Barry Willis

The Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?575">recently passed</A> by Congress and expected to be signed into law by President Clinton, will usher in a new level of competition to the television broadcasting industry&mdash;and a new era of service for viewers, according to direct-broadcast satellite service <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A>. The bill allows DBS companies to provide signals from local TV stations, just as cable companies have always done.

TV fans "will never have to miss another minute of their favorite shows," said Larry Chapman, executive vice president of <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A>, in announcing his company's investment in <A HREF="http://www.tivo.com/">TiVo Inc</A>. The direct-broadcast satellite (DBS) provider has bought a 10% interest in TiVo as part of its campaign to expand its line of services.

The near future looks mighty promising for HDTV fans. On September 8, <A HREF="http://www.directv.com">DirecTV</A> announced an ambitious plan to launch its next generation of satellites, a move that could dramatically expand the availability of high-definition programming. The development comes in the wake of DirecTV's acquisition earlier this year by News Corp., which now owns an 82% stake in the direct broadcast satellite operator.

Federal regulators appear to have few objections to the proposed buyout of the satellite broadcaster by News Corporation&mdash;which makes for a completely different scenario than last year's aborted acquisition of DirecTV by rival Echostar.