Dish Network Corporation

"Information on EchoStar Corp, manufacture of Cable, Satellite receivers and former parent visit Echostar Corporation"

DISH Network Corporation (nasdaq|DISH) is the parent company of DISH Network. The company was formerly known as EchoStar Communications Corporation.

History

EchoStar was formed in 1980 by its chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen as a distributor of C band TV systems. In 1987, EchoStar applied for a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) license with the Federal Communications Commission and was granted access to orbital slot 119° west longitude in 1992.

On December 28, 1995, EchoStar successfully launched its first satellite, EchoStar I. That same year, EchoStar established the DISH Network brand name to market its home satellite TV system.

In 1998, EchoStar purchased the broadcasting assets of a satellite broadcasting joint venture of News Corporation's ASkyB and MCI Worldcom. With this purchase EchoStar obtained 28 of the 32 transponder licenses in the 110° W orbital slot, more than doubling existing CONUS broadcasting capacity at a value of $682.5 million. The acquisition inspired the company to introduce a multi-satellite system called DISH 500, theoretically capable of receiving more than 500 channels on one dish. In the same year, Echostar — in association with Bell Canada — launched Dish Network Canada.

In January 2005, EchoStar bought the broadcasting assets of the troubled HDTV DBS company Voom, including its Rainbow 1 satellite co-located with EchoStar 3 at 61.5° W. On April 29, EchoStar announced that it would expand its HDTV programming by adding the first 10 of 21 original Voom channels and mirror the channels on a CONUS slot.

On January 1, 2008 EchoStar split into two separate businesses: DISH Network Corporation and Echostar Corporation. [cite web
url=http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?rpc=66&symbol=SATS.O
title=EchoStar Corp (SATS.O) Company Profile
publisher=Reuters
accessdate=2008-06-18] DISH Network Corporation, the larger of the two resulting companies, focuses on US-based marketing of satellite television, while EchoStar Corporation runs a majority of the satellite fleet and other signal infrastructure.

Controversies

There recently have been accusations that Dish Network has homophobic business practices, as they refuse to add any LGBT programing to their line up, such as the Logo channel and Here! (which are carried by DirecTV and most major cable companies). Dish also apparently backed out of a contract with GTN (Gay Television Network) to carry the channel. [ http://www.glinn.com/news/05000101.htm GLINN.com news article] [http://www.motherjones.com/news/mustreads/2001/01/013001.html] [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2001_March_13/ai_71763681]

atellite fleet

Orbital Locations Vary
Most of the satellites used by DISH Network are owned and operated by Echostar Corporation. Since EchoStar frequently moves satellites among its many orbiting slots this list may not be immediately accurate.
Refer to [http://www.lyngsat.com/ Lyngsat.com] and [http://www.dishchannelchart.com Dish Channel Chart] for detailed satellite information.

References

ee also

*DISH Network
*Direct Broadcast Satellite

External links

* [http://www.EchoStar.com/ EchoStar homepage]
* [http://www.echostareurope.com/ EchoStar Europe]
* [http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/comments/2173.htm ASkyB/MCI Worldcom litigation]
* [http://www.skyreport.com/dth_his.cfm SkyREPORT.com history of DTH broadcasting]
* [http://www.lyngsat.com/ Lyngsat.com Satellite Data]
* [http://www.satelliteguys.us/ SatelliteGuys.US - Satellite Discussion Forum]
* [http://www.sat-index.com/failures/ Sat-Index.com Satellite Failure Reports]
* [http://dishchannelchart.com/ Frequently updated unaffiliated definitive Dish Network channel and satellite chart]