spacetoday.net: FCC approves News Corp takeover of DirecTV

Posted: Sat, Dec 20, 2003, 7:43 AM ET (1243 GMT)
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave its approval late Friday for News Corporation to acquire a controlling stake in satellite TV company DirecTV. On a 3-2 vote, the FCC's commissioners approved the takeover, but attached conditions to the deal. Those conditions include requiring DirecTV to provide local channels in additional markets and agree to arbitration for any disputes with cable companies over deals to carry networks owned by News Corporation, including the Fox broadcast network and a suite of news and sports channels. The vote fell along party lines, with the FCC's three Republicans voting for the deal and the two Democratic commissioners voting against it. The Los Angeles Times reported that FCC chairman Michael Powell negotiated late into the day Friday with Democratic commissioner Jonathan Adelstein in a bid to win a bipartisan majority, but that effort failed when the two could not agree on timetables for DirecTV to carry local channels in all markets.