Attachment letter

letter

LETTER submitted by EchoStar

letter

2008-02-01

This document pretains to SAT-LOA-20071221-00183 for Application to Launch and Operate on a Satellite Space Stations filing.

IBFS_SATLOA2007122100183_669682

S T E P T O&EJ O H N S O N L L P A T T O R N E Y S AT LAW Pantelis Michalopoulos 1330 Connecticut Avenue. NW 202.429.6239 Washington, DC 20036-1795 pmichalo@steptoe.com Tel 202.429.3000 Fax 202.429.3902 steptoe.com February 1,2008 FILED/ACCEPTED Via HAND DELIVERY FEB - 72008 Marlene H. Dortch M e m i Commumcatrons Commission Secretary Office of the Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554 Re: Corrected Notice of Applicant Change - EchoStar Corporation File No. SAT-LOA-20071221-00183 Dear Ms. Dortch: Yesterday, EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. (“ESOLLC”) and EchoStar Corporation submitted two letters pursuant to Section 1.65 of the Commissions rules, 47 C.F.R. 5 1.65, to noti@ the Commission that (1) EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation had changed its name to ESOLLC with respect to this application (“Name Change Letter”), and (2) to substitute EchoStar Corporation for ESOLLC as the applicant, with respect to various other pending applications before the Commission (“Substitution Letter”).2 Due to inadvertence, however, those letters incorrectly indicated that ESOLLC should remain the applicant on the above referenced application. In fact, EchoStar Corporation should be substituted as the applicant for this application. Accordingly, ESOLLC and EchoStar Corporation hereby withdraw the Name Change Letter and submit a corrected Substitution Letter (Exhibit A). We respecthlly request that this corrected letter be 1 Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for ESOLLC and EchoStar Corporation, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC,JiZed in File No. SAT-LOA-20071221-00183 (Jan. 3 1,2008). See Letter from Pantelis Michalopoulos, Counsel for ESOLLC and EchoStar Corporation, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC,JiZeA in File No. SES-LIC-20071128-01626 et al. (Jan. 3 1,2008). WASHINGTON NEW YORK CHICAGO PHOENIX LOS ANGELES CENTURY CITY LONDON BRUSSELS

STEPTOE &loH N S O N LLp Marlene H. Dortch February 1,2008 Page 2 accepted in place of the original Substitution Letter (which can now be discarded). We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Counselfor EchoStar Corporation

Exhibit A

STE P T O E &J o H N s o N LLp ATTORNEYS AT LAW Pantel is Micha lopoulos 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW 202.429.6239 Washington, DC 20036-1795 pmichalo@steptoe.com Tel 202.429.3000 Fax 202.429.3902 steptoe.com February 1,2008 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. 5 1.65, EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.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 of its earth station assets and some of its satellite assets to EchoStar Holding Corporation as part of apro forma 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 3 1,2007. Under Colorado law, “[tlhe resulting entity is the same entity as the converting entity.” See Colo. Rev. Stat. 7-90-202(4). WASHINGTON NEWYORK CHICAGO PHOENIX LOS ANGELES CENTURY CITY LONDON BRUSSELS

STEPTOE~ J O H N S O N L L P Marlene H. Dortch February 1,2008 Page 2 The appkations that ESOLLC has assigned to EchoStar Corporation include its 17/21 GHz Broadcasting-Satellite Service applications.2 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. 9 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.”3 It is uncertain to what extent this rule applies to apro 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.4 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 apro 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 EchoStar as a result of this transaction? ~~~~~ See File Nos. SAT-AMD-20080114-00018, SAT-AMD-20080114-00019, SAT-AMD- 200801 14-00020, SAT-AMD-20080114-00021, SAT-AMD-20080114-00022. 47 C.F.R. tj 25.158(c). See, e.g., Intelsat Holdings, Ltd., Transferor, and Sera3na Holdings Limited, Transferee, Consolidated Applicationfor Consent to Transfer Control of Holders of Title II and Title III Authorizations, Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 07-220 (rel. Dec. 17,2007); Constellation, LLC, Carlyle PanAmSat I, LLC, Carlyle PanAmSat II, LLC, PEP PAS, LLC, and PEOP PAS, LLC, Transferors and Intelsat Holdings, Ltd., Transferee, ConsolidatedApplicationfor Authority to Transfer Control of PanAmSat Licensee Corporation and PanAmSat H-2 Licensee Corporation, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 21 FCC Rcd 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 of the Commission’s Space Station Licensing Rules and Policies, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 10760,y 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 Rcd 6309,yT 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).

S T EP T O E &Jo H NS ON ILP Marlene H. Dortch February 1,2008 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 B S S applications. B u r s sincerely, I "Pantelis Michalopoulos Counselfor EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L. C. and EchoStar Corporation cc: Kathleen Campbell - International Bureau Jeanette Spriggs - International Bureau

Exhibit A File Number Call Sign Current Applicant New Applicant SES-LIC-2007 1128-01626 SES-AMD-2007 1220-01737 SES-LIC-2007 1204-01653 I E070266 I EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. I EchoStar Corporation EchoStar Corporation SES-AMD-2007 1220-01732 E070274 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES-LIC-2007 1204-01655 SES-AMD-2007 1220-01731 E070275 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES-LIC-2007 1204-01654 SES-AMD-2007 1220-01733 E070283 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES-LIC-2007 1207-01674 SES-AMD-2007 1220-01734 E070284 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES-LIC-2007 1207-01675 SES-AMD-2007 1220-01735 E070286 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SES-LIC-2007 1217-01703 SAT-AMD-20080 114-00018 S2440 EchoStar Satellite Operating L .L.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT-AMD-2005 1118-00247 SAT-LOA-2002032 8-00050 SAT-AMD-20080 114-00019 S244 1 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT-AMD-2005 1118-00246 SAT-LOA-20020328-0005 1 SAT-AMD-20080 114-00020 S2442 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. EchoStar Corporation SAT-AMD-2005 1118-00245 SAT-LOA-20020328-00052 SAT-AMD-20080 114-00021 I 1 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. I EchoStar Corporation SAT-LOA-20070 105-00001 SAT-AMD-20080 114-00022 SAT-LOA-20070 105-00003 II s2723 s2725 1 EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C. I EchoStar Corporation SAT-LOA-2007 1221-00183 S2746 I EchoStar Satellite Operating L.L.C 1 EchoStar Corporation


Document Created: 2008-02-12 15:50:50
Document Modified: 2008-02-12 15:50:50
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