EchoStar Chief Says Satellite Deal Will Move Forward

**BFG** · 03-17-2005 11:20 PM

I don't think bruce knows what he is or what side he's on......

**dragon002** · 03-18-2005 07:22 AM

bfg,

AMEN !!!

**cfarm** · 03-18-2005 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by dragon002

bruce,

whatever a troll is!!??

is that someone who happens to think the fcc should not force 95% of us to buy new tvs and home theateres to make 50,000 people happy. i dont hear a lot of rumblings on the directv site considering there are HALF A MILLION of them subscribing to hd , and spaceway one is sitting on sea launch!! but i guess all of us that subscribe to directv are the great un washed, just un informed stupid JOE SIX PACKS.

bruce, go get a life , and quit watching s. park, its rotting what little grey matter you have left

The government isn't forcing you to buy a new digital TV set to make 50k people happy. That's just a really warped interpretation of the facts. DBS is a digital signal you can watch on your analog set. See how that STB thing works? What makes you think there won't be STBs specifically to prevent older analog sets from being obsoleted?

The gov't wants the analog spectrum returned so it can be used for other communication services and portions will be auctioned with estimates of $20B-$100B proceeds to come from those auctions. That's not chump change. Not to mention the wirelss industry possibilities and potential jobs creation that could spring up from those auctions. The broadcasters were given digital spectrum with the understanding they would return the analog spectrum. They have a legal and moral obligation to do so and they are dragging their feet.

There's a bigger picture here and it has nothing to do with forcing you to do anything.

**gutter** · 03-18-2005 12:29 PM

For those on cable the digital analog issue is a non issue for analog sets. For those that only get their TV via OTA, the FCC is looking at the Berlin, Germany model. There the government subsidized decoders for those who only had access to an analog signal. Cable already can take the digital and convert it to analog which happens now.

**vurbano** · 03-18-2005 02:33 PM

Stop picking on Bruce, Dragon. The notion that the FCC might veto the deal has nothing to do with digital mandates not being HD mandates. It has to do with them wanting more than 2 sat providers.

**dragon002** · 03-18-2005 03:33 PM

not picking on anyone. if the fcc was so concerned , as you believe, about having 3 sat providers, why then did they allow directv to takeover primestar and its 3.7 million subs????
and guess what , tci was the majority owner of primestar and mr malone engineered the sale to hughes. maybe some writing on the wall???
just a thought.

**Amphicar770** · 03-18-2005 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by dragon002

bruce,

but i guess all of us that subscribe to directv are the great un washed, just un informed stupid JOE SIX PACKS.

OK, if you say so. Nobody here will argue with you.

The gov. is not mandating HDTV, they are mandating conversion to digital signal which you can still watch on your $39 WalMart TV by using a converter box. They are not doing this for 50,00 HDTV owners. It is being done because bandwidth is a limited commodity (has to do with those danged laws of physics). Digital signal provides a much more efficient use of that bandwidth which is allocated by a governemnt agency. Everyone benefits as even OTA users can now receive 4x as many channels than before with a picture which you can actually watch without needing cable, sat, etc. Yes, some things that the government tries to do actually make sense.

**Jamey K** · 03-18-2005 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by dragon002

bruce,

but i guess all of us that subscribe to directv are the great un washed, just un informed stupid JOE SIX PACKS.

bruce, go get a life , and quit watching s. park, its rotting what little grey matter you have left

Dragon....sssshhhhhhh. Grown-ups are talking.

**dragon002** · 03-18-2005 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by cfarm

The government isn't forcing you to buy a new digital TV set to make 50k people happy. That's just a really warped interpretation of the facts. DBS is a digital signal you can watch on your analog set. See how that STB thing works? What makes you think there won't be STBs specifically to prevent older analog sets from being obsoleted?

The gov't wants the analog spectrum returned so it can be used for other communication services and portions will be auctioned with estimates of $20B-$100B proceeds to come from those auctions. That's not chump change. Not to mention the wirelss industry possibilities and potential jobs creation that could spring up from those auctions. The broadcasters were given digital spectrum with the understanding they would return the analog spectrum. They have a legal and moral obligation to do so and they are dragging their feet.

There's a bigger picture here and it has nothing to do with forcing you to do anything.

first off it isn't a STB, that is a CABLE term, it is an IRD in DBS terms.i understand the reasoning behind the gov wanting the switch to DIGITAL transmissions. i know about the spectrum auction etc.

i was replying to the poster that is continually saying that the feds should stop the sat sale to ergen because it will supposedly deprive people of HDTV, the feds did NOT mandate HDTV it mandated DIGITAL. and between directv and dish there are 850,000 subs enjoying HD and growing every day. there is no reason for the feds to some how shield or protect one provider over another, that is not the govs job.
i am not known as a nasty person, but some of you on this forum????? the first time someone posts something that you don't agree with you attack and name call.
good lord, if old man dolan should die tonite, there would be all kind of kook conspiracy posts from james had him killed to he is in hiding developing a way to eliminate the sats and irds and transmit directly into your brain thru a vulcan mind meld!!!!!!

dragon

**cfarm** · 03-18-2005 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by dragon002

first off it isn't a STB, that is a CABLE term, it is an IRD in DBS terms.i understand the reasoning behind the gov wanting the switch to DIGITAL transmissions. i know about the spectrum auction etc.

STB is a generic term in my world. I'm not all that anal about it.

i was replying to the poster that is continually saying that the feds should stop the sat sale to ergen because it will supposedly deprive people of HDTV, the feds did NOT mandate HDTV it mandated DIGITAL. and between directv and dish there are 850,000 subs enjoying HD and growing every day. there is no reason for the feds to some how shield or protect one provider over another, that is not the govs job.

Well, there you are wrong. Part of the government's job is to protect the consumer by preventing monopolistic forces in the marketplace. More to the point here, you might want to read this rather recent FCC report:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...C-04-271A1.pdf

Note this quote in particular; "Specifically, any licensee currently operating satellites at orbit locations capable of providing DBS service to the 50 U.S. states will be prohibited from acquiring, owning, or controlling this license for a period beginning with the release date of this Order and ending four years after the award of the initial license. We conclude that such a restriction on eligibility for this license will serve the public interest by helping to promote the development of an additional provider of DBS services."

I think that spells is out pretty clear for anyone wondering about the FCC mindset. I don't think the approval for license transfers is a rubber stamp certainty by any means. Dish may end up with a satellite and uplink facility, but no additional licenses from this deal.

i am not known as a nasty person, but some of you on this forum????? the first time someone posts something that you don't agree with you attack and name call.
good lord, if old man dolan should die tonite, there would be all kind of kook conspiracy posts from james had him killed to he is in hiding developing a way to eliminate the sats and irds and transmit directly into your brain thru a vulcan mind meld!!!!!!

dragon

Just because someone doesn't agree with your interpretation doesn't mean you're being attacked. We've already got a "poor, poor me" member. The position has been filled, so please just offer your opinions without the need to complain when not everyone agrees with them.