Rates on Two EchoStar Plans to Rise Feb. 1
EchoStar Communications Corp. will raise rates on two of its Dish Network packages Feb. 1.
The monthly price of the satellite broadcasting company’s basic package, now called America’s Top 40, will increase 10% to $21.99. It is the first time the company has raised its bottom-line rates since 1996.
The package will be renamed America’s Top 50 because it has included 50 channels for about a year, spokesman Marc Lumpkin said.
EchoStar, which has 5 million subscribers, will also raise the monthly price of the America’s Top 100 package by $1 to $30.99. The rate for the premium package, America’s Top 150, will remain the same.
The Littleton, Colo.-based company had to raise rates because some channels have increased prices by up to 40%, Lumpkin said.
AT&T; Corp. used the same justification for a national rate increase of about 4.8% due to take effect Feb. 1.
EchoStar shares rose 94 cents to close at $24.31 on Tuesday on Nasdaq.
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