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EchoStar DirecTV Deal Is Filled With Contradictions Says Lobby Group
The two dominant satellite TV companies have failed to demonstrate how their proposed merger is in the public interest and have instead shown a disturbing tendency to contradict on core consumer protection issues, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) said. In extensive comments filed today with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), NRTC urged the agency to reject the proposed merger of EchoStar Communications and Hughes Electronics (DirecTV), citing severe implications for consumers. NRTC, a leading advocate for rural consumers, responded specifically to a litany of inaccurate and contradictory claims made by the companies in recent months. The centerpiece of the NRTC document is a six-page "Flip-Flop Chart" that documents at least 22 occasions on which the companies made conflicting statements about material issues central to the merger. For example:
"The number and frequency of contradictory, inaccurate statements made by these companies on core issues is simply astonishing," said NRTC President and CEO Bob Phillips. "These statements were made at various times to various audiences, but regulators should not be fooled. The FCC should take this pattern of behavior into consideration when it decides whether this merger should be permitted. NRTC has pointed out repeatedly the numerous problems this merger poses for rural consumers including higher prices, less service, no choices and less innovation." Related Links ANRTC Responce To Merger Plan FCC Website For EchoStar DirecTV Merger National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express EchoStar Asks Supreme Court To Protect Rights Of TV Viewers Littleton - Apr 03, 2002 EchoStar, through constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe, this week asked the United States Supreme Court to protect the free speech right of all Americans to choose the television programs they want to watch.
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