The Heavy Lifting Begins

[Gregg Lengling]

Now that Congress and the President have done their work for new satellite TV rules and regulations, it's now time for the Federal Communications Commission to do the heavy lifting for the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA).

During the coming months, the FCC will write out the specifics for many provisions contained in SHVERA, which was signed into law in December. The two SHVERA items getting the most attention - at least recently - are the development of rules governing satellite TV delivery of significantly viewed local TV stations and the offering of digital distant networks.

On the latter, you can absolutely expect broadcasters to get involved. Local TV stations, led by the National Association of Broadcasters, are not fans of the digital distant networks provision. And when the FCC begins work on how satellite TV can offer digital distant nets to consumers if they cannot receive a local network affiliate's digital TV signal, it's a sure bet that the NAB will fight for prime podium position during the upcoming debate.

And then there's the significantly viewed provision, which will allow satellite TV to deliver local TV channels from a nearby market into another market.

For years, cable has had the opportunity of offering significantly viewed channels to customers. Satellite TV has not had the same luxury. The offering could help level the playing field between the two services, some suggest. And it appears this part of SHVERA is the one issue satellite TV subscribers paid the most attention to while the legislation was being debated in Congress.

An example of the proposal (though remember the particulars still must be completed): Satellite TV companies will be allowed to offer local TV stations from within the Washington, D.C., DMA to customers residing in nearby Baltimore, subscribers who probably also get local Baltimore stations. This is only one example, and there are literally dozens of other examples of how this can work out for consumers in several cities.

So far, not a lot of opposition has surfaced concerning significantly viewed stations. But inside the Beltway, remember that it's always "never say never." And it's early in the game. And given that the specifics of SHVERA will be hammered out at the Portals, providing all sides an opportunity to comment on the issues, a lot could happen between now and the end of the year.

[ontherun]

With this new law do you think people that live in
Fond du Lac would be able to recieve both the Green Bay and Milwaukee locals on Direct TV.  Right now they only offer the Green Bay locals, but Charter Cable in Fond du Lac has both Milwaukee and Green Bay.