http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/ en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:24:43 GMT vBulletin 180 http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/ http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/126401-dave-merger-takeover-new-post.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:24:34 GMT The ink is hardly dry on the new CEO's contract and the stock isn’t due to spin out until year end, but chatter about a DIRECTV merger/take-over is already rampant. Liberty Media’s Dr. John Malone (who is currently the guy with the biggest stake) has fueled the speculation, declining to rule out a possible AT&T or Verizon takeover in an interview with Bloomberg.

DIRECTV already offers pay TV packages in concert with both AT&T and Verizon and, said Malone, “Our relationship will continue to broaden and intensify. It may lead to some more ownership-oriented relationship, or it may not.”

In addition, incoming CEO Michael White is widely seen as a place holder, preparing the company for sale within the next few years. Add that to the planned merger between DIRECTV and Malone’s Liberty Entertainment (minus Starz) and the path to a potential takeover is greatly simplified.:favor24 ]]> u133209 http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/126401-dave-merger-takeover.html http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/126001-dish-network-next-up-app-store-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:24:04 GMT Image: http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/9982/dish922sappstore.jpg November 13, 2009 EchoStar is developing the store, will provide the...

November 13, 2009

EchoStar is developing the store, will provide the software development kit (SDK), and will be Dish's liaison to developers, EchoStar officials said at this week's TelcoTV conference in Orlando, Fla.
"We're the ones to make sure the apps past muster, that they don't use too much of the resources in the box, for example," says Jeffrey Hale, an EchoStar national account manager.
The app store will be another feature of Dish's upcoming ViP 922 set-top box, also being developed by EchoStar. Dish is expected to deploy the box, which also includes place-shifting powers ŕ la Slingbox, early next year. (See EchoStar: No Cable Sale Guarantees and EchoStar Slings Its First Tru2way Set-Top.)
EchoStar officials at the booth weren't sure when Dish intends to launch the app store, but they said APIs are available and developers are working on the apps already.
It's a move that IPTV providers are likely to be watching. Many telcos have gotten beyond the construction stage with IPTV and are now looking for ways to generate more revenues -- and as keynoter Brook Longdon of Nokia Siemens Networks noted at TelcoTV, the real margins for IPTV lie in applications, not content. (See TelcoTV: IPTV Is Stagnating and IPTV Seeks Killer App.)
There's some debate over whether a TV app store would be as popular or as practical as the store Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has for the iPhone.
"I would caution that you don't want to have an app store on your TV," says Ric Brovedani, a senior director of multimedia integration services at Alcatel-LucentALU). "TV is something you don't want to get all cluttered up with too much stuff." (NYSE:
"I think TV should be more selective than an app store," says Sefy Ariely, vice president of sales and marketing for Orca Interactive Ltd. , now owned by a division of France Telecom SA (NYSE: FTE). "App stores tend to get full of a lot of garbage. People don't know how to use that. You're catering to a very select audience."
Ariely suggests that an alternative model might be for the system to recommendation apps, much in the way that some IPTV systems (including Orca's) can recommend TV shows or movies based on viewing habits.


— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor
lightreading


Jco_pr ]]> jco_pr http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/126001-dish-network-next-up-app-store.html http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125998-echostar-corporation-names-michael-dugan-president-ceo-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:13:05 GMT November 18, 2009: 06:00 AM ET



EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) announced today that Michael T. Dugan has been named the company's president and CEO, positions formerly held by Charles Ergen. Mr. Ergen will remain chairman of EchoStar Corporation.


Mr. Dugan currently serves on the board of directors for EchoStar and previously served in several executive roles, including president and chief operating officer, at the combined company from 1990-2004 prior to EchoStar's spinoff from DISH Network Corporation in January 2008.


"Mike was the chief architect behind the technological foundation for EchoStar and DISH Network, and I am pleased to welcome him back into the company he helped build," said Mr. Ergen. "Having Mike on board, along with the current executive management, establishes a highly seasoned team for leading EchoStar's endeavors in deploying advanced set-top box technologies and delivering satellite services worldwide."



Mr. Dugan began his EchoStar career as vice president of engineering for the subsidiary that later became EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.

CNN Money

Jco_pr
]]> jco_pr http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125998-echostar-corporation-names-michael-dugan-president-ceo.html http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125986-satellite-echostar-ceo-charles-ergen-steps-down-post-new-post.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:09 GMT So we can still call Dishnet Charlie, but he's not tied with Echostar anymore, but staying as CEO of Dish Network Corporation??


By The Associated Press


Wednesday, November 18, 2009



EchoStar Corp. said Wednesday that President and CEO Charles Ergen has stepped down from those posts and is being succeeded by board member Michael T. Dugan.


Ergen will stay on as the satellite service and TV equipment company's chairman and also serves as CEO of Dish Network Corp.
Dugan served as EchoStar's president and chief operating officer from 1990 to 2004, which was prior to its separation from Dish Network in January 2008. ]]> jonathanm1978 http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125986-satellite-echostar-ceo-charles-ergen-steps-down-post.html http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125820-sneaky-dave-warning-new-post.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:52:49 GMT A sneaky DirecTV marketer has bought up toll-free numbers that end in "DISH." When DISH Network customers call up, the operators make it sound like they're from Dish and offering them a free service upgrade, but in reality, they're switching the service and slamming the Dish Network customer into a DirecTV service contract.
The real number for DISH is 800-333-3474, but this company has bought 888-333-3474, and according to reports on 800 notes, several other 800, 888, 866 numbers that end with "DISH."
We first heard about it in a message left on our Consumerist hotline:
TRANSCRIPT: "I had to authorize a new Dish receiver. The number on the screen said 1-800-333-DISH. I dialed 1-888-333-DISH. I got a guy that immediately asked for my name, phone number, address, email address, and talked about the new specials that he could give me for being such a loyal customer. I kind of just wanted my receiver authorized.
And he says, these are some great deals, and you should get rewarded for being such a loyal customer since you've been with Dish Network so long.
Then he says, "if I send you these new boxes out, keep in mind that these are direct Tv boxes..."
It turns out that it was a DirecTV franchise that was capitalizing on people mistaking 1-800-333-DISH for 1-888-333-DISH. They're not telling people who they are upfront and they're getting a bunch of information when you're thinking that you're talking to a company that you already trust and have an account with. So it really ticked me off. It's totally uncool. Hopefully you can print this and people won't get confused anymore." :END TRANSCRIPT
Very clever. If you accidentally sign up for this, best thing to do is a charegback. Unsurprisingly, the folks on 800 notes say the sleazy DirecTV marketers are not that nice about giving refunds.
:favor74 ]]> u133209 http://www.dssrookie.com/forums/satellite-industry-news/125820-sneaky-dave-warning.html