Two Towns Tell EchoStar: Call Us 'Dish' - Report
Thursday August 25, 12:24 PM EDT
DENVER -(Dow Jones)- At least two U.S. towns would be willing to change to their names to "Dish" to get free satellite TV service.
Only a day after EchoStar Communications Corp. (DISH) (DISH) said it would give a decade of free satellite service to any city or town that changes its name, a town in New York and one in Colorado have offered themselves up, according to a report in the Rocky Mountain News Thursday.
The upstate New York town of Virgil, population 2,287, and Brookvale, Colo., population 200, have contacted Echostar (DISH) as potential "Dish" candidates, the company told the Rocky.
Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar (DISH) is accepting candidates until Nov. 1.
The company Tuesday said it will provide free programming for 10 years to all households in a U.S. community willing to change its name legally and permanently to Dish.
"As part of Dish Network's rebranding efforts and new advertising campaign trumpeting 'Better TV for All,' we invite a city or town to join us by rebranding itself Dish," EchoStar (DISH) President Michael Neuman said in a prepapred statement.
A town of 1,000 households, for example, would receive about $4 million worth of free programming, the company said.
In exchange, the town is required to put the Dish name on government buildings, post offices and schools and hospitals, if possible.
-By Heather Draper, Dow Jones Newswires; 303-293-9294; heather.draper@ dowjones.com