(Washington, DC, December 13, 2006) — Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen said today that she is aggressively working to secure passage of Senator Patrick Leahy’s legislation, S. 4067 that would restore the ability of satellite television customers in the VI to receive access to the four major networks, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.  Subscribers to Echo Star/Dish Network in the Virgin Islands and other parts of the country have faced the loss of those channels since December 1 due to a court ruling which challenged the right of the satellite providers to transmit them without compensating the networks.

Christensen who wrote to Leahy earlier this year in support of this legislation said that she hoped that the measure would have passed before Congress adjourned. “Many of my constituents who are Echo Star/Dish Network customers have been calling the office asking me to support the legislation,” Delegate Christensen said.  “I want them all to know that I have already lent my full support to it.”  Christensen also wanted to make it clear that the issue is countrywide and was not specific to the Virgin Islands.

The issue began when Echo Star/Dish Networks, admittedly took a very aggressive position in regards to the amended Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999.  The satellite service provider chose to transmit the signals of the four major networks from outside of the coverage areas of customers without compensating the networks.  A federal court last October upheld an injunction against Echo Star/Dish Network imposed last May and ordered them to cutoff signals from the four networks as of December 1.

Christensen said that unfortunately this matter will not be resolved until the next Congress when the Leahy bill will be up for consideration.