Attachment 1.65 ltr

This document pretains to SAT-LOA-20070105-00001 for Application to Launch and Operate on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATLOA2007010500001_629609

STEPTOE&RJOHNSONu ATTORNEYS AT LAW Pantelis Michalopoulas 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW 202429.6239 i 4° Washington, DC 20036—1795 pmichalo@steptoe.com fiECE;\;EE Tel 2024293000 F‘EB Fax 2024293902 0 8 2008 _ steptoc.com | FILED/ACCEPTED Satellite Division international Bureau JAN 3 1 2008 Fedoral Cc;:xlrzuiséca:isns Com mission Office of the Secretary January 31, 2008 Via HAND DELIVERY Marlene H. Dortch Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Re: Change of Applicant —— EchoStar Corporation Dear Ms. Dortch, Pursuant to Section 1.65 of the Commission‘s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.65, EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. ("ESOLLC")‘ notifies the Commission that EchoStar Corporation, a publicly traded Nevada corporation, is being substituted as the applicant for the pending applications listed in Exhibit A, effective January 25, 2008. On January 1, 2008, ESOLLC consummated an assignment ofits earth station assets and some of its satellite assets to EchoStar Holding Corporation as part of a pro forna transaction approved by the Commission on November 16, 2007. Public Notice, DA 07—4655 (rel. Nov. 16, 2007). On January 25, 2008, EchoStar Holding Corporation changed its name to EchoStar Corporation. We respectfully request that the IBFS records for the listed applications be updated to reflect EchoStar Corporation as the applicant. ‘ EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation was converted into a Colorado limited liability company effective on December 31, 2007. Under Colorado law, "[t}he resulting entity is the same entity as the converting entity." See Colo. Rev. Stat. 7—90—202(4). WASHINGTON + NEW YORK «+ CHICAGO + PHOENIX + LOS ANGELES + CENTURY CITY + LONDON + BRUSSELS

STEPTOE R]JOHNSON— Marlene H. Dortch January 31, 2008 Page 2 The applications that ESOLLC has assigned to EchoStar Corporation include its 17/24 GHz Broadcasting—Satellite Service applications." Accordingly, to the extent necessary, EchoStar requests a waiver of Section 25.158(c) of the Commission‘s rules to allow the 17/24 GHz BSS applications to maintain their priority in the filing queue. 47 C.F.R. §25.158(c). Section 25.158(c) provides that "an applicant for a GSO—like satellite system license is not allowed to transfer, assign, or otherwise permit any other entity to assume its place in any queue."" It is uncertain to what extent this rule applies to a pro forma change such as this, where the real party in interest remains the same. In any event, the Commission has routinely chosen not to apply this rule where the assignment or transfer was for a legitimate business purpose (rather than for a speculative purpose), as in the case of major merger transactions that are not pro forma at all." Should a waiver be necessary, the same precedent would apply with even greater force to pro forma transactions. Here, there is a legitimate business purpose for the substitution of EchoStar Corporation for ESOLLC as the applicant of these applications: it is part of a pro forma corporate reorganization and spin—off among companies controlled by Mr. Charles W. Ergen. In November 2007, the Bureau approved the pro forma assignment described in the listed applications and the 17/24 GHz BSS applications were not the main object of this restructuring. Rather, they were only five of numerous authorizations and pending applications that were transferred to EchoStaras a result of this transaction." * See File Nos. SAT—AMD—20080114—00018, SAT—AMD—20080114—00019, SAT—AMD— 20080114—00020, SAT—AMD—20080114—00021, SAT—AMD—20080114—00022. 347 CFR. § 25.158(c). 5 See, eg., Intelsat Holdings, Ltd., Transferor, and Serafina Holdings Limited, Transferee, Consolidated Application for Consent to Transfer Control ofHolders of Title II and Title III Authorizations, Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 07—220 (rel. Dec. 17, 2007); Constellation, LLC, Carlyle PanAmSat 1, LLC, Carlyle PanAmSat II, LLC, PEP PAS, LLC, and PEOP PAS, LLC, Transferors and Intelsat Holdings, Ltd., Transferee, Consolidated Applicationfor Authority to Transfer Control ofPanAmSat Licensee Corporation and PanAmSat H—2 Licensee Corporation, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 21 FCC Red 7368 (rel. June 19, 2006). * EchoStar notes that the Commission revised the definition of a major amendment to exclude transfers of control when a major amendment would result in an applicant losing its place in the queue because "[t}he Commission did not intend the first—come, first—served procedure to deter legitimate business transactions." See Amendment ofthe Commission‘s Space Station Licensing Rules and Policies, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Red 10760, § 40. See also General Motors Corporation and Hughes Electronics Corporation, Transferors, and The News Corporation Limited, Transferee, for Authority to Transfer Control, Supplemental Order, 19 FCC Red 6309, 4 3—4 (rel. Apr. 9, 2004) (determining that the transfer did not result in any pending applications subject to cut—off dates to lose their place in the queue).

STEPTOER]JOHNSONur Marlene H. Dortch January 31, 2008 Page 3 Accordingly, to the extent necessary, EchoStar respectfully requests that Section 25.158(c) of the Commission‘s rules be waived to allow this minor change in the identity of the applicant with respect to the above referenced 17/24 GHz BSS applications. Y urs si cfrely, 6y , ) by Verldr Agael| Noh ty Pantelis Michalopoulos Counselfor EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. and EchoStar Corporation ce: Kathleen Campbell — International Bureau Jeanette Spriggs — International Bureau

Exhibit A File Number Call Sign Current Applicant New Applicant SES—L1C—20071128—01626 E070266 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—AMD—20071220—01737 E070273 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation $ES—L1C—20071204—01653 SES—AMD—20071220—01732 E070274 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—L1C—20071204—01655 SES—AMD—20071220—01731 E070275 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—L1C—20071204—01654 SES—AMD—20071220—01733 E070283 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—L1C—20071207—01674 SES—AMD—20071220—01734 E070284 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—L1C—20071207—01675 SES—AMD—20071220—01735 E070286 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES—L1C—20071217—01703 SAT—AMD—20080114—00018 $2440 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT—AMD—20051118—00247 SAT—LOA—20020328—00050 SAT—AMD—20080114—00019 $2441 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT—AMD—20051118—00246 SAT—LOA—20020328—0005 1 SAT—AMD—20080114—00020 $2442 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT—AMD—20051118—00245 $AT—LOA—20020328—00052 SAT—AMD—20080114—00021 $2723 EchoStar Satellite Operating LL.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT—LOA—20070105—00001 SAT—AMD—20080114—00022 $2725 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT—LOA—20070105—00003


Document Created: 2008-02-13 11:41:35
Document Modified: 2008-02-13 11:41:35
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