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Dish Network ordered to turn off Distant Networks

Yahoo Message Number: 26422
US Court of Appeals Orders Dish Network to Turn Off Distant Networks (sent to me from Escapees 10/26/2006)

On October 20, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a permanent injunction against EchoStar Communications with regard to distant network programming. This permanent injunction will take effect December 1, 2006.

Under this order, all distant network feeds being supplied to customers of Dish Network will be turned off on December 1. This will also potentially affect all mobile/RV customers receiving those networks by waiver. EchoStar is expected to appeal this ruling, but there is little information yet about what effect their appeal will have on the injunction.

This battle has been going on for some months, and this recent injunction comes after an attempt by Dish Network to settle its differences with each network. Apparently, this attempt was unsuccessful. The question now will be: Can Dish successfully appeal the ruling, and will the appeal process halt the implementation of the injunction?

We spoke with Dish Network and raised the questions about what would likely happen to RVing customers on December 1. We received the following statement from their customer relations department:

"Please rest assured we are doing everything possible to prevent customers, especially RV customers, from losing their distant network channels. Congress can pass legislation to protect customers, and we will ask Congress to clarify the statutory language. We will also ask the courts to reconsider their decision.
In addition, we are taking numerous steps to protect our customers from unnecessarily losing access to those channels. I have passed along your concerns to top management, and it is something that we are aware of."

At this point, there is still a chance that RVers will not lose the DNS feeds, but there are no guarantees. As we learn more, we will pass any new information along, but if you are a Dish Network customer and you depend on the DNS channel package to receive your networks, now is a good time to start thinking about your alternatives. Current customers of Dish Network should contact Dish Network at 1-800-333-3474 for more information. Potential new RVing customers should also be aware of the situation and make their buying decisions carefully.

Again, only those Dish Network customers who receive the "Distant Network" programming (typically New York and/or Los Angeles) will potentially be affected. Those customers receiving their networks from their local markets will not be affected. DirecTV, which apparently settled their DNS issues with broadcasters a few years ago, was not included in the ruling, so all DirecTV customers will not be affected.

==== end of article ====

It seems like it is time to contract our representatives.
Fortunately, it does not affect DirecTV -- for now. It is time we take the RV mobile case to our representative -- open access to Distant Networks, AND satellite footprints of local stations all around the country. If necessary, I think I would trade Distant Network for access to all the local satellite footprints of the local network stations.
Herb

2007 Allure #31466

Re: Dish Network ordered to turn off Distant Networks

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 26425
Well what happened to the free market that we live in? Sure doesn't look fair to say that they can't sell a product to whomever they want.

They pay for the feed so why not have free distribution rights?

Russ

05 Intrigue
11883

Quote from: Herb & Melitta\[br\
Strandberg"] >

US Court of Appeals Orders Dish Network to Turn Off Distant

Networks

Quote
(sent to me from Escapees 10/26/2006) >

On October 20, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh > Circuit issued a permanent injunction against EchoStar > Communications with regard to distant network programming. This > permanent injunction will take effect December 1, 2006.

Under this order, all distant network feeds being supplied to > customers of Dish Network will be turned off on December 1. This > will also potentially affect all mobile/RV customers receiving

those

Quote
networks by waiver. EchoStar is expected to appeal this ruling,

but

Quote
there is little information yet about what effect their appeal

will

Quote
have on the injunction.

This battle has been going on for some months, and this recent > injunction comes after an attempt by Dish Network to settle its > differences with each network. Apparently, this attempt was > unsuccessful. The question now will be: Can Dish successfully

appeal

Quote
the ruling, and will the appeal process halt the implementation of > the injunction?

We spoke with Dish Network and raised the questions about what

would

Quote
likely happen to RVing customers on December 1. We received the > following statement from their customer relations department: >

"Please rest assured we are doing everything possible to prevent > customers, especially RV customers, from losing their distant > network channels. Congress can pass legislation to protect > customers, and we will ask Congress to clarify the statutory > language. We will also ask the courts to reconsider their

decision.

Quote
In addition, we are taking numerous steps to protect our customers > from unnecessarily losing access to those channels. I have passed > along your concerns to top management, and it is something that we > are aware of."

At this point, there is still a chance that RVers will not lose

the

Quote
DNS feeds, but there are no guarantees. As we learn more, we will > pass any new information along, but if you are a Dish Network > customer and you depend on the DNS channel package to receive your > networks, now is a good time to start thinking about your > alternatives. Current customers of Dish Network should contact

Dish

Quote
Network at 1-800-333-3474 for more information. Potential new

RVing