ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2006--EchoStar
Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) and its DISH Network(TM)
satellite TV service now offers "DishFAMILY," a new
"family-friendly" programming package with 40 channels. At
$19.99 per month, DishFAMILY is not only the lowest priced "family
programming" package available, it is also the lowest priced all
digital TV package in America. Now with four primary programming tiers,
DISH Network customers have even more choices.
According to PEW Research Center, 75 percent of 1,505 adults polled in
2005 favor tighter enforcement of government rules on TV content during
hours when children are most likely to be watching television. The
DishFAMILY package meets parents' needs by ensuring that children are
watching content that is appropriate while also offering channel choices
for everyone in the family such as sports, news, children's programming,
lifestyle, hobbies, shopping and public interest. With DishFAMILY,
customers will get valuable, family-sensitive content at the low price of
$19.99 per month ($24.99 per month with local channels). This is an
approximate $12 savings over the average cable company family tier.
Other pay-TV providers have introduced "family" packages but
with fewer channels and with a requirement that customers must purchase
the family package along with a basic cable package that may be
inappropriate for family viewing. DISH Network offers DishFAMILY as a
stand alone package and with a robust family channel lineup. In addition,
DishFAMILY is available with a free satellite TV receiver and free
professional installation for up to four rooms.
"Since kids are spending an average of four hours watching
television each day, we believe that it is important to provide content
that is appropriate for viewing by all family members regardless of their
age," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of Programming for DISH
Network. "Our DishFAMILY package offers programming that includes
popular children's, religious and general family entertainment
programming. We have responded to the concerns of parents and policymakers
and designed a worry-free TV package to meet the needs of all DISH Network
families."
"DishFAMILY" channel lineup will include the following:
Angel One C-SPAN FOX News Channel Nick Toons
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Animal Planet C-SPAN-2 Great American Country The Outdoor
(GAC) Channel
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Biography College Sports TV Hallmark QVC
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Bloomberg Discovery Kids Hallmark Movie Channel RFDTV (Rural
Farm)
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Boomerang Discovery Times Home Shopping Network Shop at Home
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Brigham Young Dish Home Kids Tunes (MUZAK) Shop NBC
University TV
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CCTV-9 Do It Yourself NASA The Science
Network Channel
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CCTV-EF EWTN Nickelodeon East The Weather
Channel
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CNN Headline Fine Living Nickelodeon West Trinity
News Broadcasting
Network
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Colours TV Food Network Nickelodeon Games & TV Land
Sports
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DISH Network, an advocate of family viewing protections, has been a
pioneer in advanced parental control technology available to customers at
no additional cost. DISH Network's extensive parental controls include
password protection, lock-by-ratings and extended ratings, system and
channel locks, and DISH Network's own Adult Guard and Hide Adult
Programming features, which when activated remove adult content and
channel descriptions from that specific customer's program guide. Also,
for customers who subscribe to DishFAMILY the "Hide Adult
Programming" feature will automatically be enabled on receivers,
blocking certain adult channels and their content descriptions from the
program guide.
With the addition of DishFAMILY, DISH Network now offers four primary
programming tiers: DishFAMILY, America's Top 60, America's Top 120 and
America's Top 180. DISH Network also offers Spanish-language,
international and high definition TV packages.
Customers can contact DISH Network at 800-333-DISH (3474), or their
local retailer for more information on how to subscribe to DISH Network.
To learn more about DISH Network's programming offers, visit
www.dishnetwork.com.
About EchoStar
EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) serves more than 12
million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the fastest
growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last
five years. DISH Network offers hundreds of video and audio channels,
Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with
professional installation and 24-hour customer service. Visit EchoStar's
DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 800-333-DISH (3474).
About PEW Research Center Study
Visit http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=241 to
learn more about the "Support for Tougher Indecency Measures, But
Worries About Government Intrusiveness" study released April, 19,
2005.
Parents Television Council website
According to the Parents Television Council website, http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/facts/mediafacts.asp
the average time children spend watching TV each day is four hours.
CONTACT:
EchoStar's DISH Network
Marc Lumpkin,
720-514-5351
press@echostar.com
SOURCE: EchoStar Communications Corporation
