Satellite companies plan local channels

LITTLETON, COLORADO - The satellite TV companies behind DirecTV and the Dish Network have developed a plan to let their merged company offer local channels across the country. <br> <br> The two satellite TV providers now separately offer local channels in 42 of 210 U.S. markets. They are seeking regulatory approval for their proposed merger. <br> <br> EchoStar Communications Corp., which offers Dish Network, and DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics filed a joint satellite application late Monday in which it outlined its plan to offer local channels in all 210 markets, including Hawaii and Alaska. <br> <br> Federal law requires all pay-television providers to carry every channel in markets where they provide local channels. But satellite TV providers say they have had to limit the number of markets they serve because they do not have enough capacity on their satellites to beam down local channels for every community. <br> <br> They say their merger, if approved by federal regulators, would let them free up space by eliminating duplication among 500 channels that both carry. <br> <br> But opponents ranging from the Rev. Al Sharpton to Rupert Murdoch of News Corp. have opposed the merger, citing concerns it would form a satellite TV monopoly. <br> <br> EchoStar and Hughes, meanwhile, paint the merger as a step toward creating more competition for cable. <br> <br> ``Today, approximately 42 million TV households do not have the option to receive local channels via satellite, and as such, have no choice but to subscribe to cable,&#39;&#39; EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen said in a news release. ``Without this merger, many of those will never see local channels on satellite and have no choice of local television providers.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The companies&#39; filing Monday sought authority to launch a satellite that officials said would let the companies offer more local channels.

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