WASHINGTON (AP) – DirecTV Group Inc. spent $970,000 in the second quarter to lobby Congress on carriage of local channels, taxes and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.

The nation's largest provider of satellite TV lobbied on the Satellite Consumers' Right to Local Channels Act, introduced in February by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.).

The bill would require satellite TV companies to carry local channels in all markets. Currently, cable is required to carry local channels, but satellite TV operators are not.

DirecTV also lobbied on the Local Television Freedom Act, which would allow retransmission of signals of local TV stations in an adjacent underserved county.

The El Segundo, Calif.-based company lobbied on the State Video Tax Fairness Act, which stops any state from imposing higher net taxes on one pay-TV operator – such as cable and satellite TV companies – but not another. The bill applies to taxes imposed starting on Jan. 1, 2008.

In the April-June period, DirecTV also lobbied on access to, pricing of and exclusive deals on sports programming, according to the report filed July 20 with the House clerk's office.