Local TV Stations Win EchoStar Ruling

EchoStar Communications Corp. was barred by a federal appeals court from delivering distant network signals to subscribers in a victory for local broadcasters.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld a 2003 ruling in favor of the affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX and the FOX TV network. The broadcasters accused EchoStar of violating federal copyright law by bypassing local affiliates and airing network programs beamed from stations in cities such as New York and Los Angeles.