DirecTV States Concerns with Cable/CE Agreement

[Gregg Lengling]

When cable operators and consumer electronics manufacturers got together to create new standards for digital TV operability in the home, they apparently left satellite TV out of the discussions.

DirecTV Chairman Eddy Hartenstein wrote a letter Thursday to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell outlining his concerns about the landmark agreement between cable MSOs and CE manufacturers on rules the FCC could implement on the digital TV transition. He said the agreement recommends regulations that would affect all multichannel providers, including non-cable operators such as DirecTV, and could impose new business models - crafted by the cable industry - on all multichannel providers.

"Unfortunately, DirecTV and other non-cable MVPD operators were not included in the discussions leading to the cable/CE recommendations, despite some language in those recommendations suggesting otherwise," Hartenstein said in the letter. "As a consequence, DirecTV is unable at this time to join in the recommendations, in particular those which would affect the DBS and other non-represented MVPD operators."

Hartenstein said DirecTV believes any government regulations on DTV "must respect the rights of consumers, and must be tailored to permit healthy free-market competition in the MVPD industry as a whole." He added that DirecTV reserves its right to provide comments of any proposed rulemaking for the so-called "plug-and-play" standards.

Early Thursday, cable interests and consumer electronics manufacturers released details of a plan that aims to create a standard for digital television products and how they connect to digital cable offerings. Those backing the initiative said it will help speed the digital TV transition.

DirecTV, Hartenstein said, supports the deployment of advanced digital television services. "Our commitment to advanced digital television is evidenced by the fact that all of our services - both standard and high definition - are delivered digitally," he said.