Dish Network and A&E Networks renewed a multiyear contract providing Dish customers with access to the network’s content and programming from its entire portfolio. The agreement includes over-the-top multi-stream rights for live and VOD content, Dish said Tuesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1v6MP2j). The OTT rights make the content available “to an untapped segment of customers that is seeking a flexible, content-driven, Internet-accessible service,” it said.

Intelsat Q2 sales fell 5.8 percent to $615.7 million from the year-ago quarter on lower transponder services revenue amid a sales decline in capacity sold for government applications and other decreases. Due to “improving cost and cash flow trends,” the company forecast 2014 revenue of as much as $2.5 billion, in Monday’s earnings release (http://bit.ly/1ot22W7). It said the company’s next launch, planned for Q4, is Intelsat 30, which will primarily serve DirecTV Latin America. Eleven satellite programs are in development, and the contracted backlog was $10.3 billion on June 30, Instelsat said. Last quarter’s profit of $56.9 million reversed a year-earlier net loss.

Sirius XM urged the FCC to revise the 2005 emergency alert system (EAS) rules for satellite radio. The scope of the EAS testing required of satellite radio “is inconsistent with the operation of the platform and with the public’s needs,” Sirius XM said last week in an ex parte filing in docket 04-296 (http://bit.ly/1oWhHxV). Weekly testing of Sirius’ emergency alert capabilities is “unnecessary and duplicative,” it said. The FCC can further ensure the proper functioning of emergency alert equipment “through its logging requirements, as it does for DBS, rather than requiring transmissions to listeners,” it said. If weekly testing were necessary, the FCC would require weekly announcements to be carried by all comparable media, “rather than imposing that requirement disproportionately on satellite radio,” it said. Revising the rules will reduce the burdens on Sirius XM and its customers “while imposing obligations commensurate with those required of other communications providers,” Sirius said.

Intelsat requested a 180-day extension to consummate the transfer of control of some of Intelsat’s earth and space station licenses. Intelsat would like until Feb. 2 to complete the transfer, it said in a request Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1s7rqT5). Granting the request will serve the public interest by allowing Intelsat an opportunity to complete the transfer “in a time frame consistent with current business and market considerations,” it said.

The Satellite Industry Association will search for a new president this summer. Its current president, Patricia Cooper, will resign Aug. 15 to work for Intelsat. (See separate report below in this issue.) During the recruitment process, SIA Policy Director Sam Black will be SIA acting president, SIA said Wednesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1s52XN5).

Globalstar continued to urge the FCC to reject Iridium’s petition to reallocate spectrum in the lower Big Low Earth Orbit (LEO) band. Iridium presents no justification for revisiting the FCC’s 2007 decision allocating the lower Big LEO band between Iridium and Globalstar, Globalstar said in an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 13-213 (http://bit.ly/1s1KHEg). Globalstar also urged the FCC to grant it authority to provide low-power terrestrial mobile broadband service in its own licensed spectrum. Its filing recounts a series of meetings with staff from the Wireless Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology, and with staff from the offices of Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel.

ViaSat acquired GrayLabs to expand high-rate modem and design technologies. The transaction gives ViaSat “new ways to deliver a higher level of performance and increased data throughput for commercial and government customers,” said the acquirer Monday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1o6sLn4). ViaSat said it expects to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications.

The Satellite Industry Association asked the FCC for an extension of time to file reply comments in the proceeding on commercial operations in the 3550-3650 MHz band. SIA would like the deadline changed from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15, it said in its motion in docket 12-354 (http://bit.ly/1Ah3q3t). Reviewing all the comments and documents filed during the initial comment period, and drafting responsive comments will be time consuming for SIA and other parties, it said. During the reply period, many technical personnel for SIA member companies will not be available due to their attendance at ITU joint task force group meetings for the 2015 World Radiocommunications Conference, it said.

SES received a contract under the U.S. Air Force Hosted Payload Solutions program. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract “will provide a streamlined method for the U.S. government to host government payloads on SES spacecraft,” SES said Wednesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1lwgYOM). The contract has a five-year ordering period, and all missions and studies under the contract are expected to be completed no later than Jan. 31, 2029, it said. The Air Force planned to award IDIQ contracts to 14 vendors (CD April 29/13 p6).

The Society of Satellite Professionals International launched a website Tuesday to catalog the contributions of satellite technology to human welfare, the economy, peace and security. The site, www.BetterSatelliteWorld.com, is part of the Making the Case for Satellite campaign, “which seeks to raise awareness of satellite as one of the world’s essential communications platforms,” SSPI said Tuesday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1lrOeqp). The site features stories of satellite use in the world, and SSPI welcomes story submissions, it said. Submissions can be emailed to makingthecase@sspi.org, it said.