EchoStar communications' Dish Network and Hughes' DirecTV -- the two U.S. home satellite services -- will be required to black out some sports and syndicated programs under new FCC rules that take effect at the end of this month, Bloomberg News observed today (Friday). The companies will have 60 days to eliminate conflicting sports programming and 120 days to phase out syndicated shows carried on their "superstations." Dish Network offers a package of five such stations, KTLA-Los Angeles, KWGN-Denver, WPIX and WWOR-New York and WSBK-Boston. DirecTV, offers only one superstation, WGN-Chicago.

Source: Studio Briefing