DISH Network Offers Local Channels To Detroit, Nashville, Philadelphia And Seattle Via Satellite Television
EchoStar Communications Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH, DISHP) announced today that the DISH Networkô is now offering local ABC, CBS and NBC network channels by satellite television to Detroit, Nashville, Philadelphia and Seattle. The FOX network channel, also available today to Nashville and Philadelphia DISH Network customers, will be available to Detroit and Seattle DISH Network customers before March 1, 2000. With final passage of satellite TV legislation by Congress, DISH Network can now provide dissatisfied cable customers an affordable and complete alternative by offering local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX network channels for a package price of only $4.99 per month. A national PBS channel can be purchased for an additional $1 per month. DISH Network also plans to offer popular independent network channels in some markets. With the addition of Detroit, Nashville, Philadelphia and Seattle, DISH Network offers local channels to a total of 18 cities, including: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; San Francisco; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Atlanta; Miami; Phoenix; Denver; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St. Paul. DISH Network plans to offer local channels via satellite television to approximately 60 percent of the U.S. households by the end of March 2000. DISH Network customers can receive local channels using EchoStar's new DISH 500 satellite TV systems, which offer hundreds of all-digital channel choices using a single small dish antenna, including popular sports, news and entertainment programming and dozens of premium movie channels. DISH Network has reduced the price of a multiroom-ready Model 3822 DISH 500 satellite TV system from $249 to $199 for new customers through January 31. Equipped with dual amplifiers, DISH 500 is designed to receive signals from EchoStar satellites located at both 119 degrees West Longitude and 110 degrees W.L., offering customers hundreds of channels, including local channels, without requiring additional equipment. To find out how you can get your local channels along with hundreds of channels of popular satellite television programming, visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 1-800-333-DISH (3474), or contact your local DISH Network retailer. DISH Network is EchoStar's state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite TV system that is capable of offering over 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming, fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. DISH Network was also ranked number one in customer satisfaction among satellite/cable TV subscribers by the J.D. Power and Associates 1999 Cable/Satellite TV Customer Satisfaction Study. EchoStar V, EchoStar's newest high-power direct broadcast satellite, launched on a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS rocket on Sept. 23, 1999, to the 110 degrees W.L. orbital location. In addition to local channels, EchoStar V allows DISH Network to offer 500 channels, including high-definition television, Dolby Digital surround sound, Internet and high-speed interactive television and data services, all on a single dish antenna. DISH Network, which currently serves 3.25 million customers, is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH Network is located on the Internet at www.dishnetwork.com.