EchoStar Communications Corp. recently began inviting select Dish Network
customers to become charter members of its new 'ClubDISH' customer-rewards
program.
Targeted Dish customers received direct-mail pieces with five gift
certificates good for free direct-broadcast satellite systems for friends and
family members.
Club members who sign up new customers through the program receive $50
programming discounts for each of the first four sign-ups and a free new
'DishPVR' integrated personal video recorder and DBS receiver for the fifth.
In recent weeks, some long-term Dish customers had grumbled that they would
need to pay $399 for the new DishPVR hardware, while new customers were offered
a promotional price of $200.
EchoStar has run similar 'tell-a-friend' promotional campaigns in the
past.
The company is expected to report its first-quarter earnings
Thursday.
