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DISH Network is a division of EchoStar Communications Corporation, which has been a leader for more than 26 years in satellite TV. DISH Network is the fastest growing pay-TV provider in the country since 2000 and currently serves more than 13.585 million satellite TV customers. DISH Network offers a premier line of industry-leading Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and hundreds of video and audio channels as well as the most national HD and International channels in the U.S.
Element Customer Care supports DISH Network with satellite bill printing, tech support and a skilled satellite call center. All your satellite customer care can be handled by Element, powered by CSG, so your customers can site back and enjoy their shows.
Dish In the News
DISH Reports 10K Subscriber Loss for Third Quarter
This morning, DISH Network reported that it lost about 10,000 net subscribers during the third quarter, taking its customer count to about 13.78 million. The period marks the second quarter of subscriber losses for the No. 2 small dish platform.
DISH said net income totaled $92 million in the quarter, compared with $200 million for the corresponding period in 2007. The $108 million decline in net earnings was primarily related to impairments on marketable and non-marketable securities, the company said. (The Morning Bridge 11/10/08)
DISH Unveils DTVPal DVR
DISH Network has taken the wraps off of its DTVPal DVR, a digital-to-analog converter box with digital recording capabilities. The box will be available for pre-order nationwide starting Nov. 19 with sales projected to begin in mid-December, the company said. Also, DISH said its ViP211 and ViP211k DVR conversion feature would be available at the end of the month. The feature offers customers the ability to convert a single tuner ViP211 and ViP211k into a DVR by attaching an external hard drive. (The Morning Bridge 11/12/08)
More Retailers Targeted by DISH
DISH Network on Monday provided another list of retailers terminated by the company that it said are believed to have engaged in illegal activity, including fraud and misrepresentation, when establishing customer accounts for the DBS service.
They are: Digi Tech Solutions L.L.C. of Henderson, Nev.; Mohammed Jabev (dba Starz Satellite) of Montgomery, Texas, Arsen Kazaryan (dba TV Connect) of Los Angeles, Calif., David Cativo (dba Houston Satellite) of Houston, Texas, Pro Tech Installation Serv LTD (dba Pro Tech Satell) of Lubbock, Texas, and Michael Nghiem (dba Techmedia Group) of Katy, Texas. The anti-fraud pushes were started by DISH in September. (SKYReport 11/04/08)
DISH, DIRECTV Keep Fighting Regulatory Fee Changes
Both DIRECTV and DISH Network were back at the Portals this week, arguing against a proposal from their video competitors that the regulatory fees they pay should be altered by the Federal Communications Commission. For the second time in three years, the FCC is seeking comment on whether the small dish platforms should pay fees based on a per-subscriber basis, similar to cable's fees. The push came from cable interests and others inside the Beltway. At the moment, DIRECTV and DISH pay regulatory fees based on the satellites and earth stations they operate for their respective services.
In joint comments filed late Monday, both DIRECTV and DISH said the cable industry and other video competitors have not made any justification for changes to the fee schedule. Also, cable cannot justify the changes in terms of regulatory parity, given that the wired business delivers services like broadband along with video, unlike satellite TV's single video focus, the companies stated in their FCC filing. (Sky REPORT 10/29/08)
With AT&T Sub Losses, What's Next for DISH?
After news surfaced that AT&T reported a loss in satellite TV subscribers during the third quarter, some on Wall Street began to scrutinize the impact that decline could have on the telco's exclusive DBS partner, DISH Network.
On Wednesday, AT&T reported that it lost 53,000 satellite TV connections in the third quarter, taking its total to 2.182 million at the end of September. Given that news, Tom Eagan of Collins Stewart, in a note released Thursday, said he now expects DISH to report a net customer loss of about 30,000 for the three-month period, revised from a previous 3Q estimate of a 20,000 net gain in customers for the DBS service.
DISH lost 25,000 customers in the second quarter, taking its total to 13.79 million. Also, Eagan said he expects DISH to gain 30,000 customers in the fourth quarter, down from a previous estimate of a 90,000 net gain for the small dish service during the last three months of the year. (SkyREPORT 10/24/08)
DISH Expands HD Locals, MPEG-4 Platform
DISH Network has continued efforts to expand local HD channel offerings as well as its MPEG-4 platform. DISH said that its service now offers local channels in 76 markets reaching 72 percent of U.S. TV households.
Also, DISH said it would begin transmitting its MPEG-4 delivery system to consumers in 21 additional markets in the Eastern half of the United States. The new markets include: Abilene-Sweetwater, Texas; Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.; Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; Florence-Myrtle-Beach, S.C.; Ft. Myers-Naples, Fla.; Huntsville-Decatur, Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Joplin-Pittsburg, Mo.; Lincoln and Hastings-Kearney, Neb.; Memphis, Tenn.; Mobile-Pensacola, Fla.; Omaha, Neb.; Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk, Ill.; Sherman, Texas/Ada, Okla.; South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.; St. Louis; Topeka, Kan.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan; Texas.
The additions join 31 other markets with the service. Customers who sign up for DISH in the 52 markets with access to the platform will receive all standard and high-def programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Standard. (SkyREPORT 10/24/08)
DISH Drops More Retailers
DISH Network said it terminated additional retailers the company said it believes engaged in illegal activity, including alleged fraud and misrepresentation, when establishing customer accounts for the DBS service.
Among the retailers dropped by DISH, as listed by the company: Dish Uplink L.L.C. of Lincoln, Neb., VDV L.L.C. of Pinckney, Mich., Cactus Concepts Inc. of Centennial, Colo., Unidish Network Comm. Inc. of Kissimmee, Fla., Saul Martinez of Perris, Calif., Pedro Sansores (dba Jes Network) of Fresno, Calif., and Qingnan Lai (dba JN Network) of Alhambra, Calif.
In a statement, DISH said it does not "tolerate illegal activity and will take action against any retailer that it believes has engaged in any form of fraud or misrepresentation in its dealings with DISH Network." (SkyREPORT 10/17/08)
DISH Takes Local HD Count to 70
DISH Network announced in October that its high-def locals count now stands at 70 markets, a number that reaches 71 percent of U.S. TV households.
DISH said it added HD locals for five markets: Florence/Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Fort Myers/Naples, Fla.; Greenville/New Bern/Washington, N.C.; Madison, Wis.; and Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa.
As part of the HD push, DISH continues to offer its TurboHD programming packages, which start at $24.99 a month and are available in three separate tiers. Current DISH customers looking to add high-def can get a "turbo-charged" HD package starting at $10 a month, the company said. On Wednesday, DIRECTV said it crossed the 100 HD locals market milestone with the addition of Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo., and Evansville, Ind., markets.
(SkyREPORT 10/10/08)
DISH Pays TiVo $104 Million in Patent Case
Apparently, DISH Network/EchoStar directed some cash to TiVo tied to the companies' ongoing litigation concerning alleged patent violations.
In a statement, the TiVo said it received $104.6 million from DISH/EchoStar on Wednesday. The amount includes the initial $74 million in damages awarded by the U.S. District Court handling the patent infringement case as well as supplemental damages covering the period through Sept. 8, 2006, and interest. DISH had no comment on the TiVo announcement. (SkyREPORT 10/10/08)