Dish Formally Asks To Get Back Into Distant-Signal Business

FCC Has 90 Days to Act on Satellite Provider's Request

By John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 7/1/2010 10:05:26 AM

Washington -- The Federal Communications Commission has received Dish Network's request to start delivering distant network-affiliated TV station signals.

As part of The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA), the legislation reauthorizing the blanket copyright license covering that distant-signal importation, Dish was allowed to re-enter that business subject to delivering local TV signals into the remaining dozen-and-a-half markets that did not get them.

According to the FCC, Dish has affirmed that it has initiated service in all 210 markets per a voluntary agreement.

Dish had been barred by a court from the distant signal-business after the satellite-TV provider was found not to be accurately identifying which subscribers were not receiving a viewable signal from a local network-affiliated station, and thus were qualified to receive a comparable network affiliate imported from a different market.

The commission did not immediately give Dish the green light. STELA requires a 30-day comment period on Dish's request to become a certified distant-signal carrier, but also says the FCC has 90 days to either grant or deny the request.

In that time, the FCC says before it grants a waiver of the injunction, it must confirm that Dish is actually delivering the local signals to at least 90% of the households in each market.

Comments are due July 20; replies July 30.