DBS Lobbying Down 23% in Q1 vs. Q4

The two direct broadcast satellite providers slowed their spending on lobbying in Q1, compared with Q4, analysis of public records shows. Dish Network and DirecTV’s combined expenses fell 23 percent to $860,000.

DirecTV reported spending $620,000 on lobbying on various issues at the federal level in Q1. That includes the company’s outlay on outside lobbying firms and salaries for DirecTV’s internal lobbyists and their expenses. Lobbying expenses fell from $790,000 in Q4, the records show. The company spent $530,000 on lobbying in Q1 2009. While the lobbying forms don’t say which issues received the most attention, DirecTV appears to have spent the most time lobbying the House and Senate on several pieces of legislation related to the reauthorization of distant signals necessary for DBS providers to import far away local programming to regions that lack a local affiliate. The reauthorization passed earlier this month after a drawn-out process that required several extensions (CD May 13 p2). The company also lobbied the House on the State Video Tax Fairness Act, a stalled bill that would make it illegal for states to charge taxes on satellite-TV services not charged for cable.

DirecTV spent the most on its outside lobbying last quarter for Fritts Group, paying it $75,000, unchanged from the previous quarter and the year-ago period. Last quarter, Fritts Group lobbied for DirecTV on satellite reauthorization, the State Video Tax Fairness Act, ad volume legislation, the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act and “issues relative to net neutrality,” said the group’s filing. DirecTV made the largest spending cut on Wiltshire and Grannis, to which DirecTV paid $20,000 in Q1, 80 percent less than in the previous quarter. Wiltshire lobbied on satellite reauthorization, its filing said. Other issues outside lobbying firms worked on for DirecTV include behavioral advertising, set-top boxes, National Broadband Plan implementation, media mergers, retransmission consent and Defense Department appropriations.

Dish spent $240,000 total in Q1, though it didn’t do any lobbying itself, according to the company’s filing. During Q1, Dish was in the process of finding a new director of government affairs, a position that typically handled much of the company’s lobbying. Dish spent $320,000 on lobbying in Q4 and $330,000 in Q1 2009. The company paid Russel and Barron $60,000 to lobby Congress and the FCC on satellite reauthorization, the State Video Tax Fairness Act and to promote fair and equal state tax policies on satellite TV services,” Russel and Barron’s filing said. Dish paid Emmer Consulting $60,000 to lobby Congress on satellite reauthorization and “support for net neutrality principles in Internet governance,” Emmer’s filing said. Dunkel Government Relations was paid $30,000 by Dish for lobbying on satellite reauthorization and state taxing issues, Dunkel’s lobbying form said.