Rural Satellite TV Consumers To Lose Network Programming Posted by Bob at 11/20/06 03:01 PM

Hundreds of thousands of rural satellite television consumers are about to lose their access to the big broadcast networks such as NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox because of a federal court case.

The case involves Echostar Communications, which along with DirectTV dominates the U.S. satellite television market. The issue is so-called "distant broadcast" signals, where rural customers are not served by a broadcast local network affiliate. Echostar typically beams in a local network affiliate from another area to provide network programming to such rural customers. That means Echostar's customers in rural Alaska might receive their Fox programming from a local affiliate in Los Angeles or their CBS programming from Orlando.

A federal court recently issued an injunction forbidding Echostar from beaming such distant signals from network affiliates to its satellite television customers. That injunction takes effect on Dec. 1.

My colleagues here at Consumers Union point out that the customers receiving the distant signals from Echostar have done nothing wrong and should not be robbed of service they had legally received from the company.

CU has sent a letter to every member of the Senate urging legislation to protect the consumer rights of Echostar's rural customers. Click here to read the letter.

comments (1)

1 Posted by C. Barnes at 12/01/06 05:43 PM

I sincerely hope this does not pass. If you allow this to happen not just Alaska and places such as this will be affectd but other rural areas such as mine and others 10- 20 miles and more or less from towns will be. If not then given time they will be.
I have Direct tv. I have to pay extra for my "local" channels. If anyone has to get another carrier for these then they will have to pay for their service as well.
Other services offer different packages, (programs) You may or may not get what you want. Prices are different.
Why can't you leave things alone? We need help with the rising cost of these services, if you want a cause! Help us with this!
They charge us an arm and a leg for the programing. Then take away channels one at a time wanting more money.
If we have a problem with the satellite and they have to come out it's like paying for the cost of another tv.
Alot of people are like me, on a fixed income. We are struggling to pay our bills and have food in the house. We forgo alot of food just to pay the bills.
So, if you really want a cause to stand up for get the companies to go down on the bills. All of them. The power, utilities, phone, health, etc.
I or anyone I know do not want a hand out. We just want to be able to get what we need and to be able to pay the bills and not worry if they will be too much every month. Which they usually are.
I do without heat most of the time when it's cold and without air conditioning when it's hot.
I'm lucky to have one meal a day, if that.
I don't get welfare, or anything. I just don't get enough money to live on and pay the bills.
I live alone and don't turn on lights or hardly anything and still my power bill is almost $200 a month for a small home. That's the low bill. If I use anything, well you get the idea.

Thank you for my sound off.

Blessings to you all.

C. Barnes