DTV to pay up and other news

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DirecTV said it reached a voluntary agreement with attorneys general from 22 states, all of which consolidated their issues into a single multi-state Task Force, to settle allegations that certain company advertising and promotional efforts did not make clear disclosures to consumers. DirecTV denied the allegations, and said it believes that at all times it has complied with advertising disclosure requirements and all applicable laws. The agreement with the task force also acknowledges that DirecTV did not violate any federal or state law, the satellite TV company said.
The company said voluntary settlements of such allegations, particularly in the multi-state task force environment, is a common business practice. DirecTV said it believes it's in the best interest of consumers and its business to amicably resolve such claims without costly litigation.
Most of the advertising that prompted the allegations was prepared by independent retailers and not DirecTV, the company said. Because of that, DirecTV said it has agreed to more closely monitor the advertising practices of the independent companies with which it does business.
Also as part of the agreement, DirecTV agreed to pay $5 million to the 22 states to cover the costs of the task force. No portion of the amount was designated as a fine, the company said. DirecTV also said it will implement a complaint resolution and restitution program for customers in the 22 states that were part of the agreement.
"Customer satisfaction has always been a top priority for DirecTV and we believe that implementing the agreement will further improve our consumer offerings," the company said in a statement.

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The nation's biggest cable operators said they would be happy to introduce family tiers of programming to address concerns about indecent programming coming from cable and satellite TV companies.

That was the message coming from the cable industry Monday, which saw the last of two hearings being held this month by the Senate Commerce Committee on TV indecency. While lawmakers said they welcome cable's family tiers, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said he'll wait and see what happens with the industry's push.

"There are still going to be people who want federal regulation and federal legislation," Stevens said. "If the industry follows the lead of the Motion Picture Association and adopts a meaningful ratings system, I think they deserve time to see whether or not that is acceptable to the American public. I believe it will be and if it is, as far as I'm concerned, that will be the end of it."

As for satellite TV adopting family tiers, Stevens said, "I think they'll get the message themselves." He added, "I believe the entities that adopt the family tier will see that the family organizations and American families will go to that tier. So once we see sizable numbers of these tiers established, I think those will be the winners in terms of attracting new customers away from those entities that will not create a family tier."

In a statement released Monday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said he's happy cable has responded to consumer demand and has voluntarily offered family tiers.

"For several years, I have been urging the cable and satellite industry to give parents additional tools to help them address the increasing amount of coarse programming on television," Martin said. "Offering a family-friendly package has always been one of the options I supported."

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A recent study released by Starz Entertainment Group found that the vast majority of Starz On Demand customers no longer rent or buy DVDs.

Also, the study also found that 76 percent of users are more satisfied with their cable company because of Starz On Demand, the programmer said.

The Starz study found that 72 percent of its VOD users rent fewer DVDs than in the past, and 60 percent buy fewer DVDs. In addition, 96 percent of users said they think Starz On Demand is easy to use, and 81 percent are very satisfied with the product.

The company said its Starz On Demand Satisfaction Tracker was conducted among current subscribers with the same digital cable service in 10 major markets in September and October. OTX Research fielded the study and processed the dat

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DISH Network announced a new promotion for customers to get a
free Sirius satellite radio when they sign up for DISH satellite TV
service. The offer, valid to new DISH Network residential
subscribers, allows audiophiles to listen to the digital satellite
music either at home or on the road.

New DISH Network subscribers who sign up before the end of the
year will get a free Sirius One satellite radio, valued at $50,
after they agree to three months of the satellite radio service
for $12.95 per month.

The Sirius One radio features a reversible display and can be
placed on the visor, dash or console. The Sirius One is designed
for quick and easy vehicle installation and comes complete with
four mounting options: sun visor, windshield, dash board or
instrument panel.

New customers to DISH Network, who sign up for Digital Home
Advantage before Dec. 31, can get a basic satellite TV
programming package for only $19.99 a month for the first three
months. Additionally, new subscribers receive three free months
of HBO, Cinemax and Showtime. The satellite TV offer comes
complete with free installation, no hardware to buy and a free
DVR upgrade.

The offer is not available to customers in Alaska, Hawaii,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Sirius activation fees
and shipping charges apply.