJECTIONS
ECHOSTAR LINES UP MORE HD CHANNELS
DIRECTV AGREES TO REFUNDS
IN WEST VIRGINIA
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications started offering subscribers an interactive polling and voting application for Bravo’s “Top Chef 3 Miami.”

MONDAY JULY 9, 2007

ROCKET LIFTS DIRECTV TOWARD MORE HD
SIDES OFFER INPUT FOR COPYRIGHT REPORT
FORGENT PRESSES FOR NEW TRIAL
ECHOSTAR MAINTAINS STANCE IN TIVO APPEAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: New ESPN min-series about Yankees appears to be a home run...Apple whips up frenzy over iPhone.

FRIDAY JULY 6, 2007

DIRECTV-10 SET FOR LAUNCH
DBS SERVICES AIR COPYRIGHT VIEWS
DIRECTV SEEKS DATA PROTECTION FROM FCC
XM-SIRIUS DEAL SEES MORE OPPOSITION
DIRECTV PANS REVERSE BAND PROPOSALS

MONDAY JULY 2, 2007

DIRECTV PREPS NFL CONSUMER OFFER
NAB KEEPS POUNDING ON XM-SIRIUS MERGER
FCC SETTLES INTEGRATED SECURITY BAN ISSUES
DIRECTV SUES RESTAURANTS OVER ACCOUNTS

FRIDAY JUNE 29, 2007

FCC LOOKS INTO SATELLITE RADIO POLICY
DIRECTV PLANS NO HD PRICE HIKE
XM-SIRIUS COUNT MORE SUPPORT
DIRECTV PONDERS ECHOSTAR COOPERATION
DIRECTV, LIFETIME SETTLE
LEGAL SPAT
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications started offering the Taiwanese Mega Pak. EchoStar charges $34.99 per month for the 13-channel service...The Consumer Electronics Association predicted there will be about 16 million high-definition sets sold this year, which would bring the total to about 52.5 million.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 27, 2007

SIDES WEIGH IN AT TV VIOLENCE HEARING
DIRECTV CHIDES “TWEENER” SATELLITE PLANS
MORE MUSIC PUBLISHERS SUE XM
PROGRAMMERS PAN A LA CARTE
ECHOSTAR DROPS RETAILER
OVER CALLS
NEWS & NOTES: San Francisco CBS affiliate started using Sling Media’s Slingbox technology and 28 video cameras to produce live video feeds from around the city...Installation companies Aerosat USA, Interlink Communications, and Install Techs joined the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, the group said.

MONDAY JUNE 25, 2007

NPS CHIDES BROADCASTERS OVER DISTANT CASE
XM, SIRIUS HIGHLIGHT MERGER SUPPORTERS
CABLE KEEPS OPPOSING A LA CARTE
ECHOSTAR OFFERS HD TO HOTEL, MDU ACCOUNTS
NEWS & NOTES: TiVo Chief Financial Officer Steven Sordello resigned to become the chief financial officer of an unnamed Silicon Valley company…Volkswagen announced it plans to make Sirius Satellite Radio units standard equipment on its 2008 My Touareg2, New Beetle, New Beetle Convertible, GTI, and GLI models. Sirius units are already available on Jetta, Passat, and EOS models…

FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2007

LAWMAKERS DROP LOCAL STATION BILL
HBO, TIME WARNER OPINE ON PROGRAM ACCESS
CABLEVISION FINALLY MAKES ROOM FOR VOOM
MORE SIDES WEIGH IN ON XM-SIRIUS DEAL
COALITION SEEKS BROAD 700 MHZ LICENSES
DIRECTV FILES
LAWSUIT OVER “ACCOUNT STACKING”
NEWS & NOTES: Sling Media introduced software designed to enable Windows Mobile 6-enabled cell phones and other mobile devices to view programming through their Slingboxes remotely...The DirecTv Group has started allowing customers who live in Los Angeles to buy the analog NBC-owned station in New York in addition to the L.A. NBC-owned station.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 20, 2007

FCC SEEKS MORE INFO ON DIRECTV SALE
LAWMAKERS LINE UP AGAINST XM-SIRIUS DEAL
INVESTMENT GROUP TOPS INTELSAT BIDS
AT&T COMPLAINS ABOUT CABLEVISION CHANNEL ACCESS
NEWS & NOTES: SES Americom started offering its Internet Protocol multichannel video service on a wholesale basis to telephone companies yesterday...Sling Media introduced a line of adapters that enable users to plug their Slingbox’s into home high-speed Internet connection using their home powerlines.

MONDAY JUNE 18, 2007

ECHOSTAR WEIGHS IN FOR PROGRAM ACCESS
DBS EXECS EYE 700 MHZ AUCTION RULES
CANADA HANDS OUT SATELLITE LICENSES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: NAB shows true colors with complaints about Alaska/Hawaii...People should stop jumping to conclusions about DirecTv and EchoStar trying to merge again...Congratulations to Ross Lieberman joining the ACA.

FRIDAY JUNE 15, 2007

ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV SIGN ON WITH CLEARWIRE
XM, SIRIUS CITE SUPPORT FOR MERGER PLANS
FINISAR WANTS DIRECTV VERDICT TO STAND
SENATORS SOUND OFF ON 700 MHZ AUCTION
CABLE SLAMS A LA CARTE LEGISLATION
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications and Liberty Media declined comment on a published report which claimed they were planning to submit a joint bid to purchase satellite operator Intelsat. Intelsat also declined comment…Technical issues at one of its uplinks caused by inclement weather caused some EchoStar customers in several major markets in the Eastern half of the country to be unable to view their local stations for less than an hour Wednesday night...A U.S. District Court in Kentucky sentenced Michael Hill to five months in prison and ordered him to pay DirecTv restitution of $346,104, after he pleaded guilty to working with others to distribute 437 illegally modified conditional access cards that enabled users to steal DirecTv’s DBS service...EchoStar started offering the Hebrew-language Global One and the Israeli Movie Channel.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 13, 2007

ECHOSTAR PLANS VOOM MOVE TO MPEG-4
DIRECTV SET TO INCREASE HBO HD SLATE
ERGEN TRUMPETS ECHOSTAR HD OVER DIRECTV
SEA LAUNCH COMPLETES INQUIRY INTO FAILURE
BROADCASTERS CHASTISE DIRECTV
ON ALASKA-HAWAII
NEWS & NOTES: The American Cable Association named Ross Lieberman vice president of government affairs...EchoStar said it plans to offer a “mosaic” channel showing six screens of ESPN’s coverage of the U.S. Open golf tournament this weekend…XM Canada said it finished its fiscal third quarter, ended May 31, with 270,000 subscribers…“The Sopranos” finale Sunday night was the second most watched show ever of the series, attracting about 11.9 million viewers, HBO said.

MONDAY JUNE 11, 2007

FCC STARTS OFFICIAL XM-SIRIUS REVIEW
SKY ANGEL TO IPTV; ECHOSTAR WANTS SLOT
COMCAST, TIME WARNER TAKE ON TELCOS, DBS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Better for companies to work with Slingbox than against it...Martin's curse-filled statement on obscenity fine ruling...Sopranos goes with anti-climax climax.
NEWS & NOTES: Cable overbuilder RCN said it reached an agreement to start offering the Major League Baseball Extra Innings package of out-of-market games, beginning July 9...A report commissioned by the Satellite Industry Association showed satellite industry revenues of $106.1 billion in 2006, up from $88.8 billion in 2005.

FRIDAY JUNE 8, 2007

NAB URGES SIRIUS, XM TO DROP MERGER PLANS
BROADCASTERS KEEP PUSHING AGAINST NPS
DIRECTV-10 MAKES IT TO KAZAKHSTAN
SENATORS BACK CONDITIONS ON DIRECTV DEAL
DIRECTV OPENS NEW DENVER FACILITY
NEWS & NOTES: National Cable and Telecommunications Association Executive Vice President David Krone plans to leave the group, effective Oct. 1…Jim Meyer reached an agreement to remain Sirius Satellite Radio’s president of operations and sales through April 30, 2010…The DirecTv Group plans to offer a “mix” channel showing four screens of ESPN’s coverage of the first two rounds of next week’s U.S. Open golf tournament.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 2007

TIVO STATES CASE AGAINST ECHOSTAR APPEAL
ECHOSTAR, BROADCASTERS SETTLE FEE SPAT
TIVO SEES POSITIVES IN LIBERTY-DIRECTV DEAL
SIRIUS GETS $250 MILLION LOAN
ERGEN PRAISES DEPARTING MOSKOWITZ
INDECENCY RULING SEEN AS WIN FOR SERVICES
ECHOSTAR SHIPS NEW HD RECEIVER

MONDAY JUNE 4, 2007

KENTUCKY TAX RULING DISAPPOINTS DBS
MOSKOWITZ TO RETIRE FROM ECHOSTAR
JUDGE LAYS OUT ECHOSTAR-NDS CASE TIMELINE
C-BAND DIPS TOWARD 50,000 MARK
FORGENT PONDERS NEXT PATENT STEP
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Lawsuits over picture quality are silly...Short NHRA...TiVo's management risks credibility as DirecTv/TiVo subs depart.

FRIDAY JUNE 1, 2007

KARMAZIN BLASTS NAB FOR LOBBYING EFFORT
DIRECTV CUSTOMERS KEEP LEAVING TIVO
DIRECTV SATELLITE LAUNCH RESCHEDULED
DIRECTV DERIDES COMCAST COUNTERCLAIM
PHONE COMPANIES PITCH VIDEO PLANS
GROUPS SEE PROS, CONS IN XM-SIRIUS COMBO
FCC CLEARS WAY FOR MDU COMPETITION
NEWS & NOTES: The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling dismissing a lawsuit EchoStar and DirecTv filed contesting Kentucky’s taxes on DBS services...Thomson said it has delivered 1 million high-definition DirecTv receivers…HD Partners Acquisition Corp., which was formed by several former DirecTv executives, reached a deal to acquire the National Hot Rod Association.

WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2007

COMCAST COUNTERSUES DIRECTV OVER ADS
DIRECTV EYES ALASKA, HAWAII WORKAROUND
ECHOSTAR KEEPS UP REVERSE BAND TALK
NAB WANTS SIRIUS-XM INFO ON FM MODULATORS
XM-SIRIUS DEAL GETS LATIN CITIZEN SUPPORT
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications reached an agreement to offer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios’ movie library on its video-on-demand and pay-per-view services…TiVo is scheduled to release its first quarter financial results today.

FRIDAY MAY 25, 2007

XM OFFERS SUBS CREDIT FOR OUTAGE
KOHL LINES UP AGAINST XM-SIRIUS DEAL
SIDES WEIGH IN ON 700 MHZ AUCTION PLAN
DINGELL, MARKEY PUSH FOR DIGITAL PLAN
DIRECTV SPELLS OUT MORE HD PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications launched the “HSN Shop by Remote” service in which subscribers with interactive receivers can use their remote controls to buy various products through an interactive channel on EchoStar’s DBS service…XM Satellite Radio reached an agreement to be the exclusive satellite radio provider of Fox Sports’ coverage of the NCAA’s Bowl Championship Series, national championship, and other BCS football games…Rogers Communications and CTV reached agreements to carry National Football League games in Canada…Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) introduced a bill to improve the way the FCC collects data about high-speed data service penetration.

WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2007

XM RESTORES SERVICE AFTER SATELLITE GLITCH
JURY SIDES WITH ECHOSTAR IN FORGENT CASE
ECHOSTAR BEMOANS REVERSE BAND ORDER
LAWMAKER RAISES XM-SIRIUS CONCERNS
FCC SHIELDS INFO IN
LIBERTY-NEWS CORP.
TRANSACTION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group plans today to add Azteca America to its local-into-local line-up in Phoenix.

MONDAY MAY 21, 2007

DIRECTV AGREES TO SETTLE WITH FORGENT
DIRECTV PLANS “PREMIERE” RETAILER DEAL
CAL AMP DETAILS ECHOSTAR DISH ISSUES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: People are still talking about Martin's poor performance at the NCTA show...Las Vegas is no place for a convention anymore...Converter box subsidy program is a problem waiting to happen.

FRIDAY MAY 18, 2007

LIBERTY CHIEF PREDICTS EASY APPROVAL PATH
ECHOSTAR HITS REDIAL WITH CENTURYTEL
HOUSE LOOKS AT MEASURING BROADBAND
AT&T EYES SINGLE DBS DEAL BY YEAR-END
TELEPHONE GROUP BACKS PROGRAM ACCESS
NEWS & NOTES: The Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission adopted rules setting a deadline of Aug. 31, 2011, by which broadcasters must stop transmitting analog signals and rely solely on digital transmissions.

WEDNESDAY MAY 16, 2007

DBS AGAIN TOPS CABLE IN SATISFACTION SURVEY
NCTA CHIEF MAKES PITCH FOR LESS REGULATION
XM SUSPENDS CONTROVERSIAL HOSTS
NEXT DIRECTV SATELLITE SET FOR JUNE LAUNCH
NAB WANTS BIG PUSH ON DIGITAL CONVERTERS
NPS DEFENDS DISTANT NETWORK SERVICE
NEWS & NOTES: Intelsat reported revenues of $518.2 million and a net loss of $115.1 million in the first quarter…Monsoon Multimedia, which sells a product called HAVA similar to the Slingbox to enable the remote viewing of television signals via high-speed data services, released a new version of its software to enable remote viewing on Windows Mobile-enabled phones or handheld devices...DirecTv Group President Chase Carey said during a conference this week DirecTv would consider using broadband over powerline to deliver high-speed Internet access.

MONDAY MAY 14, 2007

DIRECTV SUES COMCAST OVER HD ADS
DBS CLOSES IN ON 30 MILLION SUBS
ERGEN BEMOANS “REVERSE BAND” ORDER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: EchoStar and NCTA events show the DBS-Cable battle continues.

FRIDAY MAY 11, 2007

ECHOSTAR SUB ADDS GROW REVENUE
DIRECTV PLAYS UP “ADVANCED” SUBS ADDS
CABLE EXECS PREDICT BIG FUTURE
HEARING FORCASTS DIGITAL VIDEO FUTURE
HNS SEES REVENUE
GROWTH
NEWS & NOTES: Viacom reported revenues of $2.75 billion in the first quarter, a 16 percent increase over the same period of last year…A Superior Court of Justice in Quebec issued injunctions against two web sites accused of providing information on how to steal EchoStar’s DBS service…HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht resigned in the wake of being arrested Saturday in Las Vegas in connection to an alleged altercation with his girlfriend...A New York State Supreme Court Judge ruled that Comcast should be allowed to distribute the NFL Network in a digital programming package rather than its basic tier.

WEDNESDAY MAY 9, 2007

CABLE EXECS EXPECT TO WIN FIGHT FOR SUBS
MALONE PLAYS UP DIRECTV OVER CABLE
MARTIN, CABLE AGREE TO DISAGREE
DIRECTV SEEKS DUAL-MUST CARRY EXTENSION
HNS DROPS SATELLITE INTERNET PRICE
FCC STAFFERS SEEK FOCUS ON
DIGITAL EDUCATION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group plans to start offering the History Chanel in high-definition starting in September.

MONDAY MAY 7, 2007

ECHOSTAR PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO RETAILERS
CABLE LANDS IN LAS VEGAS
FCC MOVES FORWARD ON REVERSE BAND
ECHOSTAR
PUSHES DIGITAL VCR LEASE PROGRAM
NEWS & NOTES: After a one-day weather delay, Intelsat’s AMC-17 satellite was successfully launched aboard an Arianespace rocket Friday evening.

FRIDAY MAY 4, 2007

VOGEL URGES PROGRAMMERS TO REJOIN SBCA
CABLE SERVICES GAIN BASIC VIDEO SUBS
DIRECTV LETS RETAILERS HANDLE UPGRADES
FCC REJECTS NORTHPOINT’S COMPASS PLAN
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications opened its annual dealer meeting last night in Dallas...ION, formerly Paxon Communications, rejected a $2.13 billion buyout offer from EchoStar. ION owns 60 TV stations, as well as the ION network...Inclement weather forced the postponement yesterday of Arianespace’s planned launch of the AMC-17 and Astra-1L satellites…The DirecTv Group started selling its portable SAT-GO satellite TV system...Telesat reported first quarter revenues of $121.6 million (Canadian).

WEDNESDAY MAY 2, 2007

SIRIUS NARROWS LOSS, UPS REVENUES
ECHOSTAR PREPS RETAILER EVENT
VERIZON, QWEST SEE DIRECTV SUBS RISE
KARMAZIN EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE ON MERGER
C-BAND DEAUTHORIZATIONS SLOW DOWN
NDS TOUTS CARD SECURITY
FINISAR SUES XM, SIRIUS OVER PATENTS
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group agreed to move the TVG horseracing channel from its Sports Pak to its Total Choice Plus and Choice Xtra packages…Starz Entertainment said it plans to launch three additional high-definition channels by the end of the summer…News Corp. made an offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Dow Jones and Company for about $5 billion at $60 per share...Comcast reached an agreement to pay $570 million in cash to acquire the 50 percent stake Cablevision Systems’ Rainbow Media Holding’s has in Fox SportsNet Bay Area, as well as the 50 percent stake Rainbow holds in Fox SportsNet New England...Telesat said its Anik-F3 C-band/medium-power Ku-band/Ka-band satellite is now operational. EchoStar has leased the Ku-band portion of the satellite.

MONDAY APRIL 30, 2007

SIRIUS RESPONDS TO VIDEO SERVICE CONCERNS
DIRECTV PUSHES REVERSE BAND PLAN
ECHOSTAR PITCHES ITALIAN OFFERS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Valenti made an impression on a young reporter and remains the gold standard that association presidents are compared to.

FRIDAY APRIL 27, 2007

XM IMPROVES FINANCIAL RESULTS
NCTA OBJECTS TO DUAL MUST-CARRY PROPOSAL
FCC KEEPS PONDERING 700 MHZ AUCTION PLAN
T. HOWARD RAISES RECORD AT NEW YORK EVENT
COMCAST PLAYS UP RESULTS FROM TRIPLE PLAY
NEWS & NOTES: Former Motion Picture Association of America President Jack Valenti died yesterday after a brief illness.…The five FCC commissioners could vote in private, or “on circulation,” as soon as early next week on issues related to the provision of DBS service using the 17 GHz and 24 GHz spectrum bands…DirecTv has started offering the ABC, Fox, CBS, Univision, and PBS stations in the Laredo, Texas, market...DirecTv said it plans to air new episodes this fall of the soap opera “Passions,” which NBC recently cancelled.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 25, 2007

SIRIUS DETAILS TOP EXECS’ PAY SCALES
AT&T TALLIES VIDEO SUBSCRIBERS
NCTA MAKES CASE AGAINST MORE REGULATION
LAWMAKERS OFFER RANGE OF BROADBAND VIEWS
BARTON, UPTON PUSH MARTIN TO DROP CABLE AGENDA
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC yesterday removed a controversial rulemaking regarding so-called “tweener” DBS orbital slots from the agenda for its public meeting today...The Media Access Project issued two reports this week contending that cable operators, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others used retaliatory bidding and other tactics to “deliberately and successfully” block DirecTv and EchoStar’s Wireless DBS joint venture and other bidders from winning licenses in the FCC’s advanced wireless services auction last year.

MONDAY APRIL 23, 2007

DIRECTV PREPS NEXT CONSUMER OFFER
OVERBUILDER CAUTIONS ON DIRECTV DEAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: NBC actions in the past few weeks highlight the decline of network news.
NEWS & NOTES: It appeared that satellite dealer Buddy Davis and early satellite dish hobbyist Bob Cooper were the only two out of 10 who showed up Friday night to accept their awards at a self-proclaimed “Satellite Pioneers” dinner held during an independent trade show in Atlanta. Cooper, who now lives out of the country, was eventually found liable for his piracy activities but did not mention his legal troubles in his remarks to the crowd. During his talk, Davis repeatedly told the audience that “you’ve got royal blood in your veins.”

FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2007

ECHOSTAR SEEKS REVERSAL IN TIVO CASE
JUDGE SIDES WITH DIRECTV ON HD ADS
DIRECTV TRIES TO CUT DOWN ON EARLY CHURN
WIRELESS GROUP OBJECTS TO SIRIUS VIDEO
DIRECTV ADDS LOCAL HD MARKETS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications started carrying V-me, a Spanish-language entertainment and public affairs channel. It also started carrying The Starfish Television Network, which provides news and information about charitable causes…KVH Industries reported first quarter revenues of $20.4 million, up slightly from the $20.3 million it recorded in the first quarter of last year.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2007

KARMAZIN FACES FAMILIAR QUESTIONS
REHR KEEPS BAD-MOUTHING XM-SIRIUS DEAL
MARTIN WANTS CONGRESS TO PURSUE A LA CARTE
SIDES WEIGH IN ON PROGRAM ACCESS
COPYRIGHT OFFICE LOOKS AT CABLE, SATELLITE LICENSES
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio’s XM Canada affiliate said it ended its second quarter with a total of 237,500 subscribers.

MONDAY APRIL 16, 2007

IOWA PONDERS SATELLITE TV TAX
BROADCASTERS GATHER IN LAS VEGAS
DIRECTV PLANS TO SERVE UP TENNIS CHANNEL
DIRECTV GETS WIN IN END-USER PIRACY CASE
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC granted EchoStar Communications permission to continue to maintain its EchoStar-6 satellite as an in-orbit spare at the 110-degree high-power DBS orbital slot…The FCC gave XM Satellite Radio permission to operate signal boosters and low-power repeaters at various events and venues for 30 days...Sling Media reached an agreement to distribute programming from CBS over the Internet using its Clip+Sling software

FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2007

NAB PUSHES COMMISSIONERS TO NIX XM-SIRIUS
STATIONS LINE UP AGAINST DIRECTV DEAL
JUSTICE WANTS MORE XM-SIRIUS MERGER INFO
HNS AUGMENTS CANADIAN SERVICE

WEDNESDAY APRIL 11, 2007

DIRECTV, LIBERTY, NEWS CORP. DEFEND DEAL
DIRECTV VOWS TO MAKE GOOD ON PROMISES
ECHOSTAR FACES NEW PATENT LAWSUIT
NEXT TELESAT SATELLITE LAUNCHED SAFELY
DIRECTV CAUTIONS ON SEARCH TERMS

MONDAY APRIL 9, 2007

ECHOSTAR DOWNPLAYS EXTRA INNINGS IMPACT
ECHOSTAR LANDS MASN CARRIAGE DEAL
LIBERTY COMPLETES STOCK REPURCHASE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Cable's Extra Innings deal is more than a numbers game

FRIDAY APRIL 6, 2007

ECHOSTAR DETAILS EXEC COMPENSATION
MCDOWELL EYES DEFINITION IN XM-SIRIUS DEAL
DIRECTV PUSHES HIGH-SPEED UNBUNDLING BILL
ECHOSTAR LAUNCHES HD RSN EFFORT
DIRECTV UPS SOME UPFRONT LEASE FEES
KERRY PRAISES EXTRA INNINGS AGREEMENT
HYUNDAI, LEXUS COMMIT MORE CARS TO XM

SPECIAL EDITION

THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2007

DEAL PUTS CABLE IN EXTRA INNINGS GAME;
ECHOSTAR STILL SITTING OUT

WEDNESDAY APRIL 4, 2007

NEWS CORP. SHAREHOLDERS OK LIBERTY DEAL
BASEBALL KEEPS TALKING ABOUT EXTRA INNINGS
FCC GETS EARFUL ON PROGRAM ACCESS
DIRECTV NAMES CUSTOMER SERVICE EXEC
SEA LAUNCH EYES RETURN IN SEPTEMBER
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications and Google entered into an agreement to use an automated advertising system for buying, selling, delivering, and measuring ads on EchoStar’s DBS service...The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing April 17 on the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio…Ford Motor Co. plans to factory install Sirius radios in various Lincoln models beginning with the 2008 model year…XM Canada reached a deal to offer a selection of its channels on Rogers Communications cable systems.

MONDAY APRIL 2, 2007

EXTRA INNINGS FATE STILL UP IN AIR
DIRECTV PUSHES BASEBALL PACKAGE
INTELSAT GETS BOOST FROM PANAMSAT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Mike O'Hara will be missed.

FRIDAY MARCH 30, 2007

EXTRA INNINGS TALKS GO DOWN TO WIRE
DIRECTV EXPANDS LOCAL HD LINE-UP
DIRECTV DETAILS PUSH ON REGIONAL FIRMS
FORMER THOMSON CHIEF MIKE O’HARA DIES
ALABAMA HOUSE OPPOSES XM-SIRIUS MERGER
CHRYSLER COMMITS TO SIRIUS TV
NEWS & NOTES: A U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C., dismissed a class action lawsuit shareholders had filed against XM Satellite Radio.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 28, 2007

BASEBALL, IN DEMAND TALK ABOUT TALKING
BROADCASTERS PUSH CASE AGAINST NPS
MORE WEIGH IN ON DIRECTV-LIBERTY DEAL

MONDAY MARCH 26, 2007

DIRECTV MEMO BLASTS REGIONAL HSP FIRMS
SIDES LINE UP AGAINST LIBERTY-DIRECTV DEAL
SENATORS SET TO HEAR HEAR BASEBALL DEBATE
BROADCASTERS LAMBAST
XM-SIRIUS DEAL
XM FACES NEW LAWSUIT OVER DOWNLOADS

FRIDAY MARCH 23, 2007

CABLE, BASEBALL TRADE BRUSHBACK PITCHES
BASEBALL DEFENDS DIRECTV DEAL TO FCC
FCC LOOKS AT EXCLUSIVE MDU VIDEO DEALS
FCC SEES COMPETITION IN SATELLITE INDUSTRY
NTIA PREDICTS SMOOTH COVERTER SUBSIDY

WEDNESDAY MARCH 21, 2007

XM-SIRIUS DEAL GETS RAKED OVER BY KOHL
XM, SIRIUS SAY NO RULE AGAINST COMBO EXISTS
WILDBLUE ADDS 15,000 SUBS IN three months
DBS PUSHES CABLE SUB NUMBERS DOWN.

MONDAY MARCH 19, 2007

SENATE PANEL READIES FOR XM-SIRIUS HEARING
ECHOSTAR LAYS OUT WILDBLUE COURSE
ECHOSTAR PUSHES INTERNATIONAL FARE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Dealers will benefit if DirecTv lives up to commitments it made in Dallas...March Madness shows potential, problems of of Internet video.

FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2007

DIRECTV SHOW WRAPS WITH LIVELY SESSION
MARTIN: ACCESS LOOPHOLE FIX UP TO CONGRESS
ECHOSTAR TOUTS WILDBLUE DEAL TO DEALERS
NAACP URGES FCC AGAINST A LA CARTE
NEWS & NOTES: CBS Sportsline said approximately 800,000 people have registered for its March Madness service, which enables them to watch NCAA basketball tournament games online.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2007

DIRECTV RALLIES DEALERS AT RETAIL EVENT
DIRECTV EXECS SPELL OUT RETAILER UPGRADES
NAB KEEPS HARPING ON XM/SIRIUS DEAL
ERGEN BEMOANS BASEBALL OFFER
WILDBLUE PREPS NEW BIRD
FOR SERVICE
NTIA LETS DBS, CABLE SUBS INTO PROGRAM

MONDAY MARCH 12, 2007

SPECTER EYES SPORTS ANTITRUST HEARINGS
TIVO SEES DIRECTV SUBS KEEP DROPPING
NTIA READY TO RELEASE SET-TOP SUBSIDY PLAN
SENATE PANEL PLANS LOOK AT XM-SIRIUS DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar reached a new agreement with Crown Media’s Hallmark Channel…The DirecTv Group said it plans to offer all of the games in its Mega March Madness package of NCAA Basketball Tournament games in high-definition. The package sells for $69.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Please keep Mike O'Hara in your thoughts...Extra Innings flap makes cable companies look like spoiled brats...Sports channels could impact ESPN in the long run.
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications Chairman Charlie Ergen is listed at No. 62 on the Forbes list of the 400 richest people in the world with $10 billion. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch is listed at No. 73, with $9 billion…XM Satellite Radio’s Canadian affiliate XM Canada finished its fiscal second quarter with a total of 237,500 subscribers...Telesat Canada took in revenues of $479 million (Canadian) in the fourth quarter.

FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2007

DIRECTV-MLB NOT EXCLUSIVE—YET
EXTRA INNINGS DEAL BRINGS QUICK REACTION
KARMAZIN CLARIFIES XM-SIRIUS GUARANTEES
XM-SIRIUS GETS MIXED REACTION AT HEARING
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar reached a new agreement with Crown Media’s Hallmark Channel…The DirecTv Group said it plans to offer all of the games in its Mega March Madness package of NCAA Basketball Tournament games in high-definition. The package sells for $69.

MONDAY MARCH 5, 2007

XM, SIRIUS MAKE GUARANTEES TO SUBS
CAREY DEFENDS DIRECTV BASEBALL EXCLUSIVE
ASHCROFT OPPOSES XM-SIRIUS DEAL
C-BAND NUMBERS DIP LOWER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Karmazin spreads fertilizer on Sirius-XM deal...Taking lunch bets the deal never happens
NEWS & NOTES: Former EchoStar President Michael Neuman was named chief executive officer of Magna Entertainment.

FRIDAY MARCH 2, 2007

ECHOSTAR TURNS IN STRONG SUB NUMBERS
XM-SIRIUS WILLING TO DEAL FOR APPROVAL
HILL: JURY OUT ON SATELLITE RADIO MERGER
ECHOSTAR DOWNPLAYS DISTANT STATION ISSUES
XM-SIRIUS MERGER DRAWS GROUPS’ CONCERN
LIBERTY TALKS UP DEAL FOR DIRECTV

WEDNESDAY FEB. 28, 2007

SIRIUS, XM SOUND UPBEAT NOTE ON CHANCES
DIRECTV PLANS STOCK BUYBACK
NAB MAKES NOISE ABOUT SAT RADIO DEAL
XM, Sirius POST IMPROVED FINANCIAL RESULTS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications, The DirecTv Group, XM Satellite Radio, and Sirius Satellite Radio all saw their stock prices lose ground yesterday as the Dow fell 416.02 points to close at 12,216.24 and the Nasdaq closed down 96.66 points at 2,407.86...Cablevision Systems reported it added 16,000 basic cable subscribers during the fourth quarter of last year, giving it a total of 3.12 million...In a speech at a National Association of Broadcasters conference, House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) criticized the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for not yet releasing guidelines for a congressionally mandated subsidy program that will provide discount coupons consumers will be able to use to obtain digital-to-analog convertor boxes.

MONDAY FEB. 26, 2007

NAB RAILS AGAINST XM-SIRIUS DEAL
JUDGE KEEPS FORGENT CASE GOING
XM WOULD LIVE ON IF SIRIUS DEAL PASSES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: The failed EchoStar-DirecTv merger looks good in comparison to the proposed XM-Sirius merger...Kerry misses the boat on sports rights issues.

FRIDAY FEB. 23, 2007

MARTIN TAKES SWING AT DIRECTV, BASEBALL
FCC PONDERS PROGRAM ACCESS EXTENSION
NPS CLOSES IN ON 100,000 DISTANT SUBS
HOUSE READY TO EXAMINE XM-SIRIUS DEAL
FCC LOOKS AT LIBERTY DEAL
FOR DIRECTV
NEWS & NOTES: A former DirecTv retailer has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Kentucky to participating in a conspiracy to distribute equipment used to steal DirecTv’s DBS service between March 1996 and 1999…EchoStar Communications reached an agreement for International Launch Services to launch an EchoStar satellite in 2008 aboard a Proton rocket from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. EchoStar declined comment on which satellite ILS will launch…Arianespace reached an agreement to launch SES’ medium-power Ku-band AMC-21 satellite in the second quarter of next year… China’s state-run China Satellite Mobile Broadcast Limited selected EchoStar Hong Kong-based affiliate China Mobile Broadcasting Satellite to provide S-band satellite capacity for a mobile video service China plans to launch in 2008…EchoStar Asia Holdings invested $40 million in South Korean satellite TV provider TU Media.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 21, 2007

SIRIUS, XM PITCH GOING FROM STEREO TO MONO
SATELLITE RADIO EXECS FACE STATIC ON DEAL
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications launched a new interactive application with Showtime...The Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing regarding The DirecTv Group possibly obtaining the exclusive rights to the Extra Innings package of out-of-market Major League Baseball games.

FRIDAY FEB. 16, 2007

XM UPS CASH WITH TRANSPONDER SALE/LEASE
ESPN, ECHOSTAR RACE INTO NASCAR DEAL
DIRECTV VOWS ACTION AGAINST RESTAURANTS
ECHOSTAR HANGS UP ON RETAILER
NIELSEN, DIRECTV TO TRACK INTERACTIVE USE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group told retailers it has expanded its latest consumer promotion.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 14, 2007

DIRECTV DISCLOSES EXEC PAYOUTS
REPS REINSTATE LOCAL SATELLITE RADIO BILL
PBS STATIONS PUSH DBS DIGITAL MUST-CARRY
SIRIUS CANADA TOPS 300,000
SUB MARK
DIRECTV LAUNCHES “CASUAL” GAMES
NEWS & NOTES: The National Association of Broadcasters, The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and Consumer Electronics Association plan to announce today a joint effort to launch a digital television education campaign for consumers…Liberty Media reached an agreement to acquire the Atlanta Braves baseball team from Time Warner.

MONDAY FEB. 12, 2007

ECHOSTAR, COURT TV END CARRIAGE SPAT
NPS, BROADCASTERS WANT APPEALS COMBINED
DIRECTV CHANGES UPFRONT PAYMENT PLAN
COMMISSIONERS CALL FOR ACCESS ACTION
CHARTER SUB COUNT SLIPS AGAIN
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DirecTv defied Wall Street expectations with strong quarter...Has judge blocking DirecTv ads seen all of the untrue cable ads over the years...Any predictions for how long the analog broadcast shutoff date will be delayed.
NEWS & NOTES: Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) introduced a bill to allow satellite TV customers who live in desigated market areas served by TV stations from neighboring states to choose to subscribe to local channels from a designated market area in Oklahoma.

FRIDAY FEB. 9, 2007

DIRECTV SUB ADDS NET STRONGER QUARTER
DIRECTV STILL COUNTING ON MEETING HD GOAL
MURDOCH PLAYS UP LIBERTY DEAL FOR DIRECTV
ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV SETTLE SEARCH LAWSUITS
TIME WARNER WANTS DIRECTV ADS NIXED
NEWS & NOTES: News Corp. said it plans to launch its long-anticipated Fox Business Channel in the fourth quarter of this year…Qwest Communications said it added 78,000 net DirecTv customers in the fourth quarter of last year, giving it a total of 366,000.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 7, 2007

NEWS CORP. EXPLAINS DIRECTV DEAL RATIONALE
JUDGE TELLS DIRECTV TO PULL ADS
ECHOSTAR, HBO SETTLE DIFFERENCES
C-BAND RANKS THIN AGAIN
SEA LAUNCH MAKES WAY BACK FROM EQUATOR
NEWS & NOTES: The U.S. Appeals Court granted a motion by EchoStar and broadcasters to dismiss their appeals of the injunction that led to EchoStar having to turn off its distant network station service…The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association said this week it has received 60 complaints since last April about alleged violations of the federal rules that generally prohibit municipalities, homeowners associations, and community associations from enforcing rules that unreasonably restrict satellite dish installations.

MONDAY FEB. 5, 2007

GOODELL PREDICTS MORE NFL NET CARRIAGE
SINCLAIR, MEDIACOM SETTLE DISPUTE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Comcast's position on DirecTv's pending baseball deal is in inconsistent and disingenuous...Kudos to The NFL Network for showing old Super Bowl games.

FRIDAY FEB. 2, 2007
KERRY BALKS AT POSSIBLE BASEBALL EXCLUSIVE
NO ECHOSTAR-COURT TV DEAL
MARTIN SIGNALS PROGRAM ACCESS SUPPORT
DIRECTV PROMISES RETAILER IMPROVEMENTS
SATELLITE ASSESSES SEA LAUNCH FAILURE
TIME WARNER, COMCAST PRAISE TRIPLE PLAY
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio extended its exclusive distribution agreement with Toyota until 2017...EchoStar added A&E HD to its line-up of high-definition channels

WEDNESDAY JAN. 31, 2007

LIBERTY OK WITH DIRECTV DEAL CONDITIONS
SES BIRD BLOWS UP DURING SEA LAUNCH
VERIZON ADDS MORE FIOS THAN DIRECTV SUBS
NDIRECTV BUYS
REST OF DIRECTV LATIN AMERICA
DIRECTV TAPS COMPANY TO DETECT FRAUD
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio extended through 2016 its exclusive distribution agreement with Honda.

MONDAY JAN. 29, 2007

DBS SERVICES TAKE ON ‘TWEENER’ SATELLITES
ECHOSTAR ADDS LOCAL HD MARKET
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Journal article on Liberty considering selling future stake in DirecTv is preposterous...Many on new trade show's list of satellite industry "winners" are anything but.
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold an oversight hearing Thursday regarding the FCC…The scheduled launch of SES New Skies’ NSS-8 satellite from the floating Sea Launch platform was delayed from Saturday until this evening.

FRIDAY JAN. 26, 2007

DIRECTV PREPS NEXT CONSUMER OFFER
AT&T, BELL SOUTH ADD UP DBS SUBS
JUDGE ADDS MORE DAMAGES IN TIVO CASE
BROADCASTERS MAKE CASE
IN NPS APPEAL
NEWS & NOTES: The launch of SES New Skies’ NSS-8 satellite from the floating Sea Launch platform has been pushed back from this afternoon until tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 24, 2007

DIRECTV REUPS FOR MARCH MADNESS PACKAGE
REPS. DROP DIGITAL TV EDUCATION BILL
HBO TAKES ECHOSTAR TO COURT OVER FEE SPAT
XM STARTS FREE TRIAL FOR USED HONDA BUYERS
NEWS & NOTES: SES New Skies’ NSS-8 satellite is scheduled to be launched from the floating Sea Launch platform Friday at 6:22 p.m. EST...The DirecTv Group has started offering a feed of the Baltimore CW affiliate to eligible subscribers.

MONDAY JAN. 22, 2007

JUDGE LETS RECORD LABELS PURSUE XM CASE
ECHOSTAR PLANS LEASE UPGRADE CHANGES
BOUCHER SEES ROOM FOR DBS MERGER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Good thing Curtis Symonds is no longer connected to T.Howard...DirecTv and Sirius were smart to save their money by staying off the CES floor..iPhone has plenty of drawbacks...EchoStar lobbyist moonlights makes regular stops as Democratic talking head.
NEWS & NOTES: Bears win ensures Cowboy Maloney’s gets off the hook for committing to refund money for high-def televisions if the Saints won the Super Bowl.

FRIDAY JAN. 19, 2007

DIRECTV DETAILS HIKES FOR CURRENT SUBS
COMMENTS IMPACT SATELLITE RADIO STOCKS
NPS TRIES TO KEEP NAME IN DISTANT LAWSUIT
MARTIN PUSHES
A LA CARTE AGENDA
NEWS & NOTES: Hughes Communications, formerly Hughes Network Systems, reported it had 325,000 consumer and commercial subscribers to its HughesNet two-way, satellite-delivered data service…The DirecTv Group reached an agreement to sponsor the Sci-Fi channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” series...A private equity syndicate that includes Turnstone Capital and Capitol Broadcasting purchased a controlling interest in Decisionmark, which, among other things, provides distant network station qualification services.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 17, 2007

DIRECTV UNVEILS PRICE, PACKAGING CHANGES
BROADCASTERS EYE QUICK WORK ON NPS APPEAL
NPS OFFERS CHECKS FOR REFERRALS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications informed the Securities and Exchange Commission it has decided to redeem all of its outstanding 5.75 percent convertible subordinated notes due 2008…The floating Sea Launch facility started its journey toward the Equator where it is scheduled to launch the NSS-8 satellite Jan. 25 for SES New Skies aboard a Senit-3SL rocket...Virgin America plans to provide EchoStar’s DBS service at every seat on its domestic flights, pending government approval of the airline’s plans to start service this spring...Cablevison’s special transaction committee rejected the Dolan family’s offer to buy the outstanding shares of the company and take it private.

FRIDAY JAN. 12, 2007

DIRECTV PLANS COMMISSION, PRICING CHANGES
FCC LIKELY TO FROWN ON XM-SIRIUS COMBO TRY
MARTIN SAYS TELCO VIDEO SLOW TO MARKET
SIRIUS, XM PUT BEST FACE ON HOLIDAY SEASON
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC rejected Comcast’s request for an extension of a July deadline by which it must offer set-top box with separate security functions. It also noted cable operators can deploy boxes that use downloadable conditional access systems. The FCC also granted Cablevision an extension until July 1, 2009.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 10, 2007

DBS PLAYERS BANK ON VIDEO VS. CABLE
CAREY, ERGEN AGAIN DISMISS MERGER TALK
DIRECTV FOCUSES ON HIGH-DEF FUTURE
ECHOSTAR PLAYS UP RECORDERS, VOD
SUPREME COURT REJECTS ECHOSTAR DISTANT APPEAL
ECHOSTAR SETS DEADLINE FOR COURT TV
ERGEN PREDICTS BROADCASTER
REGRET ON DISTANTS
NEWS & NOTES: Hubbard Media’s ReelzChannel reached a distribution agreement with 4Com, which delivers programming to private cable networks, independent cable operators, and MMDS operators…Sling Media and CBS reached an agreement to test a new application to enable Slingbox users to save short video clips of CBS programming and upload them to the Internet so others can watch them...After meeting subscriber acquisition milestones specified in its contract with Howard Stern, Sirius Satellite Radio awarded Stern 22.1 million shares of Sirius stock, valued at about $83 million.

MONDAY JAN. 8, 2007

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY FLOODS LAS VEGAS
ECHOSTAR GETS FEW COURT TV CALLS
XM COMES UP SHORT AT HOLIDAYS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOKS: Twelth Annual Notebook Awards
NEWS & NOTES: At press time, the U.S. Supreme Court had not announced whether it will hear EchoStar Communications appeal of the ruling that led to it having to shut down its distant network station service. But the EchoStar request was not on the list of cases the high court released Friday of cases it will consider.

FRIDAY JAN. 5, 2007

HILL QUIET ON DIRECTV DEAL, SO FAR
NPS ADDS UP DISTANT STATION SUBS
SUPREMES SET TO DISCUSS DISTANT APPEAL
C-BAND NUMBERS KEEP SLIPPING
NCTA SEEKS PRICING REPORT CORRECTIONS
NEWS & NOTES: Former Charter Chief Operating Officer Tom Cullen has joined EchoStar as executive vice president of corporate development, reporting to President Carl Vogel, who is the former president of Charter.

WEDNESDAY JAN. 3, 2007

GAVEL DROPS ON ECHOSTAR COURT TV CARRIAGE
BROADCASTERS APPEAL NPS RULING
ECHOSTAR PUSHES PROGRAM ACCESS EXTENSION
SIRIUS PASSES 6 MILLION SUB MARK
NEWS & NOTES: CVS Systems Vice President of Distribution Troy Collins, 37, died Dec. 20, after a long battle with Crohns Disease...AT&T closed its merger with BellSouth Friday following the FCC’s approval of the transaction.

FRIDAY DEC. 22, 2006

NEWS CORP., LIBERTY MAKE DIRECTV OFFICIAL
JUDGE GIVES NPS GO AHEAD ON DISTANTS
ECHOSTAR SLATES PACKAGE PRICE INCREASES

WEDNESDAY DEC. 20, 2006

BROADCASTERS PLAN OBJECTION TO NPS
NCTA CHIEF CHASTISES FCC, MARTIN
LORAL, INVESTOR GROUP BUYS TELESAT
DIRECTV DEFENDS AGAINST
LAWSUIT
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio said it has started using its recently launch XM-4 satellite…XM named American Express Executive Vice President and Corporate Comptroller Joan Lordi Amble to its board of directors…FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R) said he has decided to continue to recuse himself from the FCC’s consideration of the AT&T-BellSouth merger application...Blonder Tongue sold its BDR private cable business to DirecPath, a joint venture between DirecTv and Hicks Holdings, for $3.1 million.

MONDAY DEC. 18, 2006

MAGISTRATE SIDES WITH ECHOSTAR, NPS
DIRECTV RETAILERS SETTLE CALL COMPLAINTS
DIRECTV PULLS ADS AT BEHEST OF TIME WARNER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Does it make sense for broadcasters to keep going after NPS...Forget about an XM-Sirius merger

FRIDAY DEC. 15, 2006

DECISIONMARK SEEKS DISTANT CLEARANCE
FCC HEARS DBS WARNING ON INTERFERENCE
DIRECTV HD RECORDER PRODUCTION ON TRACK
LODGENET TO GET
ON COMMAND
FROM LIBERTY

WEDNESDAY DEC. 13, 2006

DECISIONMARK TOLD TO RESUME QUALIFYING
ECHOSTAR URGES SUPREMES TO HEAR CASE
SUPREME COURT TURNS DOWN TIVO CASE
ECHOSTAR DUMPS RETAILERS
OVER CALLS
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications reached an agreement to offer movies from New Line Cinema on its video-on-demand and pay-per-view services...EchoStar told customers during an uplink it has started offering local stations in standard-definition in several new markets in recent weeks.

MONDAY DEC. 11, 2006

NPS BLASTS BROADCASTERS OVER LIST CHARGES
CONGRESS LEAVES; NO ACTION ON DISTANT BILLS
MORE NPS LEGAL MOVES, IN TWO COURTS
TIME WARNER WANTS DIRECTV ADS BLOCKED
WILDBLUE-1, AMC-18 ROCKET INTO SPACE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Competitors will try to get what they can from Liberty-News Corp. review...Do not expect Malone and Ergen to talk merger...Perhaps lawmakers should be identified by companies that back them, not the states they are from...Question for EchoStar: Are the Democrats taking over Congress, or the Sandanistas.

FRIDAY DEC. 8, 2006

NPS HANDCUFFED BY DECISIONMARK
NFL STANDS UP FOR ANTITRUST EXEMPTION
WILBLUE, AMC BIRDS PREPPED FOR FLIGHT
SIRIUS, XM EXECS DISCUSS MERGER TALK
STEVENS DROPS DISTANT STATION
LEGISLATION
NEWS & NOTES: Numerous consumer media reports yesterday followed up a story in Wednesday’s FaxUPDATE on the pending agreement between News Corp. and Liberty Media that would swap Liberty’s stake in News Corp. for News Corp.’s controlling interest in the DirecTv Group plus other assets. A formal announcement of the agreement is expected any time in the next 10 days to two weeks...Monsoon Multimediaformally announced the availability of a product it claims “has all of the functionality of a Slingbox but with many more features and capabilities.”…David Goodfriend has rejoined EchoStar Communications on a full-time basis, and is now heading the company’s legislative affairs operation in Washington.

WEDNESDAY DEC. 6, 2006

DECISIONMARK HALTS NPS DISTANT CLEARANCES
JUDGE PASSES NPS CASE TO MAGISTRATE
NEW BUZZ ABOUT NEWS CORP.-LIBERTY DEAL
STEVENS PLANS ECHOSTAR DISTANT BILL
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius Satellite Radio said it now expects to end 2006 with 5.9 million to 6.1 million subscribers, rather than 6.3 million...DirecTv signed a deal with NASCAR to provide a service in which DirecTv will dedicate five channels each week to coverage of NASCAR races...The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing tomorrow on whether cable companies owning sports channels hinders competition.

MONDAY DEC. 4, 2006

HEAVY CALL VOLUME; ECHOSTAR ENDS DISTANTS
DIRECTV SEES EASE IN HD RECORDER SQUEEZE
C-BAND ROLLS KEEP DROPPING
WILDBLUE, AMC SATELLITES READY TO GO
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Judge has to choose between facts and equities in EchoStar-NPS case with broadcasters.

FRIDAY DEC. 1, 2006

APPEALS COURT DENIES LAST ECHOSTAR HOPE
MOUNTFORD DETAILS NPS DISTANT PLANS
DIRECTV, ECHOSTAR FIGHT FOR SUBSCRIBERS
ERGEN DEFENDS NPS AS SHUTDOWN PROCEEDS
CABLE, SATELLITE TAKES VARY ON COMPETITION
NAB, ECHOSTAR KEEP SNIPING TO BITTER END
DIRECTV, ECHOSTAR TUSSLE OVER TRADEMARK
NEWS & NOTES: With their previous contract set to expire last night, EchoStar Communications and Pappas Telecasting yesterday reached a deal for EchoStar to continue to carry 16 stations the broadcaster owns and/or operates in 14 markets. Pappas had been urging EchoStar customers in those markets switch to DirecTv or cable...TiVo finished the third quarter with 4.434 million subscribers, including 1.625 million standalone and 2.809 million DirecTv/TiVo customers. TiVo lost a net total of 37,000 DirecTv customers, but added 53,000 standalone customers, meaning its net adds were only about 16,000.

SPECIAL EDITION

THURSDAY NOV. 30, 2006

NEW MANEUVERS AS ECHOSTAR DISTANT SHUTDOWN NEARS

WEDNESDAY NOV. 29, 2006

COUNTDOWN KEEPS TICKING FOR ECHOSTAR
JUDGE SPIKES ECHOSTAR NEW TIVO TRIAL BID
ECHOSTAR CHANCES ON HILL GETTING STEEPER
DIRECTV ADDS POLISH FARE
TO LINEUP
LAWMAKERS SPEAK OUT ON CABLE BOX SECURITY
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications reached an agreement to provide medium-power DBS satellite capacity to Sprint Nextel.

MONDAY NOV. 27, 2006

BROADCASTERS OPPOSE ECHOSTAR ON STAY
DIRECTV GIVES CREDIT ON INTERNET OFFERS
FOX, AFFILIATES SLAM ECHOSTAR TO SUPREMES
WILDBLUE, SES BIRDS CLOSE IN
ON SAT LAUNCH

WEDNESDAY NOV. 22, 2006

DISTANT SHUTOFF CLOSES IN ON ECHOSTAR
ECHOSTAR BEMOANS LATEST LEGAL SETBACK
SERVICES DEBATE ORBITAL SLOT PLANS
ECHOSTAR RAIDS REAP HACKER EVIDENCE
ECHOSTAR KEEPS PRESSING POINT ON FINISAR
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group said it has started offering local stations in MPEG-4 high-definition in Greensboro, N.C.; Green Bay, Wis.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Providence, R.I....Standard & Poors plans to add DirecTv to the S&P 500 Index...In observance of Thanksgiving, and barring major breaking news, the next issue of the FaxUPDATE will be distributed Monday.

MONDAY NOV. 20, 2006

ECHOSTAR PUSHES FOR QUICK COURT ACTION
DIRECTV GOES AFTER ECHOSTAR DISTANT SUBS
MARTIN WINS CONFIRMATION FOR NEW TERM
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Congress' goal should be to help consumers...Whether EchoStar gets help will depend on how much noise it makes...Congress will see an even bigger uproar over the analog TV shutoff date...EchoStar and News Corp. fight is not good for satellite TV, but it might not matter if Liberty takes over DirecTv.

FRIDAY NOV. 17, 2006

ECHOSTAR RUNNING OUT OF DISTANT OPTIONS
BILL DRAWS STRONG REACTION FROM NAB
DIRECTV OPENS OFFERS TO FORMER SUBS
LAWMAKER FIRES OFF DISTANT LETTER

WEDNESDAY NOV. 15, 2006

DIRECTV CAMP, ECHOSTAR BATTLE ON HILL
MURDOCH SAYS LIBERTY DEAL ‘VERY LIKELY’
AFFILIATE GROUPS OPPOSE ECHOSTAR IN COURT
ERGEN TAKES BLAME FOR DISTANT PROBLEM
DIRECTV, NFL STAND UP FOR SUNDAY TICKET

MONDAY NOV. 13, 2006

ECHOSTAR ENLISTS SUB HELP ON DISTANTS
DIRECTV PREDICTS VICTORY AGAINST FINISAR
DIRECTV DISCOUNTS SUNDAY TICKET, SUPER FAN
WILDBLUE SATELLITE NEARS LAUNCH
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Elections will lead to more noise than action.

FRIDAY NOV. 10, 2006

ECHOSTAR CHANCES GET MORE DISTANT ON HILL
DIRECTV UPBEAT IN FACE OF DROP IN NET ADDS
ECHOSTAR SEEKS DISTANT INJUNCTION STAY
DIRECTV TAKES TIME ON BROADBAND DECISIONS
SIRIUS PLAYS UP QUARTERLY RESULTS
NEWS CORP., LIBERTY TAKE TIME ON DEAL

WEDNESDAY NOV. 8, 2006

ECHOSTAR SEES SPIKE IN NEW SUBS
ECHOSTAR PINS DISTANT HOPES ON CONGRESS
JUDGE TO REVIEW ECHOSTAR EXTENSION SOON
ELECTION SETS UP CHANGES IN HOUSE, SENATE
LIBERTY, NEWS CORP. KEEP TALKING
ENGINEERS WORK ON TIVO FIX FOR ECHOSTAR

MONDAY NOV. 6, 2006

ECHOSTAR SEEKS MORE TIME ON SHUT OFFS
ECHOSTAR DROPS DIRECTV ANTITRUST LAWSUIT
DIRECTV PREPS INJUNCTION WHITE-AREA OFFER
FINISAR WANTS TO KEEP ECHOSTAR OPTION OPEN
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Boston council should take dish ban idea off the table...Football coverage comments show few are happy...Elections, quarterly calls should make for interesting week.

FRIDAY NOV. 3, 2006

ECHOSTAR STARTS SHUTDOWNS, URGES ACTION
C-BAND DROPS BELOW 100,000 MARK
WILDBLUE SATELLITE CLOSES IN ON LIFT-OFF
EXPRESSVU SUB ADDS SLOW DOWN
TIME WARNER
SEES BASIC IMPROVEMENTS
NEWS & NOTES: Cingular Wireless reached an agreement to offer 25 XM Satellite Radio music channels to Cingular cell phone customers, beginning Monday…Qwest Communications plans to offer a bundle of services including phone, digital subscriber line, and DirecTv’s DBS service at 110 Best Buy stores in Qwest’s 14-state service area.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 1, 2006

MUSIC FIRMS SEEK SATELLITE RADIO PAYMENTS
XM SATELLITE REACHES SPACE
QWEST, VERIZON ADD UP DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS
NDS FEELS SECURE WITH DIRECTV
CHARTER EYES BASIC IMPROVEMENTS
NCTA RALLIES AGAINST SECURITY MEASURE
NEWS & NOTES: Sling Media released a version of its Slingbox software that is compatible with Macintosh computers…Hubbard Media’s Reelz Channel is now available to Suddenlink cable subscribers in the Charelston, W.V., area.

MONDAY OCT. 30, 2006

STATE CALLS OUT DIRECTV ON TELEMARKETING
XM-4 LAUNCH RESET FOR TODAY
SATELLITE LOBBIES AGAINST C-BAND BAN
ECHOSTAR, TIVO DEBATE APPEAL TIMELINE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: ESPN needs to put more football in Monday Night Football...EchoStar has only a slim chance of white-area relief from Congress

FRIDAY OCT. 27, 2006

ECHOSTAR STILL PONDERING DISTANT HD FATE
XM SATELLITE LAUNCH ABRUPTLY STOPPED
DIRECTV EMPLOYEE RINGS UP INDICTMENT
COMCAST PLAYS UP BASIC IMPROVEMENTS
DIRECTV ADDS LOCAL HD MARKETS

WEDNESDAY OCT. 25, 2006

ECHOSTAR HOLDS OUT DISTANT HOPE
INJUNCTION OK WITH AFFILIATE GROUPS
NAB TAKES SATELLITE RADIO ISSUES TO FCC
COUNTDOWN STARTS FOR NEXT XM SATELLITE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Jan Schroeder was one of a kind.
NEWS & NOTES: AT&T reported it added about 50,000 EchoStar Communications DBS customers in third quarter, giving it a total of 583,000. Meanwhile, BellSouth, which AT&T is in the process of acquiring, said it added 65,000 DirecTv DBS customers in the third quarter. The telephone company had a total of 756,000 DirecTv customers at the end of the period.

MONDAY OCT. 23, 2006

ECHOSTAR TOLD TO SHUT OFF DISTANT STATIONS
NEWS CORP. KEEPS DEFENSE AGAINST LIBERTY
FINISAR WANTS INJUNCTION AGAINST DIRECTV
SATELLITE ARGUES AGAINST BOSTON DISH RESTRICTIONS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Jan Schroeder was one of a kind.
NEWS & NOTES: In a move that was widely expected, The DirecTv Group renewed its carriage agreement for Fox News, which was set to expire in February. News Corp. controls both Fox News and DirecTv.

FRIDAY OCT. 20, 2006

DIRECTV STARTS UPLINKING TO RETAILERS
ECHOSTAR DETAILS ARGUMENT TO HIGH COURT
DIRECTV TAKES ACTION IN RECORDER SHORTAGE
LIBERTY SELLS KUDELSKI
OPENTV CONTROL
WILDBLUE PLANS SATELLITE LAUNCH, UPGRADES

WEDNESDAY OCT. 18, 2006

ECHOSTAR PLANS TO LIMIT WILDBLUE ORDERS
SEA LAUNCH PREPS FOR XM-4 LIFT-OFF
SATELLITE FIRMS PITCH NEW DBS RULES
BOSTON PONDERS DISH INSTALL RESTRICTIONS
MEMORIAL SERVICE SET FOR
JAN SCHROEDER
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications asked the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to review an appeals court ruling that could lead to an injunction forcing EchoStar to turn off 800,000 to 1 million distant network station subscribers. A copy of the filing was not available at press time...XM Satellite Radio said it plans to introduce the SkyFi3 plug-and-play unit...Turner Broadcasting System reached an agreement with Major League Baseball for the rights to carry the 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 National League Championship series and the 2008, 2010, and 2012 American League Championship series. TBS will also show Sunday afternoon games starting in 2008.

MONDAY OCT. 16, 2006

NEWS CORP., LIBERTY DEAL UNLIKELY BY FRIDAY
DIRECTV SATELLITE LAUNCHED INTO SPACE
NEWS CORP. SHOWS SCORN OVER LAWSUIT
FCC PUTS OFF VOTE ON
AT&T-BELLSOUTH

FRIDAY OCT. 13, 2006

ECHOSTAR ADDS NEWS CORP., FOX TO LAWSUIT
DBS SERVICES TALLY HACKER SETTLEMENT
DIRECTV ADDS FREE SUPERFAN TO PROMO
FCC STARTS VIDEO COMPETITION INQUIRY
DIRECTV-9S SET FOR LAUNCH TODAY
NEWS & NOTES: The Department of Justice approved, with no conditions, AT&T’s plans to acquire fellow telephone service provider BellSouth. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the merger today.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 11, 2006

DIRECTV DETAILS LOCAL HD EXPANSION PLANS
DIRECTV-9S LAUNCH GETS ONE DAY DELAY
CABLEVISION BOARD LOOKS AT DOLAN BID
XM STARTS NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
NEWS & NOTES: The National Cable and Telecommunications Association said it has received commitments from 123 companies to exhibit at its annual convention next year…DirecTv told retailers customers can substitute HBO after Oct. 31 for either Starz or Showtime as part of its current offer.

MONDAY OCT. 9, 2006

NEWS CORP., LIBERTY NEAR DIRECTV DECISION
ECHOSTAR OFFERS DISTANT SUBS FREE LOCALS
XM DETAILS TERRESTRIAL REPEATER ISSUES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Broadband over powerline could give DBS another data option...DirecTv's "Star Trek" could be best yet...EchoStar getting a stay in TiVo case is no surprise, but its bad news for TiVo.

FRIDAY OCT. 6, 2006

DIRECTV APPEALS FINISAR VERDICT
SIRIUS BESTS XM IN THIRD QUARTER
NEXT DIRECTV SATELLITE NEARS LAUNCH DATE
CABLE COMPANIES DETAIL SPECTRUM PAYMENTS
ALLEGED HACKER FACES MORE
JAIL TIME
NEWS & NOTES: Word around Washington is that Ross Lieberman, EchoStar Communication’s principal congressional lobbyist, has shifted to working on special projects for the company and is no longer involved in daily legislative affairs…The FCC said yesterday it plans at its meeting next Thursday to open its annual inquiry into the status of multichannel video competition. In addition, the commissioners are slated to vote on AT&T’s application to acquire BellSouth...LIN TV named former DirecTv President Mitch Stern to its board of directors.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 4, 2006

ECHOSTAR GETS LONGER STAY IN TIVO CASE
AFFILIATES STAND UP FOR ECHOSTAR DEAL
C-BAND NUMBERS KEEP DROPPING
DEMOCRATS STATE PROBLEMS WITH TELECOM BILL
PAIR FACE CHARGES IN INSTALLER SCHEME
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications subsidiary EchoStar DBS completed the redemption of floating rate notes due in 2008 for a total of $505 million…Hyundai started manufacturing its Santa Fe models with standard XM Satellite Radio units installed at the factory.

MONDAY OCT. 2, 2006

DIRECTV SEES SHORTAGE ON NEW HD RECORDER
XM ANSWERS RECORD LABELS ON LAWSUIT
ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV URGE AUCTION CHANGES
BROADCASTERS, CEA UNITE ON
HD TUNER SUBSIDY
ECHOSTAR PRICES DEBT OFFERING
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius Canada said it plans to rollout the portable Stiletto radio with a suggested retail price of $449.99 Canadian, or about $402 U.S. As reported, Sirius set the retail price of the Stiletto in the United States at $349.99...The House and Senate are recessed until after the November elections. Lawmakers are scheduled to return for a “lame duck” session Nov. 9.

FRIDAY SEPT. 29, 2006

CONGRESS MAY LEAVE ECHOSTAR WITH NO HELP
DIRECTV ADS HD IN CINCINNATI, AUSTIN
SLINGBOX ROLLS OUT NEW MODELS
DIRECTV GETS WIN IN LATIN AMERICA CASE
ECHOSTAR SLATES $500 MILLION DEBT OFFERING
O’HARA LEAVES THOMSON; TO ADVISE ECHOSTAR
NEWS & NOTES: ESPN said it plans to shutdown its mobile phone service as soon as Dec. 31 and instead plans to license the service to other wireless phone services.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 27, 2006

ECHOSTAR SUES DIRECTV
ECHOSTAR URGES JUDGE TO IGNORE FOX
REELZ ROLLS ONTO DBS, CABLE SERVICES
DIRECTV EXTENDS SUNDAY TICKET PROMOTION
DIRECTV, INTEL WORKING ON CONNECTED HD BOX
NEWS & NOTES: Sirius Satellite Radio said yesterday its portable Stiletto model radio is now available after several delays. The unit, which retails for $349.99, also enables users to access live Sirius programming, store 100 hours of Sirius programming, and bookmark songs they want to download via a Wi-Fi connection…EchoStar named Bobby Billman senior vice president of product marketing.

MONDAY SEPT. 25, 2006

ECHOSTAR UNVEILS WILDBLUE LEASE PRICES
TIVO APPEALS FOR MORE DAMAGES
DIRECTV OPENS MONTANNA CALL CENTER
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Murdoch has not soured on DirecTv...Cable is doing better, but don't write off satellite...MobiTV could someday be competition to Slingbox.

FRIDAY SEPT. 22, 2006

FOX URGES BROAD ORDER AGAINST ECHOSTAR
NAB KEEPS UP SATELLITE RADIO INTERFERENCE
STEVENS NOT HANGING UP ON TELECOM BILL YET
DIRECTV-9S GETS NEW DATE
FOR LAUNCH
NEWS & NOTES: A California Appeals Court upheld a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling saying that a class action lawsuit DirecTv customer Phillip Cohen filed alleging the DBS service covertly degraded the quality of its high-definition signals should be decided in a trial rather than arbitration as DirecTv contended…As expected, EchoStar Communications yesterday launched a service in conjunction with GetConnected that enables customers to find out what digital subscriber line services are available in their areas and sign up for them along with EchoStar’s DBS service...EchoStar is downloading 30-minute preivews of three ABC shows to select digital video recorders, as well as a “sneek peak” of NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.”...News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch was listed as No. 32 on Forbes’ annual list of the 400 richest Americans, with a net worth of $7.7 billion. EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen was listed as No. 34, with a net worth of $7.6 billion.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 20, 2006

MURDOCH, CAREY DEFEND DIRECTV’S BUSINESS
DIRECTV STILL WORKING ON DATA PLANS
DIRECTV SCHEDULES RETAILER EVENT
VOGEL PRESIDENT AGAIN AT ECHOSTAR
RAIDS AID ECHOSTAR
PIRACY FIGHT
FCC AUCTION TAKES IN $13.9 BILLION
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee voted in an informal session off the Senate floor yesterday to approve the nomination of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) to serve another term. Martin must be approved by the full Senate…The FCC approved Motient and SkyTerra Communications’ transaction in which Motient would transfer Mobile Satellite Ventures satellite and earth station licenses to SkyTerra.

MONDAY SEPT. 18, 2006

DBS STOCKS SUFFER AFTER MARTIN COMMENTS
FOX GETS WHITE-AREA RESPONSE DATE
DIRECTV-9S LAUNCH PUSHED BACK
DIRECTV PREPS NEXT CONSUMER OFFER
SENATOR DOUBTS TELECOM BILL PASSAGE
SIRIUS EYES ANOTHER SATELLITE

FRIDAY SEPT. 15, 2006

ECHOSTAR CRIES ANTITRUST FOUL AGAINST FOX
BROADCASTERS, ECHOSTAR DETAIL DEAL
MARTIN SEES SAME HURDLES FOR ANY DBS DEALTELCOS MOVE
INTO APARTMENTS WITH DIRECTV
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv started offering local stations in MPEG-4 high-definition in San Antonio, Portland, Ore., and Memphis.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 13, 2006

ECHOSTAR, STATIONS TO FILE DEAL TODAY
ECHOSTAR PLAYS DOWN DISTANT, TIVO CASES
STEVENS CARRIES DISH WATER IN FRAY
CHERNIN PUTS ANOTHER NAIL IN MERGER TALK
MARTIN BEGS OFF MULTICAST PLANS
DURING HEARING
NEWS & NOTES: TiVo is rolling out its standalone high-definition digital video recorder unit with a $799 suggested retail price…EchoStar withdrew its program access complaint against InDemand...SES New Skies President Daniel Goldberg left the company to become president and chief executive officer of BCE Inc.’s Telesat Canada Inc.

MONDAY SEPT. 11, 2006

DIRECTV TESTS PORTABLE DEVICE AT NFL GAMES
LIFETIME, DIRECTV GET COURT DATE
FCC WIRELESS AUCTION NEARS $14 BILLION
DIRECTV READIES HD RECORDER PRICE CUT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: EchoStar and the News Corp./Fox/DirecTv camps go from friendly to nasty over white-area case...NRTC stays sadly quiet on distant signal case.

FRIDAY SEPT. 8, 2006

NEWS CORP. DISSES DISTANT INQUIRY IDEA
COX HYPES ECHOSTAR DVR SCARE
ECHOSTAR FACES PAY-PER-VIEW PATENT LAWSUIT
LAWSUIT ACCUSES DIRECTV OF INFRINGEMENT
XM CANADA TALLIES CUSTOMERS
STEVENS GETS RELIGIOUS SUPPORT FOR BILL
NEWS & NOTES: The Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold a re-nomination hearing Tuesday for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R).

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 6, 2006

WHITE-AREA CASE AWAITS NEXT DECISION
DISH HOME SENS. SEEK FOX DISTANT PROBE
DIRECTV PLANS EXTRA PREMIUM SPIFFS
TIVO DEALS WITH DIRECTV LOSSES
COURT TELLS DIRECTV TO LIVE WITH VERDICT
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications’ EchoStar DBS subsidiary is redeeming all of its outstanding floating rate senior notes due 2008...Several major record labels urged the U.S. District Court to reject XM Satellite Radio’s call that it dismiss the labels’ lawsuit against it...XM said the Securities and Exchange Commission has asked it to “voluntarily provide” documents about its subscriber targets and related costs for the third and fourth quarters of last year...WildBlue Communications launched a print advertising campaign in several lifestyle magazines to promote its Ka-band delivered, two-way data service...There were 105,582 authorized VideoCipher modules in use at the end of last month.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 30, 2006

DISTANT CASE STILL UNSETTLED AFTER DEAL
ECHOSTAR CALMS ON DISTANTS, NOT ADS
COURT PAUSES ECHOSTAR CASE AGAINST TIVO
NEWS & NOTES: Hubbard Broadcasting subsidiary Hubbard Media Group and a group of investors including the Weinstein Co. acquired Ovation, The Arts Network.

MONDAY AUG. 28, 2006

SANS FOX, ECHOSTAR CUTS DEAL WITH STATIONS
FOX EYES NO NEW ECHOSTAR TALKS
DIRECTV AIMS ADS AT ECHOSTAR DISTANT SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: XM plans to resume production on three models after the FCC ruled the FM transmitters on them comply with FCC regulations...DirecTv plans to start the nationwide rollout for its high-definition, MPEG-4-capable digital video recorder this week, sources said.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: EchoStar makes it not such a quiet week...New DirecTv HD digital video recorder seems to work as advertised.

FRIDAY AUG. 25, 2006

SOME BRACE FOR LOOMING DISTANT INJUNCTION
TIVO ASKS COURT TO KEEP INJUNCTION IN PLACE
DIRECTV, KVH TAKE LOCAL MOBILE
FCC GETS
DIGITAL DISTANT FEEDBACK
NEXT DIRECTV BIRD MOVES CLOSER TO FLIGHT
NEWS & NOTES: The Sky Brasil and DirecTv Brasil DBS services completed their merger...The DirecTv Group plans to enable NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers with the proper interactive receivers to track statistics of up to nine players each week...Cox signed an agreement to use TiVo’s software on some of its digital video recorders...EchoStar Communications reached an agreement that gives it the right to offer movies from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group...Bids for the FCC’s “advanced wireless service” spectrum auction topped $13.1 billion.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 23, 2006

ECHOSTAR PLANS FOR SHUTDOWN REACTION
SUPREMES REJECT ECHOSTAR WHITE-AREA STAY
HACKER GETS JAIL TIME, FINE
FCC GETS
DIGITAL DISTANT FEEDBACK
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group is expected to drop the price of its new NDS Group designed MPEG-4 capable high-definition digital video recorder from $399 to $299 for lease customers...Ka-band, satellite-delivered Internet service WildBlue Communications secured a total of $350 million in financing from Liberty Media and Tennenbaum Capital Partners...Slingbox owner Sling Media is offering an updated version of its software for free that can be used on select mobile devices to consumers who buy Slingbox units through Sept. 16.

MONDAY AUG. 21, 2006

ECHOSTAR GETS PAUSE ON TIVO INJUNCTION
ECHOSTAR ASKS SUPREMES FOR DISTANT STAY
FCC LOOKS INTO DBS LICENSING RULES
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK:
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Washington viewers get short end of the stick in MASN-Comcast fight...EchoStar has a rough legal week.
NEWS & NOTES: Judge sets DirecTv-Lifetime conference...ACA asks FCC to act on NCTC-Fox dispute.

FRIDAY AUG. 18, 2006

ECHOSTAR TO SEEK TIVO EMERGENCY STAY
JUDGE STYMIES ECHOSTAR-BROADCASTER TALKS
DBS TRUMPS CABLE IN SURVEY
DBS OUT, PHONE COMPANIES RING UP BIG BIDS
NEWS & NOTES: DirecTv extended its deal with Peyton, Eli, and Archie Manning to continue promoting the NFL Sunday Ticket package through the 2008 season.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 16, 2006

COURT TAKES NEXT STEP IN WHITE-AREA SAGA
DBS BACKS OUT OF BIDDING IN AUCTION
NEW DIRECTV HD RECORDERS SET FOR SHIPPING
ECHOSTAR PUSHES SIGNAL TEST CHANGES
FTC RINGS UP SETTLEMENT WITH DIRECTV MARKETER
NEWS & NOTES: Distributor DSI Systems has added products from Monster Cable, Proview, and Proscan as part of the fall 2006 product catalog it released…Intelsat reported second quarter revenues of $310 million...Hughes Communications reported second quarter revenues of $208.5 million.

MONDAY AUG. 14, 2006

ECHOSTAR, STATIONS LIKELY TO GET PAUSE
XM KEEPS GETTING STATIC FROM FCC
ECHOSTAR READY TO TACKLE DIRECTV IN ADS
DBS BIDDERS FALL BACK IN AUCTION
MASN, COMCAST SNIPE OVER
RATE HIKE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group is adding more interactive features for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers with newer receivers, including a “player tracker” that enables subscribers to follow the statistics of up to nine players each Sunday…DirecTv plans to provide a “mix” channel and interactive applications for USA’s U.S. Open tennis coverage.
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Hard to feel sorry for people who lost money on DirecTv-EchoStar speculation...Silly to think Ergen's absence from call means he's selling...EchoStar's litigation department is not exactly making nice with broadcasters.

FRIDAY AUG. 11, 2006

ECHOSTAR SUBS DOWN, LEGAL ACTIVITY UP
ECHOSTAR WARNS OF DISTANT SHUTOFF IMPACT
DIRECTV-ECHOSTAR TEAM LEADS AUCTION
FCC LETS SIRIUS OFF FM TRANSMITTER HOOK
ECHOSTAR FACES SATELLITE ISSUES
NEWS & NOTES: The National Association of Broadcasters promoted Dennis Wharton from senior vice president of corporate communications to executive vice president of media relations...Consumer Electronics Association Vice President of Communications Jeff Joseph is leaving to become vice president of communications for the Biotechnology Industry Association.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 9, 2006

DIRECTV SEES SUBS SLIP, PROFITS RISE
COURT HANDS ECHOSTAR DISTANT SETBACK
RETAILER MOVES HINDER DIRECTV SUB ADDS
CABLEVISION SUBS RISE, CHARTER CHARTS DROP
DIRECTV STAYS MUM ON DATA PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: Volvo plans to make Sirius units available as factory-installed option this summer...XM plans to ad sports channel....NFL names Roger Goodell new commissioner.

MONDAY AUG. 7, 2006

ECHOSTAR, NAGRA STEP UP ANTI-PIRACY EFFORT
NAB FIRES BACK AT ECHOSTAR ON HILL
COMCAST, MASN END CARRIAGE STANDOFF
SENATE LEAVES TELECOM BILL FOR VACATION
C-BAND NUMBERS KEEP SLIPPING
EXPRESSVU SEES SUB ADDS SLIDE

FRIDAY AUG. 4, 2006

ECHOSTAR, NAB TRADE DISTANT E-MAILS
ECHOSTAR IMPROVES EXISTING SUB OFFERS
DBS SERVICES FIND COURT RULING TAXING
FCC TELLS TIME WARNER TO PUT NFL ON FIELD
BUNDLES GIVE TIME WARNER
SOME JOY

WEDNESDAY AUG. 2, 2006

SIRIUS BUMPS UP SUBSCRIBER PREDICTION
NAB PUSHES FOR SATELLITE RADIO RECALL
FCC GIVES MASN CHOICE IN COMCAST SPAT
NFL NETWORK THROWS FLAG
ON TIME WARNER
NEWS & NOTES: Verizon said it added a net total of 70,000 DirecTv customers in the second quarter, giving it a total of 485,000. Meanwhile, Qwest reported it added 43,000 DirecTv subscribers, brining its total to 213,000…RadioShack started selling TiVo’s new dual-tuner digital video recorder in its 3,000 stores and online

MONDAY JULY 31, 2006

DBS SERVICES PUT UP BIG BUCKS FOR AUCTION
BBB ASKS FTC TO HEAR RAP AGAINST ECHOSTAR
DIRECTV FENDS OFF ALLEGED HACKER LAWSUIT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: ESPN manufacturers more attention than World Cup deserves...Taking bets on what the telcos will manage to do...FCC makes it hard for AWS auction to lead to robust services.

FRIDAY JULY 28, 2006

SETBACKS TAKE TOLL ON XM
REPS PITCH PROGRAMMING BILL
STEVENS KEEPS LOOKING FOR VOTES
ECHOSTAR, STATIONS DETAIL SHUTOFF DELAY
COMCAST RIDES OUT SEASONAL ISSUES
NEWS & NOTES: In the wake criticism that its MPEG-4 capable HD digital video recorder is delayed again, The DirecTv Group now says it plans to ship 4,000 of the units to its home base area around Los Angeles beginning Aug. 16.

WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 2006

ECHOSTAR, BROADCASTERS EYE SHUTOFF STAY
ECHOSTAR LOSES WHITE-AREA TEST CASE
MARTIN PUSHES COMCAST-MASN SOLUTION
DIRECTV SEEKS APPEAL IN FINISAR PATENT CASE
NTIA LEAVES CABLE, DBS
OUT OF SUBSIDY
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio named Nate Davis to the new positions of president and chief operating officer…XM signed a new five-year licensing agreement with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers…BellSouth reported it added 63,000 DirecTv subscribers during the second quarter giving it a total of 691,000…AT&T added 42,000 EchoStar subscribers during the second quarter, it said yesterday. AT&T now has 533,000 EchoStar subscribers.

MONDAY JULY 24, 2006

FCC LAYS OUT ADELPHIA ORDER DETAILS
MURDOCH MAKES NO PROMISES ON ECHOSTAR
DIRECTV EYES HD DIGITAL VCR ROLLOUT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DirecTv-EchoStar merger talk gets absurd...EchoStar, broadcasters should settle white-area dispute.
NEWS & NOTES: FCC employees diagnosed with tuberculosis.

FRIDAY JULY 21, 2006

TRANSMITTER ISSUES DOG SIRIUS, XM
STEVENS SEARCHES FOR TELECOM VOTES
BARTON MAKES GOOD ON RETRANS MEETING
HACKER FACES JAIL TIME AFTER GUILTY PLEA
NEWS & NOTES: Two of EchoStar Communications’ hardware distributors, Dow Electronics and RS&I, said yesterday they have reached agreements to also distribute Sling Media’s Slingbox.

WEDNESDAY JULY 19, 2006

ECHOSTAR SHARES RETURNING TO REALITY
DBS SERVICES TAKE NEW CRACK AT AUCTION
NAB TAKES OUT ANGST AGAINST ECHOSTAR IN AD
FCC DOES NOT UP DBS FEES
XM EYES DISMISSAL OF RECORD LABEL LAWSUIT
DIRECTV, YES LIGHT UP INTERACTIVE YANKEE GAMES

MONDAY JULY 17, 2006

SLING MEDIA TRYING TO STOP PC RECORDING
ECHOSTAR PLANS PROMO FOR NFL-HD KICK OFF
XM CANADA PLANS PRICE HIKE
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DBS gets big win in Adelphia decision, and should keep pushing the program access issue...MASN provision will test FCC's ability to step into disputes...McDowell shows he could be a problem for Martin.
NEWS & NOTES: As of last night, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network had not meet its publicly stated commitment of becoming a 24-hour channel by Saturday, as the channel’s owners promised Congress last April.

FRIDAY JULY 14, 2006

DBS GETS CONCESSIONS IN ADELPHIA OK
ADELPHIA DECISION SPARKS VARIED REACTION
WRANGLING PRECEDES ADELPHIA DECISION
CANADA LOOKS TO EXPAND SATELLITE PRESENCE
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications and Index Holdings invested a total of $20 million in movie CinemaNow, an Internet-based movie download service.

WEDNESDAY JULY 12, 2006

FCC STILL CONSIDERING ADELPHIA CONDITIONS
ECHOSTAR TRIES TO HEAD OFF FINISAR AT PASS
DIRECTV UPS COUNT ON HD BASEBALL GAMES
FOX STAYS IN GAME WITH BASEBALL
NEWS & NOTES: U.S. Digital Television, which offers a multichannel video service using over-the-air digital television stations’ spectrum in four markets, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The move means it plans to liquidate its business rather than seek to reorganize it under Chapter 11.

MONDAY JULY 10, 2006

DIRECTV DOWNPLAYS LATEST PATENT CASE LOSS
DBS FIRMS EYE WIRELESS SPECTRUM
ADELPHIA DEAL FOES PUSH ACCESS TERMS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Kudos to HDNet for its shuttle launch coverage...FCC Adelphia decision could liven up otherwise slow week...Good shows launch new season on SCI-FI...DIrecTv gets good shot in at cable in new ads.
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC authorized Hughes Network Systems to use its Spaceway-3 Ka-band satellite at the 95-degree orbital slot.

FRIDAY JULY 7, 2006

FCC READIES ADELPHIA DECISION
LAWMAKERS WEIGH IN ON MASN-COMCAST FIGHT
SIRIUS TOPS XM IN SECOND QUARTER SUB ADDS
C-BAND NUMBERS KEEP DWINDLING
NEWS & NOTES: Shaw Communications reported that its Canadian DBS service, Star Choice, added a net total of 4,283 subscribers in the second quarter…A unit of computer chip maker Intel agreed to invest $600 million in Craig McCaw’s Clearwire, the wireless Internet service provider DirecTv has held talks with in recent months about rolling out WiMax data services.

WEDNESDAY JULY 5, 2006

INTELSAT, PANAMSAT SEAL DEAL
ECHOSTAR ADDS TO LOCAL HD SLATE
COMCAST KEEPS PRESSING ADELPHIA CASE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 28, 2006

JUDGE PONDERS ACCOSTER INJUNCTION
DIRECT LINKS UP FOR EARTHLING SERVICE
SENATE TELECOM BILL MOVES ALONG
DIRECT LOOKS TO BRING BACK FORMER SUBS
HOUSE WEIGHS IN ON COMCAST-MASN DISPUTE
DIRECT OFFERS CHEAPER FAMILY PACKAGE
NEWS & NOTES: Verizon said it now has a total of more than 415,000 DIRECT subscribers…Hughes Network Systems said it now has more than 300,000 residential and small business subscribers to its HughesNet satellite-delivered...HDNet, which is carried on DIRECT and ACCOSTER, will carry live HD coverage of tomorrow’s scheduled space shuttle launch.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 28, 2006

SATELLITE STAYS OUT OF TROUBLE IN SENATE
COMCAST, TIME WARNER CLOSE IN ON ADELPHIA
SATELLITE RADIO ISSUES GET HEARING
COMCAST GETS FLACK FOR INTERNET VIDEO
FCC PROPOSES RULES FOR NEW DBS SPECTRUM
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group plans to move Fox Cable Networks’ Fuel TV channel to its most widely distributed programming package, Total Choice...As expected, EchoStar formally announced the extension of its carriage agreement with the NFL Network. Also as expected, EchoStar announced its deal with GetConnected to allow retailers to go on-line and find out if a customer can receive digital subscriber line service from various providers...DirecTv plans to use online ordering services from Comergent eBusiness System.

MONDAY JUNE 26, 2006

JURY HITS DIRECTV FOR $79 MILLION VERDICT
ECHOSTAR, TIVO SET FOR NEXT LEGAL TUSSLE
ECHOSTAR, RCN JOIN FORCES AGAINST ADELPHIA
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: It will be interesting to watch see how the Adelphia decision plays out at the FCC...EchoStar makes good point with data services ads.
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC granted SES Americom permission to use its C-band Satcom-C4 satellite to deliver services to the United States from the 105-degree orbital location...Sanmina-SCI delivered its 35 millionth DBS receiver to EchoStar Communications last week. The component assembly firm has manufactured receivers for EchoStar for the past 12 years, it said...Sling Media said it plans to start selling its Slingbox product in Japan.

FRIDAY JUNE 23, 2006

SENATE COMMITTEE STARTS TELECOM MARK-UP
FCC MOVES TO ALLOCATE MORE DBS SPECTRUM
FCC LIKELY TO OK ADELPHIA DEAL BY MID-JULY
NAB VOICES MORE TRANSMITTER COMPLAINTS
BIG TEN RECRUITS DIRECTV TO CARRY CHANNEL

WEDNESDAY JUNE 21, 2006

DIRECTV PREPS NEXT NFL OFFER
DIRECTV STILL MULLING BROADBAND OPTIONS
CABLE ADDS TO A LA CARTE CRITICISM
NCTA CROWS OVER SENATE TELECOM BILL
MARTIN’S MULTICAST PUNT PLEASES CABLE
FCC CLEARS INTELSAT DEAL FOR PANAMSAT
DIRECTV GOES ALL IN FOR “TITANIUM” PACKAGE
NEWS & NOTES: The Big Ten Conference is expected to announce today it plans to launch its own sports network next year.

MONDAY JUNE 19, 2006

NEW DRAFT LEAVES ACCESS LOOPHOLE OPEN
FCC DROPS MULTICAST MUST-CARRY
DIRECTV KEEPS EYE ON RURAL CHANNEL
EX-ECHOSTAR EMPLOYEE FILES LAWSUIT
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: DBS deals with WildBLue could be a turning point for the data service and a public relations bonus for DirecTv and EchoStar.

FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2006

DBS TO AVOID MULTICAST MUST-CARRY
ECHOSTAR BUYING TIME IN WHITE-AREA CASE
TIVO SEEKS PAUSE IN ECHOSTAR LAWSUIT
NAB PUSHES INDECENCY AGENDA
NEWS & NOTES: Fox Networks Group promoted Michael Lang to executive vice president of business development and strategy…Intelsat and PanAmSat urged the FCC to complete its review of Intelsat’s plan to purchase PanAmSat...The overall satellite industry saw its global revenues increase $88.8 million, or 7 percent, last year, according to a study released by the Satellite Industry Association…Verizon plans to carry PBS stations, as well as multicast channels, on its fiber-delivered FiOS video service...A subcontractor for Mobil Pro, a company that installs systems for DirecTv, was suspended from his job after being charged for allegedly raping an 18-year-old women during a service call in Long Island, N.Y.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2006

PROGRAM ACCESS CHANGES IRK CABLE
TIVO SEES BENEFITS FROM ECHOSTAR RULING
DIRECTV FOCUSES ON RETAILER ISSUES
HNS SEES NO IMPACT FROM WILDBLUE DEAL
XM, SIRIUS OPPOSE WIRELESS DELAY
INPUT ON MULTICAST ISSUE MULTIPLIES
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications yesterday asked the full 11th District Court of Appeals to re-hear its appeal in its long-running white-area legal battle with broadcasters...The DirecTv Group is expected to announce today it plans to expand its operations center in Denver next year and move to a larger facility, sources said...Long-time DirecTv Senior Vice President Jim Arnold, who headed the firm’s retail services operation, recently left the company.

MONDAY JUNE 12, 2006

ECHOSTAR MAPS FUTURE AT TEAM SUMMIT
NEW STEVENS DRAFT SITS BETTER WITH DBS
ECHOSTAR SETS NEW SPIFFS, PRICE DEALS
HUBBARD SETS “REELZ CHANNEL” LAUNCH DATE
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group told retailers it has dropped the retail price for lease customers to upgrade to its high-definition/TiVo digital video recorder by $100 to $399...DirecTv plans to start offering local station in MPEG-4 high-definition in Baltimore; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Denver; Hartford, Conn.; Miami; Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.

FRIDAY JUNE 9, 2006

ECHOSTAR TO SELL WILDBLUE SERVICE
HOUSE PASSES TELECOM BILL
MULTICAST MUST-CARRY MUSTERS DEBATE
FCC HOLDS TO PEGASUS SATELLITE RULING
ECHOSTAR PRAISES MCCAIN A LA CARTE BILL
NEWS & NOTES: As expected, EchoStar Communications filed a request with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas asking it not impose an injunction that would prohibit EchoStar from selling some digital video recorder models as a result of a jury verdict that some EchoStar units violate TiVo’s patent. The document was filed under seal...EchoStar notified the FCC it is in compliance with the one-dish local-into-local rule...Sirius Satellite Radio signed a contract for Space Systems/Loral to build the service’s fourth satellite, which is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2008.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 7, 2006

NAB SEEKS SATELLITE RADIO INVESTIGATION
COMPANIES EYE IPTV SATELLITE SERVICES
XM CANADA ADDS SUBS, CAR MAKER DEALS
DEMOCRATS SPEAK ILL OF TELECOM BILL
BROADCASTERS PLEAD
MULTICAST CASE
NEWS & NOTES: Dell Computer has started selling Sling Media’s Slingbox for $179.10…EchoStar Communications has started offering a free “Preview Showroom” that is providing six pre-determined channels for the next three months.

MONDAY JUNE 5, 2006

ECHOSTAR PREPS FOR SUMMIT WITH RETAILERS
HOUSE PLANS FLOOR VOTE ON BARTON BILL
COURT BLOCKS SHOT AT HALTING ADELPHIA DEAL
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: Adelphia decision will be a good gauge of how much of a political hack Martin is...Expect DirecTv to make reinvest in its independent retailers...Analysts should stop wasting their time wondering if EchoStar and DirecTv will merge.

FRIDAY JUNE 2, 2006

DIRECTV PLANS COMMISSION CHANGES
XM HALTS PRODUCTION ON SOME UNITS
DIRECTV BUYS BACK MORE STOCK
DIRECTV SETS FATHER’S DAY SUPERFAN DEAL
AT&T PLANS
TO STICK WITH ECHOSTAR
NEWS & NOTES: Robert McDowell (R) was sworn in yesterday as FCC commissioner...DirecTv added Seattle and Indianapolis to the list of markets where it is offering local stations in MPEG-4 high-definition...As expected, EchoStar plans to open its fourth “equipment refurbishment and repair center” in Spartanburg, S.C.…DirecTv launched an interactive application on its sports and news “mix” channels that enables subscribers with the proper interactive receiver to access a list of the 10 most popular programs...The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association launched an online tool through which consumers and installers can send challenges by local governments and homeowner groups against legal satellite dish installations....There were a total of 114,534 authorized VideoCipher modules in use at the end of last month.

WEDNESDAY MAY 31, 2006

CHANNEL SUES TO BLOCK ADELPHIA DEAL
CONFIRMATION CLEARS PATH FOR MARTIN
RULING COULD ADD UP FOR ECHOSTAR SUBS
SIRIUS PAYS FOR STERN TAPES
JUSTICE CLEARS INTELSAT-PANAMSAT TRANSACTION
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group named John Shelton senior vice president of sales and distribution.…SES Global signed a contract for its AMC-21 medium-power Ku-band satellite to be launched by Sea Launch in the middle of 2008…XM Satellite Radio Holdings subsidiary plans to redeem all of its outstanding 8.25 percent series B convertible redeemable preferred stock due 2012.

FRIDAY MAY 26, 2006

TIVO BRISTLES AT ECHOSTAR STATEMENTS
DIRECTV SUBS TAKING TIVO SLOWS TO TRICKLE
ECHOSTAR SETTLES MUSIC CHANNEL LAWSUIT
XM LOWERS EXPECTATIONS
CABLE SLAMS MCCAIN’S
A LA CARTE IDEA
COMCAST HOLDS OUT ON MASN
NEWS & NOTES: EchoStar Communications launched a new advertising campaign with the tag line “Pick Your Package, Pick Your Price.”

WEDNESDAY MAY 24, 2006

ECHOSTAR FACES WHITE-AREA SHUTDOWN
NEW LEGAL WRANGLING IN TIVO-ECHOSTAR CASE
XM, WCS CALL OFF TRANSACTION
DIRECTV TAKES CREDIT FOR BETTER SUBS
NEWS & NOTES: WildBlue Communications extended its free installation offer again, this time through June 30.

MONDAY MAY 22, 2006

ECHOSTAR PLANS PRE-PAY PLAN ADDITIONS
TIME WARNER BEMOANS STOCK PRICE
ECHOSTAR SEEKS EXTENSION FOR 61.5 DEGREES
SIRIUS LOOKS TOWARD PROFITABILITY
CHAPARRAL LOOKS AT SATELLITE TV ORIGINS
SCHERMAN'S NOTEBOOK: TNT should be whistled for a foul for on-screen promos...NDS' Abe Peled gets the "what planet is this guy on" award so far this year...Telecom bill reaching President Bush's desk gets less likely by the day.
NEWS & NOTES: The FCC has pushed back the date of its planned auction of Advanced Wireless Spectrum from June 29 to Aug. 9.

FRIDAY MAY 19, 2006

STEVENS SEES PATH TO TELECOM BILL PASSAGE
TIVO-ECHOSTAR CASE NEARS NEXT PHASE
DIRECTV TAKES MORE STOCK IN BUYBACK
SATELLITE MAKES CASE FOR UNIVERSAL SERVICE
MASN BEMOANS DEALINGS WITH COMCAST
LAWSUIT TAKES TOLL ON XM STOCK
NEWS & NOTES: Mary Pat Ryan, Sirius Satellite Radio’s executive vice president of  subscriber sales and operations, is leaving the company, but will remain in her post until a replacement is named.

WEDNESDAY MAY 17, 2006

SURVEY: DBS TOPS CABLE IN SATISFACTION
BARTON BEATS DRUM FOR TELECOM BILL
HUGHES POSTS IMPROVED RESULTS
DIRECTV PREPS NEXT LOCAL HD MARKETS
NCTA COMPLAINS ABOUT LOAN
PROGRAM
ECHOSTAR GETS SPLIT DECISION AT FCC
NEWS & NOTES: Several large record companies filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York seeking to block XM Satellite Radio from selling its new line of portable radios that can record and download music.

MONDAY MAY 15, 2006

WILDBLUE CHANGES KA-BAND SPOT PLANS
ECHOSTAR INCREASES LOCAL HD OFFERINGS
DBS KEEPS QUIET ON AUCTION PLANS
NEWS & NOTES: XM Satellite Radio Holdings completed its tender offer for outstanding secured notes, amounting to a total of $393.4 million with interest rates ranging from 12 percent to 14 percent.

FRIDAY MAY 12, 2006

CHURN, TIVO TAKE TOLL ON ECHOSTAR RESULTS
ECHOSTAR AIRS DETAILS ON PIRACY PROBLEMS
WILDBLUE CROSSES 50,000 SUBSCRIBER MARK
ERGEN HAPPY GOING IT ALONE
ECHOSTAR PREDICTS TIVO VERDICT
WILL NOT STAND
MINNESOTA SEES GROUNDS FOR INSTALL FIXES
ARRAY OF GLITCHES HIT ECHOSTAR SATELLITES

WEDNESDAY MAY 10, 2006

NDS DOWNPLAYS DIRECTV RECORDER ISSUES
CABLEVISION STAKES CLAIM ON DBS SUBS
XM PLANS COOPERATION WITH AGENCIES
ECHOSTAR SLATES SEA LAUNCH LIFT-OFF
SATELLITE FIRMS POST GAINS
DIRECTV TEAMS UP FOR PRO GAMING LEAGUE
AT&T CALLS IN WILDBLUE FOR DATA SERVICES
NEWS & NOTES: The DirecTv Group plans to launch a new channel tomorrow called BabyFirstTV…Fox Entertainment Group said yesterday it plans to make programming from Fox, FX, Speed, Fuel TV, and the 20th Century Fox t