EchoStar Communications Corporation, the parent company of DISH Network was formed back in 1980 by CEO and Chairman Charles W. Ergen originally to distribute Television systems. EchoStar is a public company with over 21,000 employees and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. On December 28, 1995 EchoStar successfully launched its first satellite, EchoStar I.

The successful launch of EchoStar I came after several failed launch attempts. That same year, EchoStar established the DISH Network brand name to market its home satellite TV system.

DISH Network is a Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)service that provides satellite television and audio programming throughout the United States. The company used "DISH" as an acronym for Digital Sky Highway.

In it's 28 year history EchoStar has had several industry firsts, most notably:

• First company to offer a satellite receiver for less than $200

• First to develop a UHF remote control

• First to offer an Integrated Receiver Descrambler (IRD) for C-band satellite TV

• First nationwide installation network dedicated solely to satellite TV systems

• First to offer satellite receiver with built-in digital video recording

• First Satellite TV company to offer local channels to local markets in all 50 states.

• First to offer an MPEG4 multi-room high definition and digital video recorder satellite receiver

In 1987, EchoStar applied for a DBS license with the Federal Communications Commission and was granted access to geostationary orbital slot 119° West longitude. Since then DISH Network has launched a total of 10 communications satellites named EchoStar I up through EchoStar X, which was launched on February 15, 2006. These satellites give Dish Network the capacity to offer over 500 digital video, data and audio channels of programming including local networks and HDTV.

Back in 2002 a proposed merger between giants EchoStar and DIRECTV was denied by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC cited the reason that such a merger would constitute a monopoly of the satellite TV business and that there would be no competition for the newly created company. In July of 2006 rumors re-surfaced when Rupert Murdoch the Owner of DIRECTV said that the time might be right for a merger to happen and that he believed that the FCC would give its blessing this time around.

On January 4, 2006 EchoStar announced that DISH Network had surpassed the 12 million figure for American households that had DISH Network service. In February of 2007 DISH Network surpassed the 13 million figure. Each month, DISH Network broadcasts a show titled "Charlie Chat", which features news about upcoming hardware, programming events, and new channels. The show is co-hosted by Charlie Ergen, CEO of DISH Network and Jim DeFranco, Executive Vice-President as they field both email and phoned in questions. Recently DISH Network has gotten into the high-speed Internet market and rumors persist that DISH Network and DIRECTV may yet merge so that they could gain a bigger share of the broadband market.

It remains to be seen whether the FCC will give its blessing this time around. DISH is also a leader in the area of offering HDTV channels with 70 channels currently offered in High-Definition.

Since its beginnings in 1996, over 30 million viewers have subscribed to DISH Network satellite TV service at one time or another in over 13 million households.

G Alan Davis is owner of Digital Dish, has over five years experience in the satellite TV business, selling both DIRECTV and DISH Network and has written numerous articles on the subject.