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Satellite : Merger Results in Formation of DirectTV Sports Networks

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-20-2009

Merger Results in Formation of DirectTV Sports Networks Written by Press Room F
riday, 20 November 2009 08:45

DIRECTV has completed a transaction involving the combination of DIRECTV Group and Liberty Entertainment,　Inc. (LEI), a company split-off from Liberty Media Corporation that included in part the Seattle-based Liberty Sports Group. As a result of the merger, Liberty Sports Group has been re-branded DIRECTV Sports Networks, a controlled subsidiary of DIRECTV that is comprised of three regional sports networks, which include FSN Northwest, FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain (and sub-region FSN Utah). The three networks combined reach more than 8.5 million viewers across 17 states and own exclusive programming and distribution partnerships with more than 25 teams and conferences.

DIRECTV Sports Networks will continue to be led by President & CEO Mark Shuken with the existing strategies and structure for the executive team and regional operations. At this time the networks’ brand will continue as FSN and the existing programming, team partnerships and distribution agreements remain in tact. Shuken will report to Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President of DIRECTV Entertainment.
"It is a tremendous opportunity for our company to become a part of the DIRECTV family, a business that obviously values the popularity and passion of sports television and endeavors to constantly improve the viewer experience," said Shuken. "Through our efforts to build integrated, long-term team partnerships and innovative sports content we have positioned ourselves to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by DIRECTV and will strive through creativity and innovation to provide significant asset value to the company."

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Satellite : SIRIUSly Buying?

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-20-2009

11/19/2009 @ 7:25 PM

Back from the edge of bankruptcy, SIRIUS XM may go on a buying spree. Really. CEO Mel Karmazin told Fox News that the company may be planning more acquisitions – we would guess via a much-rumored fling at Worldspace, the now-post-bankruptcy international sat radio operator. Of course, Sirius is still deeply in debt and its stock remains below the magic $1 mark on NASDAQ (which could force a reverse split) but improved third quarter performance and upped credit ratings are giving the sat radio giant a new lease on life

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Satellite: STELA Passes Senate Commerce Committee

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-20-2009

11/19/2009 @ 7:23 PM

The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act – aka STELA – is officially out of the Senate Commerce Committee. As it stands the bill does not require local-into-local services for all 210 DMAs. But you can expect that provision to come up as the Commerce Committee’s draft is merged with the version passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee which, in turn, will need to be merged with whatever comes out of the House. In short ... stay tuned as the sausage factory continues to grind

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Satellite : Next Big Pay Day?

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-20-2009

This isn’t consumer TV ... in fact it’s not even consumer (yet) ... but for all of you satellite business operators serving commercial markets it’s a heads up for tomorrow’s opportunities: According to the latest reports from NSR , the next big thing in satellite could be earth observation (EO) capabilities.

Today that’s mostly a government kind of app ... but for tomorrow, NSR lists insurance, real estate and tourism among the likely users. The firm estimates that more than 180 new earth observation satellites will be launched in the next decade with the commercial EO data marketing doubling to $2.2 billion in 2018 while EO value added services reach $2.3 billion in 2018.

A case in point for the EO growth argument: Iridium Communications is already touting its next-gen satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT, as a potential big winner in the EO arena. The new system of 66 low-earth orbiting cross-linked satellites is slated for launch between 2014 and 2016.•

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Satellite : A DIRECTV Take-Over?

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-20-2009

The ink is hardly dry on the new CEO's contract and the stock isn’t due to spin out until year end, but chatter about a DIRECTV merger/take-over is already rampant. Liberty Media’s Dr. John Malone (who is currently the guy with the biggest stake) has fueled the speculation, declining to rule out a possible AT&T or Verizon takeover in an interview with Bloomberg.

DIRECTV already offers pay TV packages in concert with both AT&T and Verizon and, said Malone, “Our relationship will continue to broaden and intensify. It may lead to some more ownership-oriented relationship, or it may not.”

In addition, incoming CEO Michael White is widely seen as a place holder, preparing the company for sale within the next few years. Add that to the planned merger between DIRECTV and Malone’s Liberty Entertainment (minus Starz) and the path to a potential takeover is greatly simplified.

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Satellite : Senate Commerce Passes Satellite TV Bill

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-19-2009

WASHINGTON:

The Senate Commerce Committee today passed its version of legislation that directs the carriage of local TV stations on satellite systems. What is now known as STELA, for the “Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act,” passed the committee in a voice vote on a package of bills that included bones for low-power FM radio stations, sharks, the Chesapeake Bay and public transportation.

STELA extends for five years the right for satellite TV providers to carry out-of-market TV signals to household that can’t receive stations in their own markets. Current law, known as SHVERA, expires at the end of this year. This new legislation also replaces language referring to analog signals with references to digital transmissions, and directs the FCC to develop a correlative reception test. It also directs the commission to determine whether the licensing scheme it extends should be scuttled in favor of negotiations between stations and DBS providers.

Several legislators have pushed DBS operators to carry local stations in all 210 TV markets. DirecTV does so in 152 markets; Dish Network, in 182--both as of Oct. 8. They say the remaining markets are too cost-prohibitive to serve. The Commerce version of the bill doesn’t require or provide incentives for local-into-local in all 210 markets, but Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller (D.-WV) said the issue would be a priority when the legislation is merged with versions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.

That mash-up must then be voted on by the full Senate and reconciled with a similarly mashed-up version in the House that has yet to reach the floor.

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Satellite : Shareholders Approve Liberty Entertainment Spin

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-19-2009

The long-awaited spin-off of Liberty Entertainment was approved by shareholders in a 30-minute special meeting in New York Thursday, paving the way for a consolidation of its 57% interest in DirecTV Group and the separation of its Starz Entertainment business into its own stock.
Liberty Media, the parent of Liberty Entertainment, had proposed the spin-off earlier this year. Liberty Entertainment currently houses Liberty Media's 100% interest in Starz Entertainment, its 57% interest in DirecTV, three regional sports networks, a 65% interest in cable channel GSN and FUN Technologies, WildBlue Communications and online entities PicksPal and Fanball. After the deal is completed, expected at 5 p.m. Nov, 19, Liberty Entertainment will be split into two (temporary) units, both called Liberty Entertainment: one will include the DirecTV interest; its regional sports networks, FSN Pittsburgh, FSN Rocky Mountain, and FSN Northwest; GSN (formerly Game Show Network); $80 million in cash; and $2 billion in debt. That entity will later be merged with DirecTV, at which time it will assume the DirecTV name.
The remaining assets -- Starz, WildBlue, PicksPal, Fanball, FUN Technologies and about $650 million in cash -- will be renamed Liberty Starz.
Liberty Starz has been trading on a when-issued basis for the past few weeks, and prices have ranged from $47 to $49 per share. The stock is expected to begin regular trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbols "LSTZA" and "LSTZB" on Nov.

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Satellite : DirecTV adds to media merger excitement

 Posted By: s.ross on 11-19-2009

by: Chris Kaufman


With media titans GE and Vivendi still negotiating a deal to bring cable operator Comcast into a mega-media joint venture, a management move at DirecTV is giving dealwatchers a fresh programming alternative.
Yinka Adegoke and Sinead Carew report the appointment of PepsiCo veteran Michael White (pictured below), who has no experience in pay TV, as DirecTV CEO is being read as a sign the company’s parent, Liberty Media, just wants a baby-sitter until its sells the operation in the next couple of years.
Telecom leaders Verizon and AT&T approached Liberty earlier this year, they report. Both have cross-marketing deals with DirecTV and would leapfrog the rest of the market with the addition of DirecTV’s subscriber base. But fears of insurmountable regulatory resistance put those talks on ice.
Liberty Media shareholders are set to vote this morning on a plan to split DirecTV from Liberty Entertainment — a move that Wall Street believes could pave the way for a telephone company to put in a bid for DirecTV, leading to a similar bid for smaller rival Dish Network.
If Comcast gets its content pipeline connected to NBC Universal, the pressure on the telcos to boost subscribers could get them to test the regulatory waters again.

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