1999 News
Register today and have the
latest news e-mailed to you!
New Digital Channels HBO and Starz have added to their channel lineups, Tune to G1 & CHECK IT OUT! HBO Comedy-East G1/112, West G!/114 HBO Zone-East G1/115, West G1/117
The announcement of the availability of seven digital channels of Fox Sports with the 4DTV receiver announced 4/1 was pre-maturely released. While there are discussions being held to make these channels available on C-Band, no formal agreement has been made. Orbit apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please stay tuned for further updates.
The House Commerce Committee passed and sent to the full House an amendment to the Satellite Competition and Consumer Protection Act. The bill aims to resolve the satellite network signal issue. The legislation - introduced by Reps. Billy Tauzin and Ed Markey - would allow satellite carriers to deliver local-into-local services and protect consumers who can't receive a clear over-the-air signal. The legislation also would direct the Federal Communications Commission to replace the outdated "Grade B" signal reception standard with an improved standard. The bill further asks the FCC to establish an improved predictive model that will take into account terrain, buildings and other interference. Chuck Hewitt, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, praised the efforts of the Commerce Committee and its members. However, he said, "We remain concerned about certain aspects of the bill, including the application of retransmission consent to distant network signals and the application of non-duplication, syndicated exclusivity and sports blackout rules to the satellite industry. "We look forward to continuing to work with members of Congress to resolve these differences in the best interest of consumers," he said.
The Federal Communications Commission, following provisions in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, will halt rate regulation for expanded basic tiers on cable TV beginning March 31. The agency said Thursday it will follow through on the sunset of rate regulation. However, the Clinton administration and lawmakers said they will closely watch rates after price controls are lifted. Regulation took effect in 1993, part of a 1992 law. Consumer groups, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics' figures, said that since February 1996 - when the law paving the way for deregulation was enacted - cable rates increased 24 percent, while overall inflation jumped 6 percent.
Twelve days remain until distant network signals delivered via satellite are cut off to nearly 1 million subscribers. Last minute efforts to postpone the order were taken by Primetime 24, the distant network provider caught in the middle of the legal wrangling. In a filing last week with the U.S. District Court in Miami, the company asked the Feb. 28 shut-off be pushed back to April 30, the date an additional 1.2 million subscribers will lose service. PrimeTime 24 also asked the court to incorporate into its order a Federal Communications Commission order endorsing revised methodologies determining eligibility for distant network signal reception. The company said the Individual Location Longley-Rice model pushed by the FCC is an
improvement on today's predictive model. |
Some or our news stories are provided by:
Skyreport, Orbit Magazine and Satellite TV Weekly.