C-Cube Message Board - Msg: 2608044

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : C-Cube

CUBE 37.68

+1.7%

Jan 9 9:30 AM EST

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: Stoctrash who wrote (24682)	10/31/1997 4:18:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Read Replies (1) of 50808

forget Death Star. EchoStar looks for bigger things. Every Channel needs an Encoder......................... ijumpstart.com Basic Cable in The Sky: Satellite Plan Poses Serious Cable Threat <Picture><Picture><Picture> DC - Cable could kiss its best competitive advantage over DBS goodbye in 3 years under an aggressive Capitol Broadcasting Company plan to launch a Ka-band satellite that would allow DBS providers to transmit 1,700 local broadcast nets and a handful of HDTV channels to the entire U.S. market. Capitol pres James Goodmon stole the show at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing Thurs with his "basic cable in the sky" project that could make Rupert Murdoch's defunct Death Star (500 channels of Sky) look like child's play. The plan: launch a Ka-band satellite to the middle of orbital slots controlled by EchoStar [DISH], PrimeStar and DirecTV that would let DBS providers transmit as many local broadcast nets in every DMA as any cable op. Broadcast stations will fund the initial $800mln cost of the project through a company that'll oversee construction of 159 uplink sites and the deployment of 24-inch dish receivers. While this threatens to destroy cable's key asset in its ability to transmit local signals, it's still too soon to panic. Congress would have to grant satellite the same compulsory copyright license as cable in order for the project to get off the ground. "This is not a business unless we get compulsory copyright," Goodman says. Judiciary's courts and intellectual subcommittee chmn Howard Coble (R-NC) and Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA) were enthusiastic about Goodmon's plan, but Coble doesn't intend to hold a hearing on the topic until Feb. And while EchoStar could use Capitol's Ka-band bird to transmit local broadcast nets, it looks like chmn/CEO Charlie Ergen could be wasting $500mln+ on his plans for the EchoStar III bird and a planned 4th satellite. EchoStar hopes to use those satellites to market local signals, but the company will only be able to hit 30% of HH. "We can't afford to wait 3 years" for Goodmon's project to launch, Ergen told CableFAX yesterday before he testified at a separate hearing on video competition. (Check out the diagram on Page 5 for more on Capitol's plan.)

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next