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DIRECTV Mulls Puerto Rico Moves
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Last week, representatives from DIRECTV approached Federal Communications Commission staff about the company's plans for its operations in Puerto Rico, a business DIRECTV must deal with after Liberty Media acquired a controlling stake in the DBS company last February.
As part of its approval of the DIRECTV/Liberty deal, the FCC required that all attributable ownership interest connecting DIRECTV Puerto Rico and Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico be severed within a year. During the FCC meeting, DIRECTV representatives reviewed the process used to solicit bids for its Puerto Rico operations.
In a filing detailing the gathering, DIRECTV noted challenges presented by current market conditions and "the nature of the asset." The company didn't disclose specific details about interest in the Puerto Rico business, but the filing stated that those at the FCC meeting discussed the merits of the most viable proposed transaction.
Also, DIRECTV and FCC officials discussed an alternative that would place the Puerto Rico assets in a non-attributable trust.
In addition to the Puerto Rico moves, DIRECTV representatives voiced the company's opposition to proposed changes in the fee schedule for DBS services. Cable has been pushing a proposal that DBS companies pay regulatory fees based on subscribers, not through fees based on licensed satellites and earth stations.
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Last week, representatives from DIRECTV approached Federal Communications Commission staff about the company's plans for its operations in Puerto Rico, a business DIRECTV must deal with after Liberty Media acquired a controlling stake in the DBS company last February.
As part of its approval of the DIRECTV/Liberty deal, the FCC required that all attributable ownership interest connecting DIRECTV Puerto Rico and Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico be severed within a year. During the FCC meeting, DIRECTV representatives reviewed the process used to solicit bids for its Puerto Rico operations.
In a filing detailing the gathering, DIRECTV noted challenges presented by current market conditions and "the nature of the asset." The company didn't disclose specific details about interest in the Puerto Rico business, but the filing stated that those at the FCC meeting discussed the merits of the most viable proposed transaction.
Also, DIRECTV and FCC officials discussed an alternative that would place the Puerto Rico assets in a non-attributable trust.
In addition to the Puerto Rico moves, DIRECTV representatives voiced the company's opposition to proposed changes in the fee schedule for DBS services. Cable has been pushing a proposal that DBS companies pay regulatory fees based on subscribers, not through fees based on licensed satellites and earth stations.