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New satellite to boost HD for DISH

Jeff Richgels  —  7/16/2008 10:13 am

DISH Network's plans to continue to add high-definition channels got a boost early Wednesday with the successful launch of the EchoStar XI broadcast satellite.

DISH, the second-largest U.S. satellite TV company, aims to roll out more HD channels to keep up with its larger satellite rival DirecTV and stay ahead of cable and phone companies' video services.

The new satellite helps DISH recover from the failure of a satellite launched in March to reach its intended orbit.

DISH just announced plans to launch another 17 national high-definition channels on Aug. 1, putting it five months ahead of its plan to reach 100 national HD channels by the end of the year.

DirecTV has said it will have 150 HD channels by the end of the year.

DISH also said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that its 12-year-old EchoStar 2 satellite had experienced a "substantial failure" that appeared to have rendered it a total loss. The company said EchoStar 2 primarily was a back-up satellite and provided local network channel service to Alaska and six other small markets, the company said. DISH said the programming and other services previously broadcast from EchoStar 2 were restored to the EchoStar 1 satellite.

Jeff Richgels  —  7/16/2008 10:13 am