Dish Network Uplinks 1,000th Local Channel

[Scott Greczkowski]

DISH NETWORK uplinks 1,000TH CHANNEL
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SATELLITE TV COMPANY NOW BROADCASTS All Major Networks
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FOR Customers in youngstown Area
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo., July 6, 2004 - EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that its DISH Network(tm) has made ABC Ch. 33 (WYTV) in the Youngstown, Ohio, area the satellite TV company's 1,000th local channel nationwide. The milestone comes on the heels of DISH Network's announcement that it has reached 10 million subscribers.

DISH Network, the fastest growing pay-TV provider in the nation since 2000, launched its first local channels in 1999 and claimed entry into its 50th state - Wyoming - last month. The steady rollout of local markets over the years and the achievement of 1,000 channels puts DISH Network far ahead of any single pay-TV competitor.

The addition of ABC Ch. 33 (WYTV) enables DISH Network to offer all Big 4 networks in the Youngstown market. Youngstown-area channels previously launched and counted within the 1,000 local channels on DISH Network are: CBS Ch. 27 (WKBN), FOX Ch. 62 (WYFX) and NBC Ch. 21 (WFMJ).

ABC Ch. 33 (WYTV) boosts DISH Network's offering of local channels in 136 cities and their metro areas.

DISH Network now offers local channels as part of its new Digital Home Advantage. Starting at $29.99 per a month, this promotion offers customers free installation for up to four TVs, with no commitment and no hardware to buy and includes more than 60 popular TV channels such as ESPN, Discovery and Nickelodeon, plus local Duluth TV channels. For customers who do not subscribe to Digital Home Advantage, local channels will be available at $5.99 per a month.

For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 1-800/333-DISH (3474), or contact a local DISH Network retailer.
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About EchoStar
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EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves 10 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(tm) and is the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network is the leader in the sale of digital video recorders (DVRs). Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).
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PRESS CONTACTS:

Julie Popp, julie.popp@echostar.com, 303-723-2023

 

[hancox]

great - that "giant sucking sound" you're all hearing is bandwidth going bye bye for East Buttmunch's locals

 

[bcshields]

I tells ya how far out in the boons I live.. 1000 locals stations, and my local channels (all 2 of them) aren't part of them. Show some love to Southern Delaware and Maryland's Eastern shore, Charlie..

 

[DarrellP]

1,000 / 6 = 166 HD channels, gee Charlie, you COULD have been the HD leader.

 

[aperry]

Wouldn't work though Darrell... Most of the locals are on spot beams, so it would be much fewer channels if you figured 1 "real" channel per spot beam.

But you probably already knew that...

 

[DarrellP]

You got me on that one!

 

[jerryez]

The government is wasting our money making Dish carry so many locals. Everyone should be eligble for one National feed of each network. What the Hell is wrong with this country.

 

[bcshields]

People are morons. In my local area, they won't switch to Dish unless they get the local channels they have been watching all their life. Granted, in Southern delaware there's nothing to report but how the crops are doing and what the price of soybeans are this morning, but that's what they want. You won't get the "three legged chicken" story (true story, I might add) from a NYC station, and they won't want it.

One person cancelled because they won't get school snow cancellation notices.. it snows TWICE A YEAR here... and she could have gotten that info on the radio.

It's a joke, but Joe Consumer is a dumbass.. a dumbass who wants his local "streaker at the high school football game" story while he's eating dinner... or else he might as well watch Fox News.

I don't get it myself, but that's the way it is... aside from the politics of station owners losing revenue, etc etc.

 

[jlhugh]

Hopefully the Wichita Falls locals will be 1001-1004. The should be up and running by the 8th. This will bring a lot more people in this area to E*. I know quite a few people that won't get E* because of the locals not being on the dish yet.

 

[MikeD-C05]

This is why Dish is working overtime to add all the city dma locals. Then they can add them to the base pack and everyone will get them automatically when they add the lowest package. They also know that there will be no difference between Dish and the local cable company ; this will eliminate anyone else's hesitation to add Dishnetwork. The more subs = more profit.

I know I have been receiving networks from Distants cities like New York, L. A. and even spotbeam locals from Little Rock and now Houston. I would still like to see my hometown local city of Beaumont/Pt. Arthur, Texas. Having the 921 I can now integrate them into my sat guide and even record off of them. THis is nice but I still need guide information to know what is on. I also back up these with a stand alone Tivo so I can record my local area news and weather. The digital quality of my locals in my city are better than what I get on the satellite- no compression artifacts. When and if they ever add my city's channels up on the satellite I will finally be able to "move " back home .

So I guess in the end I have to say having my own local area networks would be better than another cities , for various weather related reasons like Tornado /Thunderstorm warnings, etc. , but till that happens I will have to keep my satellite locals from Houston. That is only 90 miles away and they usually get our weather first . I think if you asked most people, they would say having their own cities local channels would be a big reason why they would go with one sat service over another one. I bet that before 2005 ends Dish will finish up the rest of the country and the reasons for "moving" will go down for most people with Dish.

 

[stratguy]

Well fortunately here in Nashville we get our locals for a price of course. When I get one of the receivers that will record OTA's I will save 6 bucks a month because the only reason we pay for the locals is so we can record them in my 721. We get all of our locals great with rabbit ears so I'm sure they will lock in fine with an antenna.

Bob

 

[Stargazer]

I dont know if Dish will be able to add the rest of the locals before the end of 2005 or not, but they would be pretty close if they do not get them all by then.

Most the people I know do want their local channels for local news, severe weather information, etc. Many are not eligible for all their distant network channels so that plays a part in them wanting their locals as well.

Even if Dish had the space for over 100 HD channels there would not be enough HD content out there to fill that gap yet. Perhaps by the time there is an HD/digital feed of most if not all the channels we have today then they will find a way to get more bandwidth or to share it such as with the local channels.

 

[Foxbat]

Most the people I know do want their local channels for local news, severe weather information, etc.

Severe weather information? When the satellite cuts out due to rain fade, you have two-ten minutes till the heavens open up. If you can, put up an antenna for your locals instead. Or get a NOAA weather radio for severe weather information. I wouldn't trust my life to a DBS-delivered signal.

 

[bcshields]

I was about to say.. I know a T-Storms coming cause my signal goes out. If the signal's out and hail hits the roof I head for the cellar. I don't need Bob the Wacky Weatherman to issue a Tornado Watch/Warning/Advisory/Whatever for me to hit the ground.

People have become too dependant on having other people think for them.

 

[haggis444]

Just curious as how DirecTV compares? # of locals/customers.

 

[Greg Bimson]

DirecTV has 12.6 million customers. DirecTV only carries 106 markets at the moment, as opposed to Dish Network's 136 markets.

 

[Stargazer]

Well usually you can get a storm warning in the neighboring counties before it hits you, in your own county (the warning works better if you are not on the edge of the county where the storm starts moving in but getting the storm warning on the neighboring county is a good indication), and winter storm alerts.

 

[Pepper]

Nobody else mentioned this so I will. Based on my reading of the press release, 1000 is the TOTAL number of E* channels, not the total number of local stations.

 

[DarrellP]

Nobody else mentioned this so I will. Based on my reading of the press release, 1000 is the TOTAL number of E* channels, not the total number of local stations.

You better re-read the press release: "within the 1,000 local channels on DISH Network"

 

[GaryPen]

Yup. It says "local channels" at least 3 times in that article.