DISH ECHOSTAR COMMUN CORP
EchoStar Communications announced that EchoStar III, their first
A2100 direct broadcast satellite from Lockheed Martin
Telecommunications, has arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Station,
Florida for launch. Pending satellite final test and check-out,
fueling and final mating and check-out activities with the launch
vehicle, EchoStar III will be launched on a Lockheed Martin Atlas
IIAS rocket. EchoStar has requested a launch date of October 6,
1997 and is awaiting range approval from Cape Canaveral Air
Station. EchoStar III, to be located at 61.5 degrees West
Longitude, will include programming complementary to that offered
by the DISH Network on EchoStar I and EchoStar II, including
expanded educational and business television. The programming
lineup has the potential to include international and niche
channels, data delivery applications and retransmission of local
channels to select large markets.
EchoStar announced that Sears Roebuck will support the DISH
Network. The JVC brand digital satellite receiver system will be
available beginning October 1997 in more than 800 full-line,
mall-based stores. EchoStar had approximately 715,000 DISH
Network subscribers as of August 31, 1997. |
