# DBS Auction Days Away



## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

The first auction the satellite TV business has seen in several years is days away at the Federal Communications Commission.

On Wednesday, the FCC will conduct an auction for three non-full CONUS DBS orbital slots: 175 degrees, 166 degrees and 157 degrees. Two entities - EchoStar and Cablevision's Rainbow DBS unit - have been cleared to participate, with a third deemed not qualified to bid in the auction.

The last big DBS auctions took place in 1996. That year, MCI and then-partner News Corp. bid $682.5 million for the coveted 110-degree orbital location. News Corp. had to eventually give up the orbital location to EchoStar to settle litigation concerning its failed partnership with the No. 2 DBS company and its move to align itself with PrimeStar. Late last year, News Corp. won regulatory approval for its takeover of DirecTV.

Also in 1996, EchoStar bid $52.3 million for the 148-degree slot.

According to the FCC, winners of the DBS licenses are required to complete contracts for construction of a satellite within one year of the grant of authorization. Construction of the first satellite must be completed within four years and must be in operation within six years of the grant of authorization.

http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Companies Bid $12.2 Million in DBS Auction

The Federal Communications Commission commenced its auction for non full-CONUS DBS orbital locations Wednesday, and it appears the two participating companies are getting what they wanted.

According to the FCC auctions Web site, Cablevision/Rainbow DBS bid for two licenses - one at 175 degrees and the other at 166 degrees - and its total bidding reached $3.2 million for each slot, or $6.4 million. EchoStar bid $5.8 million for access to spectrum at 157 degrees.

The auction for the Western-oriented locations has netted $12.2 million.

According to the FCC, winners of the DBS licenses are required to complete contracts for construction of a satellite within one year of the grant of authorization. Construction of the first satellite must be completed within four years and must be in operation within six years of the grant of authorization.

Cablevision and Rainbow DBS operate the VOOM satellite TV service. EchoStar's DISH Network has more than 10 million customers.

http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

Makes sense for rainbow if they want to mirror 61.5 programming (if they can find the $$$ for another satellite).

What would E* do with 157 (they are barely using 148)? Hawaii? Alaska? West coast local markets?


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Yes - all of the above probably. With a new, designed for it bird, E* could do much with 157. E4 is about the sorriest excuse for a satellite in operation right now (NOT E*'s fault - just various system failures) and the question is WHEN will E4 die - and it won't be too far along...


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

E* shouldn't have too much difficulty meeting the "due diligence" clauses at this point - its coming up with an overall plan.


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## Mike123abc (Jul 19, 2002)

Echostar continues to build up satellite capacity. With now 4 Ku-FSS slots (121 and 105 in use already), 148 barely being used, empty 157 now, and working on 2-3 more DBS slots (pending new spacing rules from the FCC).

They are getting into a position to having enough space to do LIL HD. 157 could do the west coast, 148 could do more of the west, the other 4 Ku-FSS birds could work in the rest of the country if they do not get any more DBS slots, but hopefully they will to serve the east coast. They could build simplistic spot beam satellites for these slots...


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Cripplestar 4 is just Echostar demonstrating that they have a working bird at this position, even though it is near it's premature death.

Echostar could also use the 157 slot to mirror the services at 110 for Alaska and Hawaii, add west coast feeds, or add more west coast markets. Shouldn't a Dish 500 be able to pick up 148 and 157?

166 and 175 would allow Voom to offer it's services to to west coast, but won't help it's east coast customer base.


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## ibooksrule (Feb 16, 2003)

where is 166 and 175 and 157 at? i mean being in the central US would any of these benifit us? what would the coverage area be of these?


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

You MIGHT be able to see 157 , but 166 and 175 are over the horizon from KC. 166 and 175 will help the west coast (some), Alaska, Hawaii, some other islands close, and maybe some of the other Pacific US islands. Some of this depends on how the satellite is configured - where spotbeams are placed, etc.


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## amit5roy5 (Mar 4, 2004)

I think what DISH may do is add more pacific feeds withi their new 157 bird. That will take away more west coast cable customers who stick w/ cable because of the pacific feeds. DVR can't replace lack of pacific feeds. 

And I think people will soon point to 5 locations:

110/119/121 or 105 and 148/157


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Chris Blount said:


> According to the FCC, winners of the DBS licenses are required to complete contracts for construction of a satellite within one year of the grant of authorization. Construction of the first satellite must be completed within four years and must be in operation within six years of the grant of authorization.


So does this have to be a new satellite for this position, or can they move an existing bird over after building a new satellite for a different position?
More specifically, could they move a satellite over after they launch E10?


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Also, 
Boy it seems like they got a bargain. 52.3 million for 148. 5.8 million for 157. 

something like $5.1 million per degree.


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Just for the fun of it.
Here is an approximation of the view from 158
From Jtrack 3-D


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Big Bob - do you mean 148 or 157 ?


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

sorry, 157


"that's the problem with numbers, there's so many of them"


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Perhaps 148 could be for west coast locals, 157 for central/mountain locals, and 61.5 for eastern/central locals for the smaller markets.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

FCC Details Formalities for DBS Auction Winners

The Federal Communications Commission has formally wrapped up formalities for last week's auction of non full-CONUS DBS slots, which received bids from EchoStar and Cablevision.

Bidding totaled $12.2 million, and was completed in one day, a week ago today. Cablevision and its Rainbow DBS unit, which operates the VOOM satellite TV service, bid $6.4 million for slots at 175 degrees and 166 degrees. EchoStar bid $5.8 million for access to 157 degrees.

Down payments - which amount to 20 percent of the net winning bid - are due Aug. 2. Final payments to the FCC are due Aug. 16, with additional paperwork from the companies due Aug. 18.

According to the FCC, winners of the DBS licenses are required to complete contracts for construction of a satellite within one year of the grant of authorization. Construction of the first satellite must be completed within four years and must be in operation within six years of the grant of authorization.

http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)


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