form10ka.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Form
10-K/A
(Amendment No.
1)
(Mark
One)
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x
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ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
2007
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OR
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¨
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TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM _______________ TO
________________.
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Commission
file number: 0-26176
DISH
Network Corporation
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Nevada
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88-0336997
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(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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9601
South Meridian Boulevard
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Englewood,
Colorado
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80112
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(Address
of principal executive offices)
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(Zip
Code)
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Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (303) 723-1000
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of Each Class
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Name
of Exchange on Which Registered
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Class
A common stock, $0.01 par value
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The
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
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Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Act: None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No
¨
Indicate by check mark if the
registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section
15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x
Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past 90 days. Yes x No
¨
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company . See definition of “accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer x Accelerated
filer ¨ Non-accelerated
filer ¨ Smaller
reporting company ¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No
x
As of
June 29, 2007, the aggregate market value of Class A common stock held by
non-affiliates of the Registrant was $8.8 billion based upon the closing price
of the Class A common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as of
the close of business on that date.
As of
February 19, 2008, the Registrant’s outstanding common stock consisted of
210,137,548 shares of Class A common stock and 238,435,208 shares of Class B
common stock, each $0.01 par value.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The
following documents are incorporated into this Form 10-K by
reference:
Portions
of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement to be filed in connection with
its 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part
III.
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This
Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (the "Form 10-K/A") amends our annual report for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, originally filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 26, 2008 (the "Form 10-K"). We are
filing this Form 10-K/A to file amended Section 302 certifications, which, as
originally filed, inadvertently omitted language required by Item 601 of
Regulation S-K in the Form 10-K. The Form 10-K/A also corrects other errors,
principally typographical errors, in the Form 10-K.
This
Form 10-K/A continues to speak as of the date of the Form 10-K and no attempt
has been made in this Form 10-K/A to modify or update disclosures in the
original Form 10-K except as noted above. This Form 10-K/A does not reflect
events occurring after the filing of the Form 10-K or modify or update any
related disclosures and information not affected by the amendment is unchanged
and reflects the disclosure made at the time of the filing of the Form 10-K with
the SEC. In particular, any forward-looking statements included in this Form
10-K/A represent management’s view as of the filing date of the Form 10-K.
Accordingly, this Form 10-K/A should be read in conjunction with any documents
incorporated by reference therein and our filings made with the SEC subsequent
to the filing of the Form 10-K, including any amendments to those
filings.
PART
I
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Disclosure
regarding forward-looking statements
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i
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Item
1.
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1
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Item
1A.
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19
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Item
1B.
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30
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Item
2.
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31
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Item
3.
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32
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Item
4.
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36
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PART
II
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Item
5.
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36
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Item
6.
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37
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Item
7.
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39
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Item
7A.
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65
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Item
8.
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67
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Item
9.
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67
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Item
9A.
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67
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Item
9B.
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68
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PART
III
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Item
10.
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70
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Item
11.
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70
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Item
12.
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70
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Item
13.
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70
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Item
14.
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70
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PART
IV
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Item
15.
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70
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76
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F-1
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DISCLOSURE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We make
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 throughout this report. Whenever you
read a statement that is not simply a statement of historical fact (such as when
we describe what we “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “expect” or
“anticipate” will occur and other similar statements), you must remember that
our expectations may not be correct, even though we believe they are
reasonable. We do not guarantee that any future transactions or
events described herein will happen as described or that they will happen at
all. You should read this report completely and with the
understanding that actual future results may be materially different from what
we expect. Whether actual events or results will conform to our
expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties. For further discussion see Item 1A. Risk
Factors. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, the following:
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we
face intense and increasing competition from satellite and cable
television providers as well as new competitors, including telephone
companies; our competitors are increasingly offering video service bundled
with 2-way high-speed Internet access and telephone
services that consumers may find attractive and which are likely to
further increase competition. We also expect to face increasing
competition from content and other providers who distribute video services
directly to consumers over the
Internet;
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·
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as
technology changes, and in order to remain competitive, we will have to
upgrade or replace some, or all, subscriber equipment periodically and
make substantial investments in our infrastructure. For
example, the increase in demand for high definition (“HD”) programming
requires not only upgrades to customer premises equipment but also
substantial increases in satellite capacity. We may not be able
to pass on to our customers the entire cost of these upgrades and there
can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively compete with the
HD programming offerings of our
competitors;
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we
rely on EchoStar Corporation (“EchoStar”), which was owned by us prior to
its separation from DISH Network (the “Spin-off”) described in this Annual
Report, to design and develop set-top boxes and other digital equipment
for us. Equipment costs may increase beyond our current
expectations; we may be unable to renew agreements on acceptable terms or
at all; EchoStar’s inability to develop and produce or our inability to
obtain equipment with the latest technology could affect our subscriber
acquisition and churn and cause related revenue to
decline;
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·
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DISH
Network® subscriber growth may decrease and subscriber turnover may
increase, which may occur for a variety of factors, including some, such
as worsening economic conditions, that are outside of our control and
others, such as our own operational inefficiencies, customer satisfaction
with our products and services including our customer service performance,
and our spending on promotional packages for new and existing subscribers,
that will require us to invest in additional resources in order to
overcome;
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subscriber
acquisition costs may increase and the competitive environment may require
us to increase promotional spending or accept lower subscriber
acquisitions and higher subscriber churn; we may also have difficulty
controlling other costs of continuing to maintain and grow our subscriber
base;
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satellite
programming signals are subject to theft; and we are vulnerable to
subscriber fraud; theft of service will continue and could increase in the
future, causing us to lose subscribers and revenue, and also resulting in
higher costs to us;
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we
depend on others to produce programming; programming costs may increase
beyond our current expectations; we may be unable to obtain or renew
programming agreements on acceptable terms or at all; existing programming
agreements could be subject to cancellation; we may be denied access to
sports programming; foreign programming is increasingly offered on other
platforms; our inability to obtain or renew attractive programming could
cause our subscriber additions and related revenue to decline and could
cause our subscriber turnover to
increase;
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Current
dislocations in the credit markets, which have significantly impacted the
availability and pricing of financing, particularly in the high yield debt
and leveraged credit markets, may significantly constrain our ability to
obtain financing to support our growth initiatives. Such
financing may not be available on terms that would be attractive to us or
at all;
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we
depend on Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) program access rules
and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as Amended to secure
nondiscriminatory access to programming produced by others, neither of
which assure that we have fair access to all programming that we need to
remain competitive;
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our
industry is heavily regulated by the FCC. Those regulations
could become more burdensome at any time, causing us to expend additional
resources on compliance;
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if
we are unsuccessful in subsequent appeals in the Tivo case or in defending
against claims that our alternate technology infringes Tivo’s patent,
we could be prohibited from distributing DVRs or be required to modify or
eliminate certain user-friendly DVR features that we currently offer to
consumers. The adverse affect on our business could be
material. We could also have to pay substantial additional
damages.
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if
our EchoStar X satellite experienced a significant failure, we could lose
the ability to deliver local network channels in many markets; if either
of our EchoStar VII or the EchoStar VIII satellite experienced a
significant failure, we could lose the ability to provide certain
programming to the continental United
States;
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our
satellite launches may be delayed or fail, or our owned or leased
satellites may fail in orbit prior to the end of their scheduled lives
causing extended interruptions of some of the channels we
offer;
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we
currently do not have commercial insurance covering losses incurred from
the failure of satellite launches and/or in-orbit satellites we own or
lease from EchoStar;
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service
interruptions arising from technical anomalies on satellites or on-ground
components of our direct broadcast satellite system, or caused by war,
terrorist activities or natural disasters, may cause customer
cancellations or otherwise harm our
business;
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we
depend heavily on complex information technologies; weaknesses in our
information technology systems could have an adverse impact on our
business; we may have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified
personnel to maintain our information technology
infrastructure;
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we
may face actual or perceived conflicts of interest with EchoStar in a
number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships,
including: (i) cross officerships, directorships and stock
ownership, (ii) intercompany transactions, and (iii) intercompany
agreements, including those that were entered into in connection with the
Spin-Off and (iv) future business
opportunities;
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we
rely on key personnel including Charles W. Ergen, our chairman and chief
executive officer, and other executives, certain of whom will for some
period also have responsibilities with EchoStar through their positions at
EchoStar or our management services agreement with
EchoStar;
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we
may be unable to obtain needed retransmission consents, FCC authorizations
or export licenses, and we may lose our current or future
authorizations;
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we
are party to various lawsuits which, if adversely decided, could have a
significant adverse impact on our
business;
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we
may be unable to obtain patent licenses from holders of intellectual
property or redesign our products to avoid patent
infringement;
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we
depend on telecommunications providers, independent retailers and others
to solicit orders for DISH Network services. Certain of these
resellers account for a significant percentage of our total new subscriber
acquisitions. A number of these resellers are not exclusive to
us and also offer competitors’ products and services. Loss of
one or more of these relationships could have an adverse effect on our net
new subscriber additions and certain of our other key operating metrics
because we may not be able to develop comparable alternative distribution
channels;
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we
are highly leveraged and subject to numerous constraints on our ability to
raise additional debt;
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we
may pursue acquisitions, business combinations, strategic partnerships,
divestitures and other significant transactions that involve
uncertainties; these transactions may require us to raise additional
capital, which may not be available on acceptable terms. These
transactions, which could become substantial over time, involve a high
degree of risk and could expose us to significant financial losses if the
underlying ventures are not
successful;
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weakness
in the global or U.S. economy may harm our business generally, and adverse
political or economic developments, including increased mortgage defaults
as a result of subprime lending practices and increasing oil prices, may
impact some of our markets;
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we
periodically evaluate and test our internal control over financial
reporting in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Although our management concluded that our
internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31,
2007, and while no change in our internal control over financial reporting
occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal
control over financial reporting, if in the future we are unable to report
that our internal control over financial reporting is effective (or if our
auditors do not agree with our assessment of the effectiveness of, or are
unable to express an opinion on, our internal control over financial
reporting), we could lose investor confidence in our financial reports,
which could have a material adverse effect on our stock price and our
business; and
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we
may face other risks described from time to time in periodic and current
reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”).
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All
cautionary statements made herein should be read as being applicable to all
forward-looking statements wherever they appear. In this connection,
investors should consider the risks described herein and should not place undue
reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no
responsibility for updating forward-looking information contained or
incorporated by reference herein or in other reports we file with the
SEC.
In this
report, the words “DISH Network,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to
DISH Network Corporation and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise
requires. “EchoStar” refers to EchoStar Corporation and its
subsidiaries. “EDBS” refers to EchoStar DBS Corporation and its
subsidiaries.
PART
I
OVERVIEW
Our
Business
DISH
Network Corporation, formerly known as EchoStar Communications Corporation, is a
leading provider of satellite delivered digital television to customers across
the United States. DISH Network services include hundreds of video,
audio and data channels, interactive television channels, digital video
recording, high definition television, international programming, professional
installation and 24-hour customer service.
We
started offering subscription television services on the DISH Network in March
1996. As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately 13.780 million
subscribers. Our satellite fleet enables us to offer over 2,700 video
and audio channels to consumers across the United States. Since we
use many of these channels for local programming, no particular consumer could
subscribe to all channels, but all are available using small consumer satellite
antennae, or dishes. We promote the DISH Network programming packages
as providing our subscribers with a better “price-to-value” relationship than
those available from other subscription television providers. We
believe that there continues to be unsatisfied demand for high quality,
reasonably priced television programming services.
Our
principal business strategy is to continue developing our subscription
television service in the United States to provide consumers with a fully
competitive alternative to others in the pay TV industry.
On
January 1, 2008, we completed the Spin-off of our technology and certain
infrastructure assets into a separate publicly-traded company, EchoStar
Corporation, formerly known as EchoStar Holding Corporation, which was
incorporated in Nevada on October 12, 2007. DISH Network and EchoStar
now operate as separate publicly-traded companies, and neither entity has any
ownership interest in the other.
In
connection with the Spin-off, each of our shareholders received for each share
of common stock held, 0.20 of a share of the same class of common stock of
EchoStar. Also, in connection with the separation, DISH Network
contributed $1.0 billion in cash to EchoStar. EchoStar’s Class A
shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on January 2, 2008,
under the symbol “SATS.”
Reasons
for the Spin-off
Our board
of directors regularly reviews our operations to ensure our resources are being
put to use in a manner that is in the best interests of DISH Network and its
shareholders. As a result of this ongoing evaluation, our board of
directors authorized the Spin-off. When doing so, our board
considered a number of benefits as well as a number of costs and risks
associated with the Spin-off. Among the significant benefits
identified by our board of directors were the ability to create more effective
management incentives and enhance the recruitment and retention of key
personnel, the creation of opportunities for expansion, creating separate
companies that appeal to different investor bases and allowing the separate
companies to pursue separate business strategies, and allowing each company to
pursue the business strategies that best suit their respective long-term
interests. The risks identified and evaluated included the potential
impact on credit ratings, the potential for disruptions and loss of synergies,
the risk that the Spin-off could result in lower combined trading prices of the
two companies and the risk that additional conflicts of interest may arise
between the two companies.
Other
Information
We were
organized in 1995 as a corporation under the laws of the State of
Nevada. Our common stock is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global
Select Market under the symbol “DISH.” Our principal executive
offices are located at 9601 South Meridian Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112
and our telephone number is (303) 723-1000.
DISH
NETWORK
Programming
Basic Programming
Packages. We use a
“value-based” strategy in structuring the content and pricing of programming
packages available from the DISH Network. For example, we currently
offer our “America’s Top 100” (“AT100”) package for $32.99 per
month. This package includes over 100 of our most popular digital
video and audio channels. We estimate that cable operators would
typically charge over $50.00 per month, on average, for comparable basic
service.
Our
“America’s Top 200” (“AT200”) package, which we currently offer for $44.99 per
month, is similar to an expanded basic cable package, and includes over 200 of
our most popular digital video and audio channels, including Sirius
Music Channels. We estimate that cable operators would typically
charge over $60.00 per month, on average, for a similar package. In
addition, most of our customers are eligible for a $49.99 per month package that
includes AT200, local channels and a digital video recorder
(“DVR”). We estimate that cable operators would typically charge over
$70.00 per month, on average, for a similar package.
Our
“America’s Top 250” (“AT250”) package, which we currently offer for $54.99 per
month, includes over 250 digital video and audio channels, and our
“America’s Everything Pak,” which combines our AT250 package and more than 30
commercial-free premium movie channels including HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and
Starz, is currently offered for $94.98 per month.
We offer
satellite-delivered local broadcast channels for an additional $5.00 per month,
when combined with qualifed programming, in over 175 markets in the United
States, representing over 97% of all of U.S. television
households. Cable operators typically include local channels in their
programming packages at no additional cost.
Movie
Packages. We offer HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and other
premium movie packages starting at $12.99 per month and including as many as 10
channels. We believe many of our movie packages are a better value
than similar packages offered by most other multi-channel video
providers.
High Definition
Programming Packages. DISH Network continues to be an industry
leader in HD programming distribution offering over 50
channels. Customers who subscribe to HBO, Showtime and Starz also
receive an HD feed of those channels at no additional cost. In
addition, we offer a standalone HD programming package which includes all of our
available HD channels. Similarly, customers who subscribe to standard
definition local channels also receive HD local channels, where
available. HD local channels are currently available to more than 50
percent of U.S. households and we expect to offer HD local channels to more than
80 percent of U.S. households by the end of 2008.
DISH Latino
Programming Packages. We offer a variety of Spanish-language
programming packages. Our “DISH Latino” package includes more than 35
Spanish-language programming channels for $27.99 per month. We also
offer “DISH Latino Dos,” which includes over 195 English and Spanish-language
programming channels for $39.99 per month. Our “DISH Latino Max”
package includes more than 220 Spanish and English-language channels for $49.99
per month. Additionally, subscribers may add more than 35
Spanish-language programming channels to any of our AT100, AT200 and AT250
packages for an additional $13.99 per month.
Family-Friendly
Programming Package. Our DishFAMILY package offers over 40
“family-friendly” channels including sports, news, children’s programming,
lifestyle, hobbies, shopping and public interest for $19.99 per month, or $24.99
including local channels. Comparatively, the family tier package
offered by most other pay TV providers is more than $30 per month.
International
Programming. We offer over 140 foreign-language channels
including Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi, Russian, Chinese, Greek and many
others. DISH Network remains the leader in delivering
foreign-language programming to customers in the United States, and our
foreign-language programming contributes significantly to our subscriber
growth. Foreign-language programming is a valuable niche product that
attracts new subscribers to DISH Network who are unable to get similar
programming elsewhere, and while this niche is becoming more competitive, we
will continue to explore opportunities to add foreign-language
programming.
DISH DVR
Advantage. We offer a number of packages that bundle
programming with a DVR at a ten to twelve percent savings per month compared to
the price a customer would pay if they subscribe to the components
individually.
Sales,
Marketing and Distribution
Sales
Channels. While we offer receiver systems and programming
directly, a majority of our new subscriber acquisitions are generated by
independent businesses offering our products and services, including small
satellite retailers, direct marketing groups, local and regional consumer
electronics stores, nationwide retailers, telecommunications providers and
others.
We
generally pay these independent businesses an incentive upon activation of each
new subscriber they acquire for us. We also typically pay them a
small monthly incentive for up to 60 months provided the customer continuously
subscribes to our programming and the retailer achieves required minimum
subscriber acquisition goals.
Marketing. We
use print, radio and television, on a local and national basis, to advertise and
promote the DISH Network. We also offer point-of-sale literature,
product displays, demonstration kiosks and signage for retail
outlets. We provide guides that describe DISH Network products and
services to our retailers and distributors and conduct periodic educational
seminars. Our mobile sales and marketing team visits retail outlets
regularly to reinforce training and ensure that these outlets have proper
point-of-sale materials for our current promotions. Additionally, we
dedicate a DISH Network television channel and websites to provide retailers and
customers with information about special services and promotions that we offer
from time to time.
Subscriber
Acquisition Strategy. Our future success in the subscription
television industry depends on, among other factors, our ability to acquire and
retain DISH Network subscribers. We provide varying levels of
subsidies and incentives to attract and retain customers, including leased, free
or subsidized receiver systems, installations, programming and other
items. This marketing strategy emphasizes our long-term business
strategy of maximizing future revenue by increasing our subscriber
base. Since we subsidize consumer up-front costs, we incur
significant costs each time we acquire a new subscriber. Although
there can be no assurance, we believe that, on average, we will be able to fully
recoup the up-front costs of subscriber acquisition from future subscription
television services revenue.
DISH
Network subscribers have the choice of purchasing or leasing the satellite
receiver and other equipment necessary to receive our programming. As
a result of our promotions, most of our new subscribers choose to lease their
equipment, including receiver models that provide HD, DVR, HD DVR and other
advanced capabilities for multiple rooms. Many of these lease
programs require the consumer to commit to continue to subscribe to a qualifying
programming package for 24 months. Subscribers in our lease programs
are required to return the receivers and certain other equipment to us or be
charged for the equipment if they terminate service. To the extent we
successfully retrieve and cost-effectively recondition and redeploy leased
equipment from subscribers who terminate service, we are able to reduce the cost
of future new subscriber acquisition. However, these cost savings are
limited as technological advances and consumer demand for new features result in
the need to replace older equipment for customers over time.
We base
our marketing promotions on, among other things, current competitive
conditions. In some cases, if competition increases, or we determine
for any other reason that it is necessary to increase our subscriber acquisition
costs to attract new customers, our profitability and costs of operation would
be adversely affected.
Bundling
Alliances
AT&T
Inc. (“AT&T”) and other telecommunications providers offer DISH Network
programming bundled with broadband, telephony and other
services. While these providers in the aggregate currently account
for less than 25% of our gross subscriber additions, the loss of certain of
these relationships could have an adverse effect on our new subscriber additions
to the extent other distribution channels could not be developed in those
markets. Our net new subscriber additions and certain of our other
key operating metrics could be adversely affected if AT&T or other
telecommunication providers de-emphasize or discontinue selling our services and
we are not able to develop comparable alternative distribution
channels. In addition, AT&T recently announced that they would
offer DISH Network programming bundled with broadband, telephony and other
services in the former BellSouth territory. We expect that this
expanded offering of DISH Network programming by AT&T will increase the
number of gross subscriber additions that are attributable to our relationship
with AT&T.
Components
of a DBS System
Overview. In order to
provide programming services to DISH Network subscribers, we have entered into
agreements with video, audio and data programmers who generally make their
programming content available to our digital broadcast operations centers via
commercial satellites or fiber optic networks. We monitor those
signals for quality, and can add promotional messages, public service
programming, advertising, and other information. Equipment at our
digital broadcast operations centers then digitizes, compresses, encrypts and
combines the signal with other necessary data, such as conditional access
information. We then “uplink” or transmit the signals to one or more
of our satellites and broadcast directly to DISH Network
subscribers.
In order
to receive DISH Network programming, a subscriber needs:
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a
satellite antenna, which people sometimes refer to as a “dish,” and
related components;
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a
satellite “receiver” or “set-top box”;
and
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Receiver
Systems. Our receiver
systems include a small satellite dish, a digital satellite receiver that
decrypts and decompresses signals for television viewing, a remote control and
other related components. We offer a number of receiver
models. Our standard system comes with an infrared universal remote
control, an on-screen interactive program guide and V-chip type technology for
parental control. Our advanced models include a hard disk drive
enabling additional features such as digital video recording of up to 350 hours
of standard definition programming and up to 55 hours of high definition
entertainment and the flexibility to further increase storage capacity by
attaching an external hard drive. Certain of our standard and premium
systems allow independent satellite TV viewing on two separate televisions and
include UHF universal remotes, allowing control through walls when the satellite
receiver and TV are not located in the same room. We also offer a
variety of specialized products including HD receivers. Receivers
communicate with our authorization center through telephone lines to, among
other things, report the purchase of pay-per-view movies and other
events.
Although,
historically, we have internally designed and engineered our receiver systems,
we have out-sourced manufacturing to high-volume contract electronics
manufacturers. As a result of the Spin-off, we will rely on EchoStar
to design, manufacture and engineer our receivers. We intend to
procure all of our receiver systems (other than refurbished or remanufactured
systems) from EchoStar for the foreseeable future. The loss of
EchoStar as a supplier of receivers to us would materially impact our business
because it would be difficult for us to transition to another maker of receivers
without incurring substantial costs.
Conditional
Access System. Conditional
access technology allows us to encrypt our programming so only those who pay can
receive it. We use microchips embedded in credit card-sized access
cards, called “smart cards,” or in security chips in the satellite receiver,
together referred to as “security access devices,” to limit access to authorized
programming content. When a consumer orders a particular channel, we
send a message by satellite that instructs the security access devices to permit
decryption of the programming for viewing by that consumer. The
receiver then decompresses the programming and sends it to the consumer’s
television. These security access devices, certain aspects of which
we can upgrade over the air or replace periodically, are a key element in
preserving the security of our conditional access system.
Increases
in theft of our signal, or our competitors’ signals, could limit our subscriber
growth and cause subscriber churn to increase. Our signal encryption
has been compromised by theft of service, and even though we continue to respond
to compromises of our encryption system with security measures intended to make
signal theft of our programming more difficult, theft of our signal is
increasing. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in
reducing or controlling theft of our service.
During
2005, we replaced our smart cards in order to reduce theft of our
service. However, the smart card replacement did not fully secure our
system, and we have since implemented software patches and other security
measures to help protect our service. Nevertheless, these security
measures are short-term fixes and we remain susceptible to additional signal
theft. Therefore, we have developed a plan to replace our existing
smart cards and/or security chips to re-secure our signals for a longer term
which will be implemented later this year. The project is expected to
take approximately nine to twelve months to complete. While our
existing smart cards installed in 2005 remain under warranty, we could incur
operational costs in excess of $50 million in connection with our smart
card replacement program.
We are
also vulnerable to fraud, particularly in the acquisition of new
subscribers. While we are addressing the impact of subscriber fraud
through a number of actions, including eliminating certain payment options for
subscribers, such as the use of pre-paid debit cards, there can be no assurance
that we will not continue to experience fraud which could impact our subscriber
growth and churn.
Installation. While some
consumers have the skills necessary to install our equipment in their homes, we
believe that most installations are best performed by professionals, and that on
time, quality installations are important to our
success. Consequently, we are continuing to expand our installation
business. We use both employees and independent contractors for
professional installations. Independent installers are held to our
service standards to attempt to ensure each DISH Network customer receives the
same quality installation and service. Our offices and independent
installers are strategically located throughout the continental United
States. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that our
internal installation business helps to improve quality control, decrease wait
time on service calls and new installations and helps us better accommodate
anticipated subscriber growth.
Digital Broadcast
Operations Centers. The principal
digital broadcast operations centers we use are EchoStar’s facilities located in
Cheyenne, Wyoming and Gilbert, Arizona. We also use five regional
digital broadcast operations centers owned and operated by EchoStar that allow
us to utilize the spot beam capabilities of our owned or leased
satellites. Programming and other data is received at these centers
by fiber or satellite, processed, and then uplinked to satellites for
transmission to consumers. Equipment at the digital broadcast
operations centers performs substantially all compression and encryption of DISH
Network’s programming signals.
In
connection with the Spin-off we entered into a broadcast agreement with EchoStar
pursuant to which EchoStar provides broadcast services including teleport
services such as transmission and downlinking, channel origination services, and
channel management services to us thereby enabling us to deliver satellite
television programming to subscribers. The broadcast agreement has a
term of two years; however, we have the right, but not the obligation, to extend
the agreement annually for successive one-year periods for up to two additional
years. We may terminate channel origination services and channel
management services for any reason and without any liability upon sixty days
written notice to us. However, if we terminate teleport services for
a reason other than EchoStar’s breach, we will need to pay EchoStar a sum equal
to the aggregate amount of the remainder of the expected cost of providing the
teleport service. The fees for the services provided under the
broadcast agreement are cost plus an additional amount that is equal to an
agreed percentage of EchoStar’s cost, which will vary depending on the nature of
the services provided.
Customer Service
Centers. We currently
operate eleven owned and several out-sourced customer service centers fielding
most of our customer service calls. Potential and existing
subscribers can call a single telephone number to receive assistance for sales,
hardware, programming, billing, installation and technical
support. We continue to work to automate simple phone responses and
to increase Internet-based customer assistance in order to better manage
customer service costs and improve the customer’s self-service
experience.
Subscriber
Management. We presently
use, and are dependent on, CSG Systems International, Inc.’s software system for
the majority of DISH Network subscriber billing and related
functions.
NEW
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Acquisition
of Spectrum for New Services
The FCC
announced on January 14, 2008 that we were qualified to participate in the FCC
auction of the 700 MHz band. The 700 MHz spectrum is being returned
by television broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early
2009. The spectrum has significant commercial value because 700 MHz
signals can travel long distances and penetrate thick walls. Under
the FCC’s anti-collusion and anonymous bidding rules for this auction, we are
not permitted to disclose publicly our interest level or activity level in the
auction, if any, at this time. Based on published reports, however,
we believe that any successful bidders will be required to expend significant
amounts to secure and commercialize these licenses. In particular if
we were to participate and be successful in this auction we could be required to
raise additional capital in order to secure and commercialize these licenses,
which may not be available to us on attractive terms in the current credit
market environment. Moreover, there can be no assurance that
successful bidders will be able to achieve a return on their investments in the
700MHz spectrum or to raise all the capital required to develop these
licenses.
OUR
SATELLITES
Our DISH
Network satellite television programming is currently transmitted to our
customers over satellites that operate in the “Ku” band portion of the microwave
radio spectrum. The Ku-band is divided into two spectrum
segments. The high power portion of the Ku-band 12.2 to 12.7 GHz
is known as the Broadcast Satellite Service (“BSS”) band, which is also referred
to as the Direct Broadcast Satellite (“DBS”) band. The low and medium
power portion of the Ku-band 11.7 to 12.2 GHz is known as the Fixed
Satellite Service (“FSS”) band.
Most of
our direct-to-home (“DTH”) programming is currently delivered using DBS
satellites. We continue to explore opportunities to expand our
available DTH satellite capacity through the use of other available
spectrum. Increasing our available spectrum for DTH applications is
particularly important as more bandwidth intensive HD programming is produced
and in order to address new video and data applications consumers may desire in
the future.
Overview
of Satellite Fleet Following the Spin-off
Prior to
the Spin-off, we operated 14 satellites in geostationary orbit approximately
22,300 miles above the equator. Of these 14 satellites, 11 were owned
and three were leased. The satellite fleet is a major component of
our DISH Network DBS System. As reflected in the table below, as of
January 1, 2008, we transferred six owned and two leased satellites to EchoStar
in connection with the Spin-off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Degree
|
|
Useful
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Launch
|
|
Orbital
|
|
Life/
|
|
Satellites
|
|
Retained
|
|
Transferred
(1)
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|
Date
|
|
Location
|
|
Lease
Term
|
|
Owned:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStarI
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
December
1995
|
|
148
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStarII
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
September
1996
|
|
148
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
III (2)
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
October
1997
|
|
61.5
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
IV
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
May
1998
|
|
77
|
|
N/A
|
|
EchoStar
V
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
September
1999
|
|
129
|
|
9
|
|
EchoStar
VI (2)
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
July
2000
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
VII
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
February
2002
|
|
119
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
VIII(2)
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
August
2002
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
IX (2)
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
August
2003
|
|
121
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
February
2006
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
XII (2)
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
July
2003
|
|
61.5
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leased:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AMC-15
(2)
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|
|
|
X
|
|
December
2004
|
|
105
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|
10
|
|
AMC-16
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|
|
|
X
|
|
January
2005
|
|
85
|
|
10
|
|
Anik
F3
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
April
2007
|
|
118.7
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Under
Construction:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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EchoStar
XI
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|
X
|
|
|
|
Mid-Year
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStar
XIV
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|
X
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|
|
|
Late
2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
CMBStar
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Late
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
AMC-14
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
March
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ciel
2
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Late
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
As
of January 1, 2008, these satellites were transferred to EchoStar in
connection with the Spin-off.
|
|
(2)
|
After
the Spin-off, DISH Network entered into satellite capacity agreements with
EchoStar to lease satellite capacity on EchoStar III, EchoStar VI,
EchoStar VIII, EchoStar IX, EchoStar XII and
AMC-15.
|
Satellite
Capacity Lease Agreements
In
addition to our owned satellites, we currently lease six in-orbit
satellites which are being used to provide, among other things, standard and HD
programming to certain local markets, international programming and backup
capacity.
Short
Term Leased Capacity
As part
of the transactions entered into between DISH Network and EchoStar in connection
with the Spin-off, we entered into satellite capacity agreements with EchoStar
to lease satellite capacity on satellites owned by EchoStar and slots licensed
by EchoStar. These satellites are as follows:
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·
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EchoStar III - launched
in 1997 and is currently located at the 61.5 degree orbital
location.
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|
·
|
EchoStar VI - launched
in 2000 and is currently located at the 110 degree orbital
location.
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|
·
|
EchoStar VIII -
launched in 2002 and is currently located at the 110 degree orbital
location.
|
|
·
|
EchoStar IX - launched
in 2003 and is currently located at the 121 degree orbital
location.
|
|
·
|
EchoStar XII - launched
in 2003 and is currently located at the 61.5 degree orbital
location.
|
|
·
|
AMC-15 - launched in 2004 and is currently located at
the 105 degree orbital
location.
|
Certain
DISH Network subscribers currently point their satellite antenna at these slots
and these agreements were designed to facilitate the separation of EchoStar
and us by allowing a period of time for these DISH Network subscribers to be
moved to satellites owned by DISH Network and/or to slots that will be licensed
to DISH Network following the Spin-off. However, we may decide to
continue leasing these satellites from EchoStar following the initial terms of
these agreements, if we determine that it is beneficial for us to do
so. The fees for the services provided under the satellite capacity
agreements are based on spot market prices for similar satellite capacity and
depend upon, among other things, the orbital location of the satellite and the
frequency on which the satellite provides services. Generally, these
satellite capacity agreements will terminate upon the earlier of:
(a) the end of life or replacement of the satellite; (b) the date the
satellite fails; (c) the date that the transponder on which service is being
provided under the agreement fails; and (d) two years from the January 1, 2008
execution date.
Long-Term Leased
Capacity
Anik
F3. Anik F3, an FSS satellite, was launched and commenced
commercial operation during April 2007. This Telesat Canada
(“Telesat”) satellite is equipped with 32 Ku-band transponders, 24 C-band
transponders and a small Ka-band payload. We have leased all of the
Ku-band capacity on Anik F3 for a period of 15 years.
Ciel
2. Ciel 2, a Canadian DBS satellite, which is currently
expected to be launched in late 2008 and commence commercial
operation at the 129 degree orbital location, has both spot beam capabilities
and the ability to provide service to the entire continental United States
(“CONUS”). We will have the right to lease at least 50% of the
capacity of that satellite, with the remaining 50% required by Canadian
regulations to be offered for use by Canadians until the time of launch of the
satellite. Consequently, until Ciel 2 is launched, we will not know
the exact amount of capacity available to us on that satellite. This
satellite could be used to provide HD programming to CONUS and as additional
backup capacity.
Satellites
under Construction
We have
also entered into contracts to construct two new satellites which are
contractually scheduled to be completed within the next three
years.
|
·
|
EchoStar
XI, a Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (“SSL”) DBS satellite, which is expected
to be launched mid-year 2008, will provide service to CONUS from the 110
degree orbital location. This satellite will enable better
bandwidth utilization, provide back-up protection for our existing
offerings, and could allow DISH Network to offer other value-added
services.
|
|
·
|
During
2007, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XIV, an
SSL DBS satellite, which is expected to be completed during
2009. This satellite has been designed with a combination of
CONUS and spot beam capacity and could be used at multiple orbital
locations. EchoStar XIV could allow DISH Network to offer other
value-added services.
|
Satellite
Anomalies
While we
believe that overall our satellite fleet is generally in good condition, during
2007 and prior periods, certain satellites in our fleet have experienced
anomalies, some of which have had a significant adverse impact on their
commercial operation. We currently do not carry insurance for any of
our owned in-orbit satellites. We believe we generally have in-orbit
satellite capacity sufficient to recover, in a relatively short time frame,
transmission of most of our critical programming in the event one of our
in-orbit satellites were to fail. We could not, however, recover
certain local markets, international and other niche programming in the event of
such a failure, with the extent of disruption dependent on the specific
satellite experiencing the failure. Further, programming continuity
cannot be assured in the event of multiple satellite losses. In
addition, as part of the Spin-off, we transferred EchoStar III, IV, VI, VIII, IX
and XII to EchoStar.
Recent
developments with respect to certain of these satellites, including the
satellites that we contributed to EchoStar as part of the Spin-off and that we
currently lease, are discussed below.
EchoStar
I. EchoStar I can operate up to 16 transponders at 130 watts
per channel. Prior to 2007, the satellite experienced anomalies
resulting in the possible loss of two solar array strings. An
investigation of the anomalies is continuing. The anomalies have not
impacted commercial operation of the satellite to date. Even if
permanent loss of the two solar array strings is confirmed, the original minimum
12-year design life of the satellite is not expected to be impacted since the
satellite is equipped with a total of 104 solar array strings, only
approximately 98 of which are required to assure full power availability for the
design life of the satellite. However, there can be no assurance
future anomalies will not cause further losses which could impact the remaining
life or commercial operation of the satellite.
EchoStar
II. EchoStar II can operate up to 16 transponders at 130 watts
per channel. During February 2007, the satellite experienced an
anomaly which prevented its north solar array from
rotating. Functionality was restored through a backup
system. The useful life of the satellite has not been affected and
the anomaly is not expected to result in the loss of power to the
satellite. However, if the backup system fails, a partial loss of
power would result which could impact the useful life or commercial operation of
the satellite.
EchoStar
III. EchoStar III was originally designed to operate a maximum
of 32 transponders at approximately 120 watts per channel, switchable to 16
transponders operating at over 230 watts per channel, and was equipped with a
total of 44 transponders to provide redundancy. As a result of past
traveling wave tube amplifier (“TWTA”) failures on EchoStar III, TWTA anomalies
caused 26 transponders to fail leaving a maximum of 18 transponders currently
available for use. Due to redundancy switching limitations and
specific channel authorizations, we can only operate on 15 of the 19 FCC
authorized frequencies allocated to EchoStar III at the 61.5 degree
location. While we do not expect a large number of additional TWTAs
to fail in any year, and the failures have not reduced the original minimum
12-year design life of the satellite, it is likely that additional TWTA failures
will occur from time to time in the future, and those failures will further
impact commercial operation of the satellite.
EchoStar
V. EchoStar V was originally designed with a minimum 12-year
design life. Momentum wheel failures in prior years, together with
relocation of the satellite between orbital locations, resulted in increased
fuel consumption, as previously disclosed. These issues have not
impacted commercial operation of the satellite. However, as a result
of these anomalies and the relocation of the satellite, during 2005, we reduced
the remaining estimated useful life of this satellite. Prior to 2007,
EchoStar V also experienced anomalies resulting in the loss of seven solar array
strings. During 2007, the satellite lost three additional solar array
strings, one in June and two in October. The solar array anomalies
have not impacted commercial operation of the satellite to
date. Since EchoStar V will be fully depreciated in October 2008, the
solar array failures (which will result in a reduction in the number of
transponders to which power can be provided in later years), have not reduced
the remaining useful life of the satellite. However, there can be no
assurance that future anomalies will not cause further losses which could impact
commercial operation, or the remaining life, of the satellite.
EchoStar
VI. EchoStar VI, which is being used as an in-orbit spare, was
originally equipped with 108 solar array strings, approximately 102 of which are
required to assure full power availability for the original minimum 12-year
useful life of the satellite. Prior to 2007, EchoStar VI experienced
anomalies resulting in the loss of 17 solar array strings. During the
fourth quarter 2007, five additional solar array strings failed, reducing the
number of functional solar array strings to 86. While the useful life
of the satellite has not been affected, commercial operability has been
reduced. The satellite was designed to operate 32 transponders at
approximately 125 watts per channel, switchable to 16 transponders operating at
approximately 225 watts per channel. The power reduction resulting
from the solar array failures which currently limits us to operation of a
maximum of 26 transponders in standard power mode, or 13 transponders in high
power mode, is expected to decrease to 25 and 12, respectively, by September
2008. The number of transponders to which power can be provided is
expected to continue to decline in the future at the rate of approximately one
transponder every three years.
EchoStar
VII. During 2006, EchoStar VII experienced an anomaly which
resulted in the loss of a receiver. Service was quickly restored
through a spare receiver. These receivers process signals sent from
our uplink center for transmission back to earth by the
satellite. The design life of the satellite has not been affected and
the anomaly is not expected to result in the loss of other receivers on the
satellite. However, there can be no assurance future anomalies will
not cause further receiver losses which could impact the useful life or
commercial operation of the satellite. In the event the spare
receiver placed in operation following the 2006 anomaly also fails, there would
be no impact to the satellite’s CONUS capabilities when operating in CONUS
mode. However, we would lose one-fifth of the spot beam capacity when
operating in spot beam mode.
EchoStar
VIII. EchoStar VIII was designed to operate 32 transponders at
approximately 120 watts per channel, switchable to 16 transponders operating at
approximately 240 watts per channel. EchoStar VIII also includes
spot-beam technology. This satellite has experienced several
anomalies since launch, but none have reduced the 12-year estimated useful life
of the satellite. However, there can be no assurance that future
anomalies will not cause further losses which could materially impact its
commercial operation, or result in a total loss of the satellite. We
depend on leased capacity on EchoStar VIII to provide service to CONUS at least
until such time as our EchoStar XI satellite has commenced commercial operation,
which is currently expected mid-year 2008. In the event that EchoStar VIII
experienced a total or substantial failure, we could transmit many, but not all,
of those channels from other in-orbit satellites.
EchoStar
IX. EchoStar IX was designed to operate 32 FSS transponders
operating at approximately 110 watts per channel, along with transponders that
can provide services in the Ka-Band (a “Ka-band payload”). The
satellite also includes a C-band payload which is owned by a third
party. Prior to 2007, EchoStar IX experienced the loss of one of its
three momentum wheels, two of which are utilized during normal
operations. A spare wheel was switched in at the time and the loss
did not reduce the 12-year estimated useful life of the
satellite. During September 2007, the satellite experienced anomalies
resulting in the loss of three solar array strings. An investigation
of the anomalies is continuing. The anomalies have not impacted
commercial operation of the satellite to date. However, there can be
no assurance future anomalies will not cause further losses, which could impact
the remaining life or commercial operation of the satellite.
EchoStar
X. EchoStar X’s 49 spot beams use up to 42 active 140 watt
TWTAs to provide standard and HD local channels and other programming to markets
across the United States. During January 2008, the satellite
experienced an anomaly which resulted in the failure of one solar array circuit
out of a total of 24 solar array circuits, approximately 22 of which are
required to assure full power for the original minimum 12-year design life of
the satellite. The cause of the failure is still being
investigated. The design life of the satellite has not been
affected. However, there can be no assurance future anomalies will
not cause further losses, which could impact commercial operation of the
satellite or its useful life. In the event our EchoStar X satellite
experienced a significant failure, we would lose the ability to deliver local
network channels in many markets. While we would attempt to minimize
the number of lost markets through the use of spare satellites and programming
line up changes, some markets would be without local channels until a
replacement satellite with similar spot beam capability could be launched and
operational.
EchoStar
XII. EchoStar XII was designed to operate 13 transponders at
270 watts per channel in CONUS mode, or 22 spot beams using a combination of 135
and 65 watt TWTAs. We currently operate the satellite in CONUS
mode. EchoStar XII has a total of 24 solar array circuits,
approximately 22 of which are required to assure full power for the original
minimum 12-year design life of the satellite. Since late 2004, eight
solar array circuits on EchoStar XII have experienced anomalous behavior
resulting in both temporary and permanent solar array circuit
failures. The cause of the failures is still being
investigated. The design life of the satellite has not been
affected. However, these temporary and permanent failures have
resulted in a reduction in power to the satellite which will preclude us from
using the full complement of transponders on EchoStar XII for the 12-year design
life of the satellite. The extent of this impact is being
investigated. There can be no assurance future anomalies will not
cause further losses, which could further impact commercial operation of the
satellite or its useful life.
Competition
in the Subscription Television Business
We
compete in the subscription television service industry against other DBS
television providers, cable television and other system operators offering
video, audio and data programming and entertainment services. We
compete with these providers and operators on a number of fronts, including
programming, price, ancillary features and services such as availability and
quality of receiver, HD programming, VOD services, DVR functionality and
customer services, as well as subscriber acquisition and retention programs and
promotions. Many of our competitors have substantially greater
financial, marketing and other resources than we have. Our earnings
and other operating metrics could be materially and adversely affected if we are
unable to compete successfully with these and other new providers of
multi-channel video programming services.
Cable
Television. Cable
television operators have a large, established customer base, and many cable
operators have made significant investments in programming. Cable
television operators continue to leverage their incumbency advantages relative
to satellite operators by, among other things, bundling their video service with
2-way high speed Internet access and telephone services. Cable
television operators are also able to provide local and other programming in a
larger number of geographic areas. As a result of these and
other factors, we may not be able to continue to expand our subscriber base or
compete effectively against cable television operators.
Some
digital cable platforms currently offer a video on demand (“VOD”) service that
enables subscribers to choose from a library of programming selections for
viewing at their convenience. We are continuing to develop our own
VOD service experience through automatic video downloads to hard drives in
certain of our satellite receivers, the inclusion of broadband connectivity
components in certain of our satellite receivers, and other
technologies. There can be no assurance that our VOD services will
successfully compare with offerings from other video providers.
DBS and Other
Direct-to-Home System Operators. News Corporation
owns an approximately 40% controlling interest in the DirecTV Group, Inc.
(“DirecTV”). In December 2006, Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty”)
agreed to exchange its 16.3% stake in News Corporation for News Corporation’s
stake in DirecTV, together with regional sports networks in Denver, Pittsburg
and Seattle. Although the deal is currently delayed by regulatory
approvals, it is expected to be completed in 2008. News Corporation
and Liberty each have ownership interests in diverse world-wide programming
content and other related businesses. These assets provide
competitive advantages to DirecTV with respect to the acquisition of
programming, content and other valuable business opportunities.
In
addition, DirecTV’s satellite receivers and services are offered through a
significantly greater number of consumer electronics stores than
ours. As a result of this and other factors, our services are less
well known to consumers than those of DirecTV. Due to this relative
lack of consumer awareness and other factors, we are at a competitive marketing
disadvantage compared to DirecTV. DirecTV also offers exclusive
programming that may be attractive to prospective subscribers, and may have
access to discounts on programming not available to us. DirecTV
launched a satellite in July 2007 with plans to launch another satellite in
early 2008 in order to offer local and national programming in HD to most of the
U.S. population. Although we have launched our own HD initiatives, if
DirecTV fully implements these plans, it may have an additional competitive
advantage.
New
entrants in the subscription satellite services business may also have a
competitive advantage over us in deploying some new products and technologies
because of the substantial costs we may be required to incur to make new
products or technologies available across our installed base of over 13.780
million subscribers.
VHF/UHF
Broadcasters. Most areas of
the United States can receive between three and 10 free over-the-air broadcast
channels, including local content most consumers consider
important. The FCC has allocated additional digital spectrum to these
broadcasters, which can be used to transmit multiple additional programming
channels. Our business could be adversely affected by increased program
offerings by traditional over-the-air broadcasters.
New
Technologies and
Competitors. New technologies could also have an adverse
effect on the demand for our DBS services. For example, we face an
increasingly significant competitive threat from the build-out of advanced fiber
optic networks by companies such as Verizon Communications, Inc. (“Verizon”) and
AT&T that allows them to offer video services bundled with traditional phone
and high speed Internet directly to millions of homes. In addition,
telephone companies and other entities are implementing and supporting digital
video compression over existing telephone lines which may allow them to offer
video services without having to build new infrastructure. We also
expect to face increasing competition from content and other providers who
distribute video services directly to consumers over the Internet.
With the
large increase in the number of consumers with broadband service, a significant
amount of video content has become available on the Internet for users to
download and view on their personal computers and other devices. In
addition, there are several initiatives by companies to make it easier to view
Internet-based video on television and personal computer screens. We
also could face competition from content and other providers who distribute
video services directly to consumers via digital air waves.
Mergers,
joint ventures, and alliances among franchise, wireless or private cable
television operators, telephone companies and others also may result in
providers capable of offering television services in competition with
us.
Impact of High
Definition TV. We believe that the availability and extent of
HD programming has become and will continue to be a significant factor in
consumer’s choice among multi-channel video providers. Although we
believe we currently offer consumers a compelling amount of HD programming
content, other multi-channel video providers may have more successfully marketed
and promoted their HD programming packages and may also be better equipped to
increase their HD offerings to respond to increasing consumer demand for this
content. For example, cable companies are able to offer local network
channels in HD in more markets than we can, and DirecTV could offer over 150
channels of HD programming by satellite in the near future. We could
be further disadvantaged to the extent a significant number of local
broadcasters begin offering local channels in HD because we will not initially
be in a position to offer local networks in HD in all of the markets that we
serve. We may be required to make substantial additional investments
in infrastructure to respond to competitive pressure to deliver additional HD
programming, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to compete
effectively with HD program offerings from other video providers.
Subscriber
Promotions. In addition to leasing receivers to subscribers,
we generally subsidize installation and all or a part of the cost of the
receivers as an incentive to attract subscribers. We may also from
time to time offer promotional pricing for programming and/or other services we
offer in order to attract subscribers. We also incur costs to retain
existing subscribers by, among other things, offering subsidized upgraded or
add-on equipment. Our cost to acquire subscribers through these
various programs may vary significantly from period to period and may also
materially affect our results of operations. The level of these
efforts (and consequent costs) may also significantly affect our subscriber
churn and subscriber additions from period to period, as market perceptions of
the relative merits of our promotions versus those offered by our competitors
may affect not only the purchase decisions of new subscribers, but also the
willingness of existing subscribers to change providers. We may from
time to time face competitive situations in which we would be required to
increase subscriber acquisition or retention costs to unacceptable levels in
order to attract new subscribers or forestall an increase in subscriber
churn. In those circumstances, we may decide to focus on maintaining
our financial performance and not seek to acquire or retain those marginal
subscribers.
GOVERNMENT
REGULATIONS
We are
subject to comprehensive regulation by the FCC for our domestic
operations. We are also regulated by other federal agencies, state
and local authorities and the International Telecommunication Union
(“ITU”). Depending upon the circumstances, noncompliance with
legislation or regulations promulgated by these entities could result in
suspension or revocation of our licenses or authorizations, the termination or
loss of contracts or the imposition of contractual damages, civil fines or
criminal penalties.
The
following summary of regulatory developments and legislation in the United
States is not intended to describe all present and proposed government
regulation and legislation affecting the video programming distribution
industry. Government regulations that are currently the subject of
judicial or administrative proceedings, legislative hearings or administrative
proposals could change our industry to varying degrees. We cannot
predict either the outcome of these proceedings or any potential impact they
might have on the industry or on our operations.
FCC
Regulation under the Communications Act
FCC Jurisdiction
over our Operations. The Communications Act gives the FCC broad
authority to regulate the operations of satellite
companies. Specifically, the Communications Act gives the FCC
regulatory jurisdiction over the following areas relating to communications
satellite operations:
|
·
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the
assignment of satellite radio frequencies and orbital
locations;
|
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·
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licensing
of satellites, earth stations, the granting of related authorizations, and
evaluation of the fitness of a company to be a
licensee;
|
|
·
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approval
for the relocation of satellites to different orbital locations or the
replacement of an existing satellite with a new
satellite;
|
|
·
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ensuring
compliance with the terms and conditions of such assignments and
authorizations, including required timetables for construction and
operation of satellites and other due diligence
requirements;
|
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·
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avoiding
interference with other radio frequency emitters;
and
|
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·
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ensuring
compliance with other applicable provisions of the Communications Act and
FCC rules and regulations governing the operations of satellite
communications providers and multi-channel video
distributors.
|
In order
to obtain FCC satellite licenses and authorizations, satellite operators must
satisfy strict legal, technical and financial qualification
requirements. Once issued, these licenses and authorizations are
subject to a number of conditions including, among other things, satisfaction of
ongoing due diligence obligations, construction milestones, and various
reporting requirements.
Overview of Our
Satellites and FCC Authorizations. Our satellites
are located in orbital positions, or slots, that are designated by their western
longitude. An orbital position describes both a physical location and
an assignment of spectrum in the applicable frequency band. The FCC
has divided each DBS orbital position into 32 frequency
channels. Each transponder on our satellites typically exploits one
frequency channel. Through digital compression technology, we can
currently transmit between nine and 13 standard definition digital video
channels from each transponder. Several of our satellites also
include spot-beam technology which enables us to increase the number of markets
where we provide local channels, but reduces the number of video channels that
could otherwise be offered across the entire United States.
The FCC
has licensed us to operate a total of 82 DBS frequencies at the following
orbital locations:
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·
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21
frequencies at the 119 degree orbital location and 29 frequencies at the
110 degree orbital location, both capable of providing service to CONUS;
and
|
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·
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32
frequencies at the 148 degree orbital location, capable of providing
service to the Western United
States.
|
We
currently lease or have entered into agreements to lease capacity on satellites
at the following orbital locations:
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·
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500
MHz of Ku spectrum currently divided into 24 frequencies at the 118.7
degree orbital location, capable of providing service to CONUS, Alaska and
Hawaii; and
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·
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32 frequencies at a Canadian DBS
slot at the 129 degree orbital location, capable of providing service to
most of the United States.
|
We
currently broadcast the majority of our programming from the 110 and 119 degree
orbital locations. Almost all of our customers have satellite
receiver systems that are equipped to receive signals from both of these
locations.
Duration of our
DBS Satellite Licenses. Generally speaking, all of our
satellite licenses are subject to expiration unless renewed by the
FCC. The term of each of our DBS licenses is 10 years. Our
licenses are currently set to expire at various times. In addition,
our special temporary authorizations are granted for periods of only 180 days or
less, subject again to possible renewal by the FCC.
Opposition and
other Risks to our Licenses. Several third parties have
opposed, and we expect them to continue to oppose, some of our FCC satellite
authorizations and pending requests to the FCC for extensions, modifications,
waivers and approvals of our licenses. In addition, we may not have
fully complied with all of the FCC reporting and filing requirements in
connection with our satellite authorizations. Consequently, it is
possible the FCC could revoke, terminate, condition or decline to extend or
renew certain of our authorizations or licenses.
FCC
Actions Affecting
our
Licenses and Applications. A number of our other applications
have been denied or dismissed without prejudice by the FCC, or remain
pending. We cannot be sure that the FCC will grant any of our
outstanding applications, or that the authorizations, if granted, will not be
subject to onerous conditions. Moreover, the cost of building,
launching and insuring a satellite can be as much as $300.0 million or more, and
we cannot be sure that we will be able to construct and launch all of the
satellites for which we have requested authorizations.
4.5 Degree
Spacing Tweener Satellites. The FCC has proposed to allow
so-called “tweener” DBS operations – DBS satellites operating from orbital
locations 4.5 degrees (half of the usual 9 degrees) away from other DBS
satellites. The FCC has already granted authorizations to Spectrum
Five and us for tweener satellites at the 114.5 and 86.5 degree orbital
locations, respectively. We have challenged the Spectrum Five
authorization, and Telesat Canada, a Canadian satellite operator, has challenged
our license. Certain tweener operations, as proposed, could cause
harmful interference into our service and constrain our future
operations.
Interference from
Other Services
Sharing Satellite
Spectrum. The FCC has adopted rules that allow
non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite services to operate on a co-primary
basis in the same frequency band as DBS and Ku-band-based fixed satellite
services. The FCC has also authorized the use of terrestrial
communication services (“MVDDS”) in the DBS band. MVDDS licenses were
auctioned in 2004. Despite regulatory provisions to protect DBS
operations from harmful interference, there can be no assurance that operations
by other satellites or terrestrial communication services in the DBS band will
not interfere with our DBS operations and adversely affect our
business.
International
Satellite Competition
and
Interference. DirecTV has obtained FCC authority to provide
service to the United States from a Canadian DBS orbital slot. We
have also received authority to do the same from a Canadian orbital slot at 129
degrees. The possibility that the FCC will allow service to the U.S.
from additional foreign slots may permit additional competition against us from
other satellite providers. It may also provide a means by which to
increase our available satellite capacity in the United States. In
addition, a number of administrations, such as Great Britain and the
Netherlands, have requested to add orbital locations serving the U.S. close to
our licensed slots. Such operations could cause harmful interference
to our satellites and constrain our future operations at those slots if such
“tweener” operations are approved by the FCC. The risk of harmful
interference will depend upon the final rules adopted in the FCC’s “tweener”
proceeding.
Emergency
Alert System. The Emergency Alert System (“EAS”)
requires participants to interrupt programming during nationally-declared
emergencies and to pass through emergency-related information. The
FCC recently released an order requiring satellite carriers to participate in
the “national” portion of EAS. It is also considering whether to
mandate that satellite carriers also interrupt programming for local emergencies
and weather events. We cannot be sure that this requirement will not
affect us adversely by requiring us to devote additional resources to complying
with EAS requirements.
Rules Relating to
Broadcast Services. The FCC imposes different rules for
“subscription” and “broadcast” services. We believe that because we
offer a subscription programming service, we are not subject to many of the
regulatory obligations imposed upon broadcast licensees. However, we
cannot be certain whether the FCC will find in the future that we must comply
with regulatory obligations as a broadcast licensee, and certain parties have
requested that we be treated as a broadcaster. If the FCC determines
that we are a broadcast licensee, it could require us to comply with all
regulatory obligations imposed upon broadcast licensees, which are generally
subject to more burdensome regulation than subscription television service
providers.
Public Interest
Requirements. Under a requirement of the Cable Act, the FCC
imposed public interest requirements on DBS licensees. These rules
require us to set aside four percent of our channel capacity exclusively for
noncommercial programming for which we must charge programmers below-cost rates
and for which we may not impose additional charges on
subscribers. This could displace programming for which we could earn
commercial rates and could adversely affect our financial results. We
cannot be sure that if the FCC were to review our methodology for processing
public interest carriage requests, computing the channel capacity we must set
aside or determining the rates that we charge public interest programmers, it
would find them in compliance with the public interest
requirements.
Plug and
Play. The FCC has adopted the so-called “plug and play”
standard for compatibility between digital television sets and cable
systems. That standard was developed through negotiations involving
the cable and consumer electronics industries, but not us. The FCC is
now considering various proposals to establish two-way digital cable “plug and
play” rules. That proceeding also asks about means to incorporate all
pay TV providers into its “plug and play” rules. We are concerned
that the FCC may impose rules on our DBS operations that are based on cable
system architecture. Complying with the separate security and other
“plug and play” requirements would require potentially costly modifications to
our set-top boxes and operations. We cannot predict the timing or
outcome of this FCC proceeding.
Digital HD Must
Carry Requirement. In order to
provide any local broadcast signals in a market (“local-into-local authority”)
today, we are required to retransmit all qualifying broadcast signals in that
market. The FCC has adopted rules governing our carriage obligations
for analog commercial and non-commercial stations. The FCC has not
adopted rules with respect to our carriage obligation for digital
signals. The digital transition in February 2009 will require all
full-power broadcasters to cease transmission in analog and switch over to
digital signals. The switch to digital will provide broadcasters
significantly greater capacity to provide high definition and multi-cast
programming. Depending upon what rules the FCC adopts, the carriage
of digital signals on our DBS system could cause significant capacity
constraints, and limit the number of local markets that can be
served. For instance, we would face substantial operational
challenges if the FCC were to adopt a “HD carry-one, carry-all” requirement
effective February 2009, under which we would be required to carry all
broadcasters in HD if any broadcaster in that market is offered in
HD. We have proposed that the FCC provide sufficient time for DBS
providers to construct satellites to meet any new requirements, and that any
heightened capacity burden be phased-in over a number of years. The
FCC may adopt final digital HD must carry rules as soon as the FCC’s February
26, 2008 Open Meeting, but we cannot predict the exact timing or outcome of this
proceeding. The transition will also require resource-intensive
efforts by us to transition all broadcast signals from analog to digital at
hundreds of local receive facilities across the nation.
Digital
Transition Education. The digital transition in February 2009
will require all broadcasters to cease transmission in analog and switch over to
digital signals. The FCC has an open proceeding addressing the
obligation of broadcasters and multi-channel video programming distributors to
notify and educate viewers on the impact of the transition on their
household. It is possible that the FCC may require mandatory bill
notification and public service announcements to be aired on DISH Network as a
result of this proceeding.
Retransmission
Consent. The
Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (“SHVIA”), generally gives satellite
companies a statutory copyright license to retransmit local broadcast channels
by satellite back into the market from which they originated, subject to
obtaining the retransmission consent of the local network station. If
we fail to reach retransmission consent agreements with broadcasters, we cannot
carry their signals. This could have an adverse effect on our
strategy to compete with cable and other satellite companies which provide local
signals. While we have been able to reach retransmission consent
agreements with most local network stations in markets where we currently offer
local channels by satellite, roll-out of local channels in additional cities
will require that we obtain additional retransmission agreements. We
cannot be sure that we will secure these agreements or that we will secure new
agreements upon the expiration of our current retransmission consent agreements,
some of which are short term.
Dependence on
Cable Act for Program Access. We purchase a large percentage
of our programming from cable-affiliated programmers. The Cable Act’s
provisions prohibiting exclusive contracting practices with cable affiliated
programmers were extended for another five-year period in September
2007. Cable companies have appealed the FCC’s decision. We
cannot predict the outcome or timing of that litigation. Any change
in the Cable Act and the FCC’s rules that permit the cable industry or
cable-affiliated programmers to discriminate against competing businesses, such
as ours, in the sale of programming could adversely affect our ability to
acquire cable-affiliated programming at all or to acquire programming on a
cost-effective basis. Further, the FCC generally has not shown a
willingness to enforce the program access rules aggressively. As a
result, we may be limited in our ability to obtain access (or nondiscriminatory
access) to programming from programmers that are affiliated with the cable
system operators.
In
addition, affiliates of certain cable providers have denied us access to sports
programming they feed to their cable systems terrestrially, rather than by
satellite. To the extent that cable operators deliver additional
programming terrestrially in the future, they may assert that this additional
programming is also exempt from the program access laws. These
restrictions on our access to programming could materially and adversely affect
our ability to compete in regions serviced by these cable
providers.
MDU
Exclusivity. The FCC has found that cable companies should not
be permitted to have exclusive relationships with multiple dwelling units (e.g.,
apartment buildings). That decision is under appeal, and we cannot
predict the timing or outcome of that litigation. Nonetheless, the
FCC has now asked whether DBS and Private Cable Operators (“PCOs”) should be
permitted to have similar relationships with multiple dwelling
units. If the cable exclusivity ban were to be extended to DBS
providers, our ability to serve these types of buildings and communities would
be adversely affected.
The
International Telecommunication Union
Our DBS
system also must conform to the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU,
broadcasting satellite service plan for Region 2 (which includes the United
States). If any of our operations are not consistent with this plan,
the ITU will only provide authorization on a non-interference basis pending
successful modification of the plan or the agreement of all affected
administrations to the non-conforming operations. Accordingly, unless
and until the ITU modifies its broadcasting satellite service plan to include
the technical parameters of DBS applicants’ operations, our satellites, along
with those of other DBS operators, must not cause harmful electrical
interference with other assignments that are in conformance with the
plan. Further, DBS satellites are not presently entitled to any
protection from other satellites that are in conformance with the
plan.
In
addition, a number of administrations, such as Great Britain and the
Netherlands, have requested modifications to the plan to add orbital locations
serving the U.S. close to our licensed slots, similar to the “tweener”
operations discussed above. Such operations could cause harmful
interference into our satellites and constrain our future operations at those
slots.
Export
Control Regulation
The
delivery of satellites and related technical information for the purpose of
launch by foreign launch services providers is subject to strict export control
and prior approval requirements.
PATENTS
AND TRADEMARKS
Many
entities, including some of our competitors, have or may in the future obtain
patents and other intellectual property rights that cover or affect products or
services related to those that we offer. In general, if a court
determines that one or more of our products infringes on intellectual property
held by others, we may be required to cease developing or marketing those
products, to obtain licenses from the holders of the intellectual property at a
material cost, or to redesign those products in such a way as to avoid
infringing the patent claims. If those intellectual property rights
are held by a competitor, we may be unable to obtain the intellectual property
at any price, which could adversely affect our competitive
position.
We may
not be aware of all intellectual property rights that our products may
potentially infringe. In addition, patent applications in the United
States are confidential until the Patent and Trademark Office issues a patent
and, accordingly, our products may infringe claims contained in pending patent
applications of which we are not aware. Further, the process of determining
definitively whether a claim of infringement is valid often involves expensive
and protracted litigation, even if we are ultimately successful on the
merits.
We cannot
estimate the extent to which we may be required in the future to obtain
intellectual property licenses or the availability and cost of any such
licenses. Those costs, and their impact on our results of operations,
could be material. Damages in patent infringement cases may also
include treble damages in certain circumstances. To the extent that
we are required to pay unanticipated royalties to third parties, these increased
costs of doing business could negatively affect our liquidity and operating
results. We are currently defending multiple patent infringement
actions. We cannot be certain the courts will conclude these
companies do not own the rights they claim, that our products do not infringe on
these rights, that we would be able to obtain licenses from these persons on
commercially reasonable terms or, if we were unable to obtain such licenses,
that we would be able to redesign our products to avoid
infringement. See “Item 3 – Legal
Proceedings.”
ENVIRONMENTAL
REGULATIONS
We are
subject to the requirements of federal, state, local and foreign environmental
and occupational safety and health laws and regulations. These
include laws regulating air emissions, water discharge and waste
management. We attempt to maintain compliance with all such
requirements. We do not expect capital or other expenditures for
environmental compliance to be material in 2008 or
2009. Environmental requirements are complex, change frequently and
have become more stringent over time. Accordingly, we cannot provide
assurance that these requirements will not change or become more stringent in
the future in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on our
business.
SEGMENT
REPORTING DATA AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA DATA
For
operating segment and principal geographic area data for 2007, 2006 and 2005 see
Note 10 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 15 of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
EMPLOYEES
We had
approximately 23,000 employees at December 31, 2007, most of whom are located in
the United States. We generally consider relations with our employees
to be good. Approximately 1,500 of these employees employed by ETC
and other businesses transferred to EchoStar in connection with the Spin-off
became employees of EchoStar as of January 1, 2008.
Although
a total of approximately 33 employees in two of our field offices have voted to
unionize, we are not currently a party to any collective bargaining
agreements. However, we are currently negotiating collective
bargaining agreements at these offices.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are
subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and accordingly
file our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current
reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The public may read and copy any
materials filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street,
NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for
further information on the Public Reference Room. As an electronic
filer, our public filings are also maintained on the SEC’s Internet site that
contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information
regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address
of that website is http://www.sec.gov.
WEBSITE
ACCESS
Our
annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on
Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section
13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act also may be accessed free of charge through
our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed
such material with, or furnished it to, the SEC. The address of that
website is http://www.dishnetwork.com.
We have
adopted a written code of ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers
and employees, including our principal executive officer and senior financial
officers, in accordance with Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and
the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated
thereunder. Our code of ethics is available on our corporate website
at http://www.dishnetwork.com.
In the event that we make changes in, or provide waivers of, the provisions of
this code of ethics that the SEC requires us to disclose, we intend to disclose
these events on our website.
EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
(furnished
in accordance with Item 401 (b) of Regulation S-K, pursuant to General
Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K)
The
following table sets forth the name, age and offices with DISH Network of each
of our executive officers, the period during which each executive officer has
served as such, and each executive officer’s business experience during the past
five years:
Name
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Age
|
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Position
|
|
|
|
|
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Charles
W. Ergen
|
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54
|
|
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
|
W.
Erik Carlson
|
|
38
|
|
Executive
Vice President, Operations
|
Thomas
A. Cullen
|
|
48
|
|
Executive
Vice President, Corporate Development
|
James
DeFranco
|
|
55
|
|
Executive
Vice President, Sales & Distribution, Travel/Events and Marketing, and
Director
|
R.
Stanton Dodge
|
|
40
|
|
Executive
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
|
Bernard
L. Han
|
|
43
|
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
Michael
Kelly
|
|
46
|
|
Executive
Vice President, Commercial and Business Services
|
Carl
E. Vogel
|
|
50
|
|
Vice
Chairman and Director
|
Stephen
W. Wood
|
|
49
|
|
Executive
Vice President, Chief Human Resources
Officer
|
Charles W.
Ergen. Mr. Ergen has been Chairman of the Board of Directors
and Chief Executive Officer of DISH Network since its formation and, during the
past five years, has held various executive officer and director positions with
DISH Network’s subsidiaries. Mr. Ergen was appointed President of
DISH Network in February 2008. Mr. Ergen, along with his spouse and
James DeFranco, was a co-founder of DISH Network in 1980.
W. Erik
Carlson. Mr. Carlson was named Executive Vice President,
Operations in February 2008 and is responsible for overseeing our home and
commercial installations, customer service centers, internal customer billing
and equipment retrieval and refurbishment operations. Mr. Carlson
previously was Senior Vice President of Retail Services, a position he held
since mid-2006. He joined DISH Network in 1995 and has held
progressively larger operating roles over the years.
Thomas A.
Cullen. Mr. Cullen joined DISH Network in December 2006 as the
Executive Vice President, Corporate Development. Before joining DISH
Network, Cullen served as President of TensorComm, a venture-backed wireless
technology company. From August 2003 to April 2005, Mr. Cullen was
with Charter Communications Inc. (“Charter”), serving as Senior Vice President,
Advanced Services and Business Development from August 2003 until he was
promoted to Executive Vice President in August 2004. From January
2001 to October 2002, Mr. Cullen was General Partner of Lone Tree Capital, a
private equity partnership focused on investment opportunities in the technology
and communications sector.
James
DeFranco. Mr. DeFranco is currently our Executive Vice
President, Sales & Distribution, Travel/Events and Marketing and has held
various executive officer and director positions with DISH Network since its
formation. Mr. DeFranco, along with Mr. Ergen and Mr. Ergen’s spouse,
was a co-founder of DISH Network in 1980.
R.
Stanton Dodge. Mr. Dodge is currently the Executive Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary of DISH Network
and is responsible
for all legal affairs for DISH Network and its
subsidiaries. Since joining DISH Network in
November 1996, he has held various positions in DISH Network’s
legal department.
Bernard L. Han. Mr. Han was
named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DISH Network in
September 2006 and is responsible for all accounting, finance and information
technology functions of the Company. From October 2002 to May 2005,
Mr. Han served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Northwest Airlines, Inc. Prior to October 2002, he held
positions as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Senior
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at America West Airlines,
Inc.
Michael Kelly. Mr.
Kelly is currently the Executive Vice President, Commercial and Business
Services. Mr. Kelly served as the Executive Vice President of DISH
Network Service LLC and Customer Service from February 2004 until December 2005
and as Senior Vice President of DISH Network Service L.L.C. from March 2001
until February 2004. Mr. Kelly joined DISH Network in March 2000 as
Senior Vice President of International Programming following our acquisition of
Kelly Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Carl E. Vogel. Mr.
Vogel is currently serving as our Vice Chairman. Mr. Vogel served as
our President from September 2006 until February 2008 and has served on the
Board of Directors and as Vice Chairman in charge of all financial and strategic
initiatives since 2005. From 2001 until 2005, Mr. Vogel served as the
President and CEO of Charter, a publicly-traded company providing cable
television and broadband services to approximately six million
customers. Mr. Vogel was one of our executive officers from 1994
until 1997, including serving as our President from 1995 until 1997 and was a
key member of the executive team that created and launched DISH Network in
1996. Mr. Vogel is also currently serving on the Board of Directors
and the Audit Committee of Shaw Communications, Inc.
Stephen W.
Wood. Mr. Wood has served as our Executive Vice President and
Chief Human Resources Officer since May 2006 and is responsible for all human
resource functions of DISH Network and its subsidiaries. Prior to
joining DISH Network, Mr. Wood served as an Executive Vice President for Gate
Gourmet International from 2004 to 2006 and practiced employment and labor
law in Richmond, Virginia with McGuire Woods LLP, as well as held executive
and directorial Human Resources positions at Cigna Healthcare from 2001 to
2004.
There are
no arrangements or understandings between any executive officer and any other
person pursuant to which any executive officer was selected as
such. Pursuant to the Bylaws of DISH Network, executive officers
serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Ergen
also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
EchoStar. Pursuant to a management services agreement with EchoStar
entered into in connection with the Spin-off, DISH Network has agreed to make
certain of its key officers, including Mr. Dodge and Mr. Han, available to
provide services to EchoStar.
The
risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing
us. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of or that
we currently believe to be immaterial also may become important factors that
affect us.
If
any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition or results
of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We
compete with other subscription television service providers and traditional
broadcasters, which could affect our ability to grow and increase our earnings
and other operating metrics.
We
compete in the subscription television service industry against other DBS
television providers, cable television and other system operators offering
video, audio and data programming and entertainment services. We
compete with these providers and operators on a number of fronts, including
programming, price, ancillary features and services such as availability and
quality of HD programming, VOD services, DVR functionality and customer
services, as well as subscriber acquisition and retention programs and
promotions. Many of our competitors have substantially greater
financial, marketing and other resources than we have. Our earnings
and other operating metrics could be materially and adversely affected if we are
unable to compete successfully with these and other new providers of
multi-channel video programming services.
We
believe that the availability and extent of HD programming has become and will
continue to be a significant factor in consumer’s choice among multi-channel
video providers. Although we believe we currently offer consumers a
compelling amount of HD programming content, other multi-channel video providers
may have more successfully marketed and promoted their HD programming packages
and may also be better equipped to increase their HD offerings to respond to
increasing consumer demand for this content. For example, cable
companies are able to offer local network channels in HD in more markets than we
can, and DirecTV could offer over 150 channels of HD programming by satellite in
the near future. We could be further disadvantaged to the extent a
significant number of local broadcasters begin offering local channels in HD
because we will not initially be in a position to offer local networks in HD in
all of the markets that we serve. We may be required to make
substantial additional investments in infrastructure to respond to competitive
pressure to deliver additional HD programming, and there can be no assurance
that we will be able to compete effectively with HD program offerings from other
video providers.
Cable
television operators have a large, established customer base, and many cable
operators have made significant investments in programming. Cable
television operators continue to leverage their incumbency advantages relative
to satellite operators by, among other things, bundling their video service with
2-way high speed Internet access and telephone services. Cable
television operators are also able to provide local and other programming in a
larger number of geographic areas. As a result of these and
other factors, we may not be able to continue to expand our subscriber base or
compete effectively against cable television operators.
Some
digital cable platforms currently offer a VOD service that enables subscribers
to choose from an extensive library of programming selections for viewing at
their convenience. We are continuing to develop our own VOD service
experience through automatic video downloads to hard drives in certain of our
satellite receivers, the inclusion of broadband connectivity components in
certain of our satellite receivers, and other technologies. There can
be no assurance that our VOD services will successfully compare with offerings
from other video providers.
News
Corporation owns an approximately 40% controlling interest in the DirecTV Group,
Inc. (“DirecTV”). In December 2006, Liberty Media Corporation
(“Liberty”) agreed to exchange its 16.3% stake in News Corporation for News
Corporation’s stake in DirecTV, together with regional sports networks in
Denver, Pittsburg and Seattle. Although the deal is currently delayed
by regulatory approvals, it is expected to be completed in 2008. News
Corporation and Liberty each have ownership interests in diverse world-wide
programming content and other related businesses. These assets
provide competitive advantages to DirecTV with respect to the acquisition of
programming, content and other valuable business opportunities.
In
addition, DirecTV’s satellite receivers and services are offered through a
significantly greater number of consumer electronics stores than
ours. As a result of this and other factors, our services are less
well known to consumers than those of DirecTV. Due to this relative
lack of consumer awareness and other factors, we are at a competitive marketing
disadvantage compared to DirecTV. DirecTV also offers exclusive
programming that may be attractive to prospective subscribers, and may have
access to discounts on programming not available to us. DirecTV
launched a satellite in July 2007 with plans to launch another satellite in
early 2008 in order to offer local and national programming in HD to most of the
U.S. population. Although we have launched our own HD initiatives, if
DirecTV fully implements these plans, it may have an additional competitive
advantage.
New
entrants in the subscription satellite services business may also have a
competitive advantage over us in deploying some new products and technologies
because of the substantial costs we may be required to incur to make new
products or technologies available across our installed base of over 13 million
subscribers.
Most
areas of the United States can receive between three and 10 free over-the-air
broadcast channels, including local content most consumers consider
important. The FCC has allocated additional digital spectrum to these
broadcasters, which can be used to transmit multiple additional programming
channels. Our business could be adversely affected by increased program
offerings by traditional over-the-air broadcasters.
New
technologies could also have an adverse effect on the demand for our DBS
services. For example, we face an increasingly significant
competitive threat from the build-out of advanced fiber optic networks by
companies such as Verizon Communications, Inc. (“Verizon”) and AT&T that
allows them to offer video services bundled with traditional phone and high
speed Internet directly to millions of homes. In addition, telephone
companies and other entities are implementing and supporting digital video
compression over existing telephone lines which may allow them to offer video
services without having to build new infrastructure. We also expect
to face increasing competition from content and other providers who distribute
video services directly to consumers over the Internet.
With the
large increase in the number of consumers with broadband service, a significant
amount of video content has become available on the Internet for users to
download and view on their personal computers and other devices. In
addition, there are several initiatives by companies to make it easier to view
Internet-based video on television and personal computer screens. We
also could face competition from content and other providers who distribute
video services directly to consumers via digital air waves.
Mergers,
joint ventures, and alliances among franchise, wireless or private cable
television operators, telephone companies and others also may result in
providers capable of offering television services in competition with
us.
Increased
subscriber turnover could harm our financial performance.
Our
future subscriber churn may be negatively impacted by a number of factors,
including but not limited to, an increase in competition from existing
competitors and new entrants offering more compelling promotions, customer
satisfaction with our products and services including our customer service
performance, whether we are able to offer promotions that customers view as
compelling on cost effective terms, as well as our ability to successfully
introduce new advanced products and services. Competitor bundling of
video services with 2-way high speed Internet access and telephone services may
also contribute more significantly to churn over time. There can be
no assurance that these and other factors will not contribute to relatively
higher churn than we have experienced historically. Additionally,
certain of our promotions allow consumers with relatively lower credit scores to
become subscribers and these subscribers typically churn at a higher
rate. In addition, if adverse conditions in the economy continue or
conditions worsen, we would expect that our subscriber churn would
increase. In particular, subscriber churn may increase with respect
to subscribers who purchase our lower tier programming packages and who may be
more sensitive to deteriorating economic conditions.
Additionally,
as the size of our subscriber base increases, even if our churn percentage
remains constant or declines, increasing numbers of gross new DISH Network
subscribers are required to sustain our net subscriber growth
rates.
Increases
in theft of our signal, or our competitors’ signals, also could cause subscriber
churn to increase in future periods. There can be no assurance that
our existing security measures will not be further compromised or that any
future security measures we may implement will be effective in reducing theft of
our programming signals.
Increased
subscriber acquisition and retention costs could adversely affect our financial
performance.
In
addition to leasing receivers, we generally subsidize installation and all or a
portion of the cost of receiver systems in order to attract new DISH Network
subscribers. Our costs to acquire subscribers, and to a lesser extent
our subscriber retention costs, can vary significantly from period to period and
can cause material variability to our net income (loss) and free cash
flow.
In
addition to new subscriber acquisition costs, we incur costs to retain existing
subscribers. In an effort to reduce subscriber turnover, we offer
existing subscribers a variety of options for upgraded and add on
equipment. We generally lease receivers and subsidize installation of
receiver systems under these subscriber retention programs. We also
upgrade or replace subscriber equipment periodically as technology
changes. As a consequence, our retention and our capital expenditures
related to our equipment lease program for existing subscribers will increase,
at least in the short term, to the extent we subsidize the costs of those
upgrades and replacements. Our capital expenditures related to
subscriber retention programs could also increase in the future to the extent we
increase penetration of our equipment lease program for existing subscribers, if
we introduce other more aggressive promotions, if we offer existing subscribers
more aggressive promotions for HD receivers or receivers with other enhanced
technologies, or for other reasons.
Cash
necessary to fund retention programs and total subscriber acquisition costs are
expected to be satisfied from existing cash and marketable investment securities
balances and cash generated from operations to the extent
available. We may, however, decide to raise additional capital in the
future to meet these requirements. There can be no assurance that
additional financing will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, if needed
in the future.
In
particular, current dislocations in the credit markets, which have significantly
impacted the availability and pricing of financing, particularly in the high
yield debt and leveraged credit markets, may significantly constrain our ability
to obtain financing to support our growth initiatives. These
developments in the credit markets may have a significant effect on our cost of
financing and our liquidity position and may, as a result, cause us to defer or
abandon profitable business strategies that we would otherwise pursue if
financing were available on acceptable terms.
In
addition, any material increase in subscriber acquisition or retention costs
from current levels could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Satellite
programming signals have been subject to theft, and we are vulnerable to
subscriber fraud, which could cause us to lose subscribers and
revenue.
Increases
in theft of our signal, or our competitors’ signals, could also limit subscriber
growth and cause subscriber churn to increase. We use microchips
embedded in credit card-sized access cards, called “smart cards,” or security
chips in our receiver systems to control access to authorized programming
content. However, our signal encryption has been compromised by theft
of service, and even though we continue to respond to compromises of our
encryption system with security measures intended to make signal theft of our
programming more difficult, theft of our signal is increasing. We
cannot assure you that we will be successful in reducing or controlling theft of
our service.
During
2005, we replaced our smart cards in order to reduce theft of our
service. However, the smart card replacement did not fully secure our
system, and we have since implemented software patches and other security
measures to help protect our service. Nevertheless, these security
measures are short-term fixes and we remain susceptible to additional signal
theft. Therefore, we have developed a plan to replace our existing
smart cards and/or security chips to re-secure our signals for a longer term
which will commence later this year and is expected to take approximately nine
to twelve months to complete. While our existing smart cards
installed in 2005 remain under warranty, we could incur operational costs
in excess of $50 million in connection with our smart card replacement
program.
We are
also vulnerable to fraud, particularly in the acquisition of new
subscribers. While we are addressing the impact of subscriber fraud
through a number of actions, including eliminating certain payment options for
subscribers, such as the use of pre-paid debit cards, there can be no assurance
that we will not continue to experience fraud which could impact our subscriber
growth and churn.
Our
local programming strategy faces uncertainty.
SHVIA
generally gives satellite companies a statutory copyright license to retransmit
local broadcast channels by satellite back into the market from which they
originated, subject to obtaining the retransmission consent of the local network
station. If we fail to reach retransmission consent agreements with
broadcasters we cannot carry their signals. This could have an
adverse effect on our strategy to compete with cable and other satellite
companies which provide local signals. While we have been able to
reach retransmission consent agreements with most local network stations in
markets where we currently offer local channels by satellite, roll-out of local
channels in additional cities will require that we obtain additional
retransmission agreements. We cannot be sure that we will secure
these agreements or that we will secure new agreements upon the expiration of
our current retransmission consent agreements, some of which are short
term.
We
depend on the Cable Act for access to others’ programming.
We
purchase a large percentage of our programming from cable-affiliated
programmers. The Cable Act’s provisions prohibiting exclusive
contracting practices with cable affiliated programmers were extended for
another five-year period in September 2007. Cable companies have
appealed the FCC’s decision. We cannot predict the outcome or timing
of that litigation. Any change in the Cable Act and the FCC’s rules
that permit the cable industry or cable-affiliated programmers to discriminate
against competing businesses, such as ours, in the sale of programming could
adversely affect our ability to acquire cable-affiliated programming at all or
to acquire programming on a cost-effective basis. Further, the FCC
generally has not shown a willingness to enforce the program access rules
aggressively. As a result, we may be limited in our ability to obtain
access (or nondiscriminatory access) to programming from programmers that are
affiliated with the cable system operators.
In
addition, affiliates of certain cable providers have denied us access to sports
programming they feed to their cable systems terrestrially, rather than by
satellite. To the extent that cable operators deliver additional
programming terrestrially in the future, they may assert that this additional
programming is also exempt from the program access laws. These
restrictions on our access to programming could materially and adversely affect
our ability to compete in regions serviced by these cable
providers.
We
depend on others to produce programming.
We depend
on third parties to provide us with programming services. Unlike our
larger cable and satellite competitors, we have not made significant investments
in programming providers. Our programming agreements have remaining
terms ranging from less than one to up to ten years and contain various renewal
and cancellation provisions. We may not be able to renew these
agreements on favorable terms or at all, and these agreements may be canceled
prior to expiration of their original term. If we are unable to renew
any of these agreements or the other parties cancel the agreements, we cannot
assure you that we would be able to obtain substitute programming, or that such
substitute programming would be comparable in quality or cost to our existing
programming. In addition, we expect programming costs to continue to
increase. We may be unable to pass programming costs on to our
customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We
face increasing competition from other distributors of foreign language
programming.
We face
increasing competition from other distributors of foreign language programming,
including programming distributed over the Internet. There can be no
assurance that we will continue to experience growth in subscribers to our
foreign-language programming services. In addition, the increasing
availability of foreign language programming from our competitors, which in
certain cases has resulted from our inability to renew programming agreements on
an exclusive basis or at all, could contribute to an increase in our subscriber
churn. Our agreements with distributors of foreign language
programming have varying expiration dates, and some agreements are on a
month-to-month basis. There can be no assurance that we will be able
to renew these agreements on acceptable terms or at all.
We
are subject to significant regulatory oversight and changes in applicable
regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business.
DBS
operators are subject to significant government regulation, primarily by the FCC
and, to a certain extent, by Congress, other federal agencies and international,
state and local authorities. Depending upon the circumstances,
noncompliance with legislation or regulations promulgated by these entities
could result in the suspension or revocation of our licenses or registrations,
the termination or loss of contracts or the imposition of contractual damages,
civil fines or criminal penalties any of which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations. You should review the regulatory disclosures under the
caption “Item
1. Business — Government Regulation — FCC Regulation under the
Communication Act” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
During
January 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a Texas jury verdict that certain
of our digital video recorders, or DVRs, infringed a patent held by
Tivo.
If we are
unsuccessful in subsequent appeals or in defending against claims that our
alternate technology infringes Tivo’s patent, we could be prohibited from
distributing DVRs or be required to modify or eliminate certain user-friendly
DVR features that we currently offer to consumers. In that event, we
would be at a significant disadvantage to our competitors who could offer this
functionality and, while we would attempt to provide that functionality through
other manufacturers, the adverse affect on our business could be
material. We could also have to pay substantial additional
damages.
We
currently have no commercial insurance coverage on the satellites we
own.
We do not
use commercial insurance to mitigate the potential financial impact of in-orbit
failures because we believe that the cost of insurance premiums is uneconomical
relative to the risk of satellite failure. We believe we generally
have in-orbit satellite capacity sufficient to recover, in a relatively short
time frame, transmission of most of our critical programming in the event one of
our in-orbit satellites fails. We could not, however, recover certain
local markets, international and other niche programming. Further,
programming continuity cannot be assured in the event of multiple satellite
losses.
We
currently do not have adequate backup satellite capacity to recover all of the
local network channels broadcast from our EchoStar X satellite in the event of a
complete failure of that satellite. Therefore, our ability to deliver
local channels in many markets, as well as our ability to comply with SHVERA
requirements without incurring significant additional costs, depends on, among
other things, the continued successful commercial operation of EchoStar
X.
We also
depend on EchoStar VIII, which we now lease from EchoStar, to provide service
for us in the continental United States at least until such time as our EchoStar
XI satellite has commenced commercial operation, which is currently expected to
occur in mid-year 2008. Otherwise in the event that EchoStar VIII
experienced a total or substantial failure, we could transmit many, but not all,
of those channels from other in-orbit satellites.
Our
satellites are subject to risks related to launch.
Satellite
launches are subject to significant risks, including launch failure, incorrect
orbital placement or improper commercial operation. Certain launch
vehicles that may be used by us have either unproven track records or have
experienced launch failures in the past. The risks of launch delay
and failure are usually greater when the launch vehicle does not have a track
record of previous successful flights. Launch failures result in
significant delays in the deployment of satellites because of the need both to
construct replacement satellites, which can take more than two years, and to
obtain other launch opportunities. Such significant delays could
materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenues. If
we were unable to obtain launch insurance, or obtain launch insurance at rates
we deem commercially reasonable, and a significant launch failure were to occur,
it could have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate revenues and
fund future satellite procurement and launch opportunities.
In
addition, the occurrence of future launch failures may materially and adversely
affect our ability to insure the launch of our satellites at commercially
reasonable premiums, if at all. Please see further discussion under
the caption “We currently have
no commercial insurance coverage on the satellites we own”
above.
Our
satellites are subject to significant operational risks.
Satellites
are subject to significant operational risks while in orbit. These
risks include malfunctions, commonly referred to as anomalies, that have
occurred in our satellites and the satellites of other operators as a result of
various factors, such as satellite manufacturers’ errors, problems with the
power systems or control systems of the satellites and general failures
resulting from operating satellites in the harsh environment of
space.
Although
we work closely with the satellite manufacturers to determine and eliminate the
cause of anomalies in new satellites and provide for redundancies of many
critical components in the satellites, we may experience anomalies in the
future, whether of the types described above or arising from the failure of
other systems or components.
Any
single anomaly or series of anomalies could materially and adversely affect our
operations and revenues and our relationship with current customers, as well as
our ability to attract new customers for our multi-channel video
services. In particular, future anomalies may result in the loss of
individual transponders on a satellite, a group of transponders on that
satellite or the entire satellite, depending on the nature of the
anomaly. Anomalies may also reduce the expected useful life of a
satellite, thereby reducing the channels that could be offered using that
satellite, or create additional expenses due to the need to provide replacement
or back-up satellites. You should review the disclosures relating to
satellite anomalies set forth under Note 4 in the Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Meteoroid
events pose a potential threat to all in-orbit satellites. The
probability that meteoroids will damage those satellites increases significantly
when the Earth passes through the particulate stream left behind by
comets. Occasionally, increased solar activity also poses a potential
threat to all in-orbit satellites.
Some
decommissioned spacecraft are in uncontrolled orbits which pass through the
geostationary belt at various points, and present hazards to operational
spacecraft, including our satellites. We may be required to perform
maneuvers to avoid collisions and these maneuvers may prove unsuccessful or
could reduce the useful life of the satellite through the expenditure of fuel to
perform these maneuvers. The loss, damage or destruction of any of
our satellites as a result of an electrostatic storm, collision with space
debris, malfunction or other event could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
satellites have minimum design lives of 12 years, but could fail or suffer
reduced capacity before then.
Our
ability to earn revenue depends on the usefulness of our satellites, each of
which has a limited useful life. A number of factors affect the
useful lives of the satellites, including, among other things, the quality of
their construction, the durability of their component parts, the ability to
continue to maintain proper orbit and control over the satellite’s functions,
the efficiency of the launch vehicle used, and the remaining on-board fuel
following orbit insertion. Generally, the minimum design life of each
of our satellites is 12 years. We can provide no assurance, however,
as to the actual useful lives of the satellites.
In the
event of a failure or loss of any of our satellites, we may need to acquire or
lease additional satellite capacity or relocate one of our other satellites and
use it as a replacement for the failed or lost satellite, any of which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations. A relocation would require FCC approval and,
among other things, a showing to the FCC that the replacement satellite would
not cause additional interference compared to the failed or lost
satellite. We cannot be certain that we could obtain such FCC
approval. If we choose to use a satellite in this manner, this use
could adversely affect our ability to meet the operation deadlines associated
with our authorizations. Failure to meet those deadlines could result
in the loss of such authorizations, which would have an adverse effect on our
ability to generate revenues.
Complex
technology used in our business could become obsolete.
Our
operating results are dependent to a significant extent upon our ability to
continue to introduce new products and services on a timely basis and to reduce
costs of our existing products and services. We may not be able to
successfully identify new product or service opportunities or develop and market
these opportunities in a timely or cost-effective manner. The success
of new product development depends on many factors, including proper
identification of customer need, cost, timely completion and introduction,
differentiation from offerings of competitors and market
acceptance.
Technology
in the multi-channel video programming industry changes rapidly as new
technologies are developed, which could cause our services and products to
become obsolete. We and our suppliers may not be able to keep pace
with technological developments. If the new technologies on which we
intend to focus our research and development investments fail to achieve
acceptance in the marketplace, our competitive position could be impaired
causing a reduction in our revenues and earnings. We may also be at a
competitive disadvantage in developing and introducing complex new products and
technologies because of the substantial costs we may incur in making these
products or technologies available across our installed base of over 13 million
subscribers. For example, our competitors could be the first to
obtain proprietary technologies that are perceived by the market as being
superior. Further, after we have incurred substantial research and
development costs, one or more of the technologies under our development, or
under development by one or more of our strategic partners, could become
obsolete prior to its introduction. In addition, delays in the
delivery of components or other unforeseen problems in our DBS system may occur
that could materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenue,
offer new services and remain competitive.
Technological
innovation is important to our success and depends, to a significant degree, on
the work of technically skilled employees. Competition for the
services of these types of employees is vigorous. We may not be able
to attract and retain these employees. If we are unable to attract
and retain appropriately technically skilled employees, our competitive position
could be materially and adversely affected.
We
may have potential conflicts of interest with EchoStar.
Questions
relating to conflicts of interest may arise between EchoStar and us in a number
of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships. Areas in which
conflicts of interest between EchoStar and us could arise include, but are not
limited to, the following:
·
|
Cross officerships,
directorships and stock ownership. We have
significant overlap in directors and executive officers with EchoStar,
which may lead to conflicting interests. For instance, certain
of our executive officers, including Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, serve as executive officers of EchoStar.
Three of our executive officers provide management services to
EchoStar pursuant to a management services agreement between EchoStar and
us. These individuals may have actual or apparent conflicts of
interest with respect to matters involving or affecting each
company. Furthermore, our board of directors includes persons
who are members of the board of directors of EchoStar, including Mr.
Ergen, who serves as the Chairman of EchoStar and us. The executive
officers and the members of our board of directors who overlap with
EchoStar will have fiduciary duties to EchoStar’s shareholders. For
example, there will be the potential for a conflict of interest when we or
EchoStar look at acquisitions and other corporate opportunities that may
be suitable for both companies. In addition, our directors and
officers own EchoStar stock and options to purchase EchoStar stock, which
they acquired or were granted prior to the Spin-off of EchoStar from us,
including Mr. Ergen, who owns approximately 50.0% of the total equity and
controls approximately 80.0% of the voting power of each of EchoStar and
us. These ownership interests could create actual, apparent or
potential conflicts of interest when these individuals are faced with
decisions that could have different implications for us and
EchoStar.
|
·
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Intercompany agreements
related to the Spin-off. We have
entered into certain agreements with EchoStar pursuant to which we will
provide EchoStar with certain management, administrative, accounting, tax,
legal and other services, for which EchoStar will pay us our cost
plus an additional amount that is equal to a fixed percentage of our cost.
In addition, we have entered into a number of intercompany
agreements covering matters such as tax sharing and EchoStar’s
responsibility for certain liabilities previously undertaken by us for
certain of EchoStar’s businesses. We have also entered into certain
commercial agreements with EchoStar pursuant to which EchoStar will, among
other things, be obligated to sell to us at specified prices, set-top
boxes and related equipment. The terms of these agreements were
established while EchoStar was a wholly-owned subsidiary of us and were
not the result of arm’s length negotiations. In addition, conflicts
could arise between us and EchoStar in the interpretation or any extension
or renegotiation of these existing
agreements.
|
·
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Future intercompany
transactions. In the future, EchoStar or its affiliates may
enter into transactions with us or our subsidiaries or other affiliates.
Although the terms of any such transactions will be established
based upon negotiations between EchoStar and us and, when appropriate,
subject to the approval of the disinterested directors on our board or a
committee of disinterested directors, there can be no assurance that the
terms of any such transactions will be as favorable to us or our
subsidiaries or affiliates as may otherwise be obtained in arm’s length
negotiations.
|
·
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Business
Opportunities. We have retained interests in various
U.S. and international companies that have subsidiaries or controlled
affiliates that own or operate domestic or foreign services that may
compete with services offered by EchoStar. We may also compete with
EchoStar when we participate in auctions for spectrum or orbital slots for
our satellites. In addition, EchoStar may in the future use its
satellites, uplink and transmission assets to compete directly against us
in the subscription television
business.
|
We may
not be able to resolve any potential conflicts, and, even if we do so, the
resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an
unaffiliated party.
We do not
have any agreements with EchoStar that restrict us from selling our products to
competitors of EchoStar. We also do not have any agreements with EchoStar that
would prevent either company from competing with the other.
Our agreements
with EchoStar may not reflect
what two unaffiliated parties might have agreed to.
The
allocation of assets, liabilities, rights, indemnifications and other
obligations between EchoStar and us under the separation and other intercompany
agreements we entered into with EchoStar in connection with the Spin-off of
EchoStar from us do not necessarily reflect what two unaffiliated parties might
have agreed to. Had these agreements been negotiated with unaffiliated
third parties, their terms may have been more favorable, or less favorable, to
us.
We depend on
EchoStar for many
services, including the design, manufacture and supply of digital set-top
boxes.
EchoStar
is our sole supplier of digital set-top boxes. In addition, EchoStar
is a key supplier of uplink, satellite transmission and other services to
us. Because purchases from DISH Network are made pursuant to
contracts that generally expire on January 1, 2010, EchoStar will have no
obligation to supply digital set-top boxes and satellite services to us after
that date. Therefore, if we are unable to extend these contracts with
EchoStar, or we are unable to obtain digital set-top boxes and satellite
services from third parties after that date, there could be a significant
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
position.
Furthermore,
any transition to a new supplier of set-top boxes could result in increased
costs, resources and development and customer qualification time. Any reduction
in our supply of set-top boxes could significantly delay our ability to ship
set-top boxes to our subscribers and potentially damage our relationships with
our subscribers.
We
rely on key personnel.
We
believe that our future success will depend to a significant extent upon the
performance of Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and
certain other executives. The loss of Mr. Ergen or of certain other
key executives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition and results of operations. Although all of our executives
have executed agreements limiting their ability to work for or consult with
competitors if they leave us, we do not have employment agreements with any of
them. Pursuant to a management services agreement with EchoStar
entered into at the time of the Spin-off, we have agreed to make certain of our
key officers available to provide services to EchoStar. In addition
Mr. Ergen also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
EchoStar. To the extent Mr. Ergen and such other officers are
performing services for EchoStar, this may divert their time and attention away
from our business and may therefore adversely affect our business.
We
are controlled by one principal stockholder.
Charles
W. Ergen, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, currently beneficially owns
approximately 50.0% of our total equity securities and possesses approximately
80.0% of the total voting power. Thus, Mr. Ergen has the ability to
elect a majority of our directors and to control all other matters requiring the
approval of our stockholders. As a result of Mr. Ergen’s voting
power, DISH Network is a “controlled company” as defined in the Nasdaq listing
rules and is, therefore, not subject to Nasdaq requirements that would otherwise
require us to have (i) a majority of independent directors; (ii) a
nominating committee composed solely of independent directors; (iii)
compensation of our executive officers determined by a majority of the
independent directors or a compensation committee composed solely of independent
directors; and (iv) director nominees selected, or recommended for the Board’s
selection, either by a majority of the independent directors or a nominating
committee composed solely of independent directors.
We may pursue new
acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions to complement or expand our
business which may not be successful.
Our
future success may depend on opportunities to buy other businesses or
technologies that could complement, enhance or expand our current business or
products or that might otherwise offer us growth opportunities. We may not be
able to complete such transactions and such transactions, if executed, pose
significant risks and could have a negative effect on our operations. Any
transactions that we are able to identify and complete may involve a number of
risks, including:
|
·
|
the
diversion of our management’s attention from our existing business to
integrate the operations and personnel of the acquired or combined
business or joint venture;
|
|
·
|
possible
adverse effects on our operating results during the integration process;
and
|
|
·
|
our
possible inability to achieve the intended objectives of the
transaction.
|
In
addition, we may not be able to successfully or profitably integrate, operate,
maintain and manage our newly acquired operations or employees. We may not be
able to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies, and this
may lead to operational inefficiencies.
New
acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions may require the commitment
of significant capital that would otherwise be directed to investments in our
existing businesses or be distributed to shareholders. Commitment of this
capital may cause us to defer or suspend any share repurchases that we otherwise
may have made.
Our
business depends substantially on FCC licenses that can expire or be revoked or
modified and applications that may not be granted.
If the
FCC were to cancel, revoke, suspend or fail to renew any of our licenses or
authorizations, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial
condition, profitability and cash flows. Specifically, loss of a
frequency authorization would reduce the amount of spectrum available to us,
potentially reducing the amount of programming and other services available to
our subscribers. The materiality of such a loss of authorizations
would vary based upon, among other things, the location of the frequency used or
the availability of replacement spectrum. In addition, Congress often
considers and enacts legislation that could affect us, and FCC proceedings to
implement the Communications Act and enforce its regulations are
ongoing. We cannot predict the outcomes of these legislative or
regulatory proceedings or their effect on our business.
Our
business relies on intellectual property, some of which is owned by third
parties, and we may inadvertently infringe their patents and proprietary
rights.
Many
entities, including some of our competitors, have or may in the future obtain
patents and other intellectual property rights that cover or affect products or
services related to those that we offer. In general, if a court
determines that one or more of our products infringes on intellectual property
held by others, we may be required to cease developing or marketing those
products, to obtain licenses from the holders of the intellectual property at a
material cost, or to redesign those products in such a way as to avoid
infringing the patent claims. If those intellectual property rights
are held by a competitor, we may be unable to obtain the intellectual property
at any price, which could adversely affect our competitive
position. Please see further discussion under Item 1. Business — Patents and
Trademarks of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We
depend on other telecommunications providers, independent retailers and others
to solicit orders for DISH Network services.
While we
offer receiver systems and programming directly, a majority of our new
subscriber acquisitions are generated by independent businesses offering our
products and services, including small satellite retailers, direct marketing
groups, local and regional consumer electronics stores, nationwide retailers,
telecommunications providers and others. If we are unable to continue
our arrangements with these resellers, we cannot guarantee that we would be able
to obtain other sales agents, thus adversely affecting our
business.
Certain
of these resellers also offer the products and services of our competition and
may favor our competitors products and services over ours based on the relative
financial arrangements associated with selling our products and those of our
competitors.
We
have substantial debt outstanding and may incur additional debt
As of
December 31, 2007, our total debt, including the debt of our subsidiaries, was
$6.126 billion. Our debt levels could have significant consequences,
including:
|
·
|
making
it more difficult to satisfy our
obligations;
|
|
·
|
increasing
our vulnerability to general adverse economic conditions, including
changes in interest rates;
|
|
·
|
limiting
our ability to obtain additional
financing;
|
|
·
|
requiring
us to devote a substantial portion of our available cash and cash flow to
make interest and principal payments on our debt, thereby reducing the
amount of available cash for other
purposes;
|
|
·
|
limiting
our financial and operating flexibility in responding to changing economic
and competitive conditions; and
|
|
·
|
placing
us at a disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less
debt.
|
In
addition, we may incur substantial additional debt in the future. The
terms of the indentures relating to our senior notes permit us to incur
additional debt. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the
risks we now face could intensify.
We
may need additional capital, which may not be available, in order to continue
growing, to increase earnings and to make payments on our debt.
Our
ability to increase earnings and to make interest and principal payments on our
debt will depend in part on our ability to continue growing our business by
maintaining and increasing our subscriber base. This may require
significant additional capital that may not be available to us or may only be
available on terms that are not attractive to us.
Funds
necessary to meet subscriber acquisition and retention costs are expected to be
satisfied from existing cash and marketable investment securities balances and
cash generated from operations to the extent available. We may,
however, decide to raise additional capital in the future to meet these
requirements. There can be no assurance that additional financing
will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, if needed in the
future.
In
particular, current dislocations in the credit markets, which have significantly
impacted the availability and pricing of financing, particularly in the high
yield debt and leveraged credit markets, may significantly constrain our ability
to obtain financing to support our growth initiatives. These
developments in the credit markets may have a significant effect on our cost of
financing and our liquidity position and may, as a result, cause us to defer or
abandon profitable business strategies that we would otherwise pursue if
financing were available on acceptable terms.
We may
need to raise additional capital to construct, launch, and insure satellites and
complete these systems and other satellites we may in the future apply to
operate. We also periodically evaluate various strategic initiatives,
the pursuit of which also could require us to raise significant additional
capital. There can be no assurance that additional financing will be
available on acceptable terms, or at all.
We
may be unable to manage rapidly expanding operations.
If we are
unable to manage our growth effectively, it could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations. To
manage our growth effectively, we must, among other things, continue to develop
our internal and external sales forces, installation capability, customer
service operations and information systems, and maintain our relationships with
third party vendors. We also need to continue to expand, train and
manage our employee base, and our management personnel must assume even greater
levels of responsibility. If we are unable to continue to manage
growth effectively, we may experience a decrease in subscriber growth and an
increase in churn, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
We
cannot be certain that we will sustain profitability.
Due to
the substantial expenditures necessary to complete construction, launch and
deployment of our DBS system and to obtain and service DISH Network customers,
we have in the past sustained significant losses. If we do not have
sufficient income or other sources of cash, our ability to service our debt and
pay our other obligations could be affected. While we had net income
of $756 million, $608 million and $1.515 billion for the years ended December
31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, we may not be able to sustain this
profitability. Improvements in our results of operations will depend
largely upon our ability to increase our customer base while maintaining our
price structure, effectively managing our costs and controlling
churn. We cannot assure you that we will be effective with regard to
these matters.
We
depend on few manufacturers, and in some cases a single manufacturer, for many
components of consumer premises equipment; we may be adversely affected by
product shortages.
We depend
on relatively few sources, and in some cases a single source, for many
components of the consumer premises equipment that we provide to subscribers in
order to deliver our digital television services. Following the
Spin-off, we will depend solely on EchoStar for all of the set top boxes we sell
or lease to subscribers. Product shortages and resulting installation
delays could cause us to lose potential future subscribers to our DISH Network
service.
We
cannot assure you that there will not be deficiencies leading to material
weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
We
periodically evaluate and test our internal control over financial reporting in
order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act. This evaluation and testing of internal control over financial
reporting includes internal control over financial reporting relating to our
operations. Although our management has concluded that our internal
control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007, if in
the future we are unable to report that our internal control over financial
reporting is effective (or if our auditors do not agree with our assessment of
the effectiveness of, or are unable to express an opinion on, our internal
control over financial reporting), investors, customers and business partners
could lose confidence in the accuracy of our financial reports, which could in
turn have a material adverse effect on our business.
Item
1B.
|
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
|
The
following table sets forth certain information concerning our principal
properties
Description/Use/Location
|
Segment(s)
Using
Property
|
|
Approximate
Square
Footage
|
|
Owned
or
Leased
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Corporate
headquarters, Englewood, Colorado*
|
All
|
|
|
476,000 |
|
Owned
|
EchoStar
Technologies Corporation engineering offices and service
center, Englewood, Colorado*
|
ETC
|
|
|
144,000 |
|
Owned
|
EchoStar
Technologies Corporation engineering offices, Englewood,
Colorado*
|
ETC
|
|
|
124,000 |
|
Owned
|
EchoStar
Data Networks engineering offices, Atlanta, Georgia
|
ETC
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
Leased
|
Digital
broadcast operations center, Cheyenne, Wyoming*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
143,000 |
|
Owned
|
Digital
broadcast operations center, Gilbert, Arizona*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
124,000 |
|
Owned
|
Regional
digital broadcast operations center, Monee, Illinois*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
45,000 |
|
Owned
|
Regional
digital broadcast operations center, New Braunsfels,
Texas*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
Owned
|
Regional
digital broadcast operations center, Quicksberg, Virginia*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
Owned
|
Regional
digital broadcast operations center, Spokane, Washington*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
35,000 |
|
Owned
|
Regional
digital broadcast operations center, Orange, New Jersey
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
8,800 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center and data center, Littleton, Colorado*
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
202,000 |
|
Owned
|
Service
center, Spartanburg, South Carolina
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
316,000 |
|
Leased
|
Customer
call center, warehouse and service center, El Paso, Texas
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
171,000 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center, McKeesport, Pennsylvania
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
106,000 |
|
Leased
|
Customer
call center, Christiansburg, Virginia
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
103,000 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center and general offices, Tulsa, Oklahoma
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
79,000 |
|
Leased
|
Customer
call center and general offices, Pine Brook, New Jersey
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
67,000 |
|
Leased
|
Customer
call center, Alvin, Texas
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
60,000 |
|
Leased
|
Customer
call center, Thornton, Colorado
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
55,000 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center, Harlingen, Texas
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
54,000 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center, Bluefield, West Virginia
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
Owned
|
Customer
call center, Hilliard, Ohio
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
31,000 |
|
Leased
|
Warehouse,
distribution and service center, Atlanta, Georgia
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
250,000 |
|
Leased
|
Warehouse
and distribution center, Denver, Colorado
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
209,000 |
|
Leased
|
Warehouse
and distribution center, Sacramento, California
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
82,000 |
|
Owned
|
Warehouse
center, Denver, Colorado
|
DISH
Network
|
|
|
44,000 |
|
Owned
|
Engineering
offices and warehouse, Almelo, The Netherlands*
|
All
Other
|
|
|
55,000 |
|
Owned
|
Engineering
offices, Steeton, England*
|
All
Other
|
|
|
43,000 |
|
Owned
|
* As
of January 1, 2008, these
principal properties were transferred to EchoStar in connection with the
Spin-off. Following the Spin-off, we will lease certain of these
properties back from EchoStar at what we believe are market
rates.
In
addition to the principal properties listed above, we operate several DISH
Network service centers strategically located in regions throughout the United
States.
Item
3. LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
Acacia
During
2004, Acacia Media Technologies (“Acacia”) filed a lawsuit against us in the
United States District Court for the Northern District of
California. The suit also named DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, Cox and a
number of smaller cable companies as defendants. Acacia is an
intellectual property holding company which seeks to license the patent
portfolio that it has acquired. The suit alleges infringement of
United States Patent Nos. 5,132,992 (the ‘992 patent), 5,253,275 (the ‘275
patent), 5,550,863 (the ‘863 patent), 6,002,720 (the ‘720 patent) and 6,144,702
(the ‘702 patent). The ‘992, ‘863, ‘720 and ‘702 patents have been asserted
against us.
The
patents relate to various systems and methods related to the transmission of
digital data. The ‘992 and ‘702 patents have also been asserted
against several Internet content providers in the United States District Court
for the Central District of California. During 2004 and 2005, the
Court issued Markman rulings which found that the ‘992 and ‘702 patents were not
as broad as Acacia had contended, and that certain terms in the ‘702 patent were
indefinite. In April 2006, DISH Network and other defendants asked
the Court to rule that the claims of the ‘702 patent are invalid and not
infringed. That motion is pending. In June and September
2006, the Court held Markman hearings on the ‘992, ‘863 and ‘720 patents, and
issued a ruling during December 2006.
Acacia’s
various patent infringement cases have been consolidated for pre-trial purposes
in the United States District Court for the Northern District of
California. We intend to vigorously defend this case. In
the event that a Court ultimately determines that we infringe any of the
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble
damages and/or an injunction that could require us to materially modify certain
user-friendly features that we currently offer to consumers. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine
the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Broadcast Innovation,
L.L.C.
In 2001,
Broadcast Innovation, L.L.C. (“Broadcast Innovation”) filed a lawsuit against
us, DirecTV, Thomson Consumer Electronics and others in Federal District Court
in Denver, Colorado. The suit alleges infringement of United States
Patent Nos. 6,076,094 (the ‘094 patent) and 4,992,066 (the ‘066
patent). The ‘094 patent relates to certain methods and devices for
transmitting and receiving data along with specific formatting information for
the data. The ‘066 patent relates to certain methods and devices for
providing the scrambling circuitry for a pay television system on removable
cards. We examined these patents and believe that they are not
infringed by any of our products or services. Subsequently, DirecTV
and Thomson settled with Broadcast Innovation leaving us as the only
defendant.
During
2004, the judge issued an order finding the ‘066 patent invalid. Also
in 2004, the Court ruled the ‘094 patent invalid in a parallel case filed by
Broadcast Innovation against Charter and Comcast. In 2005, the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned the ‘094 patent
finding of invalidity and remanded the case back to the District
Court. During June 2006, Charter filed a reexamination request with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Court has stayed
the case pending reexamination. Our case remains stayed pending
resolution of the Charter case.
We intend
to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a Court ultimately
determines that we infringe any of the patents, we may be subject to substantial
damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain user-friendly features that we currently
offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty
the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Channel
Bundling Class Action
On
September 21, 2007, a purported class of cable and satellite subscribers filed
an antitrust action against us in the United States District Court for the
Central District of California. The suit also names as defendants DirecTV,
Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Time Warner, Inc., Time Warner Cable, NBC
Universal, Viacom, Fox Entertainment Group, and Walt Disney
Company. The suit alleges, among other things, that the defendants
engaged in a conspiracy to provide customers with access only to bundled channel
offerings as opposed to giving customers the ability to purchase channels on an
“a la carte” basis. We filed a motion to dismiss, which the court has
not yet ruled upon. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of
the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Distant
Network Litigation
During
October 2006, a District Court in Florida entered a permanent nationwide
injunction prohibiting us from offering distant network channels to consumers
effective December 1, 2006. Distant networks are ABC, NBC, CBS and
Fox network channels which originate outside the community where the consumer
who wants to view them, lives. We have turned off all of our distant
network channels and are no longer in the distant network
business. Termination of these channels resulted in, among other
things, a small reduction in average monthly revenue per subscriber and free
cash flow, and a temporary increase in subscriber churn. The
plaintiffs in that litigation allege that we are in violation of the Court’s
injunction and have appealed a District Court decision finding that we are not
in violation. We intend to vigorously defend this case. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the appeal or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Enron
Commercial Paper Investment
During
October 2001, we received approximately $40 million from the sale of Enron
commercial paper to a third party broker. That commercial paper was
ultimately purchased by Enron. During November 2003, an action was
commenced in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York against approximately 100 defendants, including us, who invested in Enron’s
commercial paper. The complaint alleges that Enron’s October 2001
purchase of its commercial paper was a fraudulent conveyance and voidable
preference under bankruptcy laws. We dispute these
allegations. We typically invest in commercial paper and notes which
are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two
nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. At the time
of our investment in Enron commercial paper, it was considered to be high
quality and low risk. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of
the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Finisar
Corporation
Finisar
Corporation (“Finisar”) obtained a $100 million verdict in the United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against DirecTV for patent
infringement. Finisar alleged that DirecTV’s electronic program guide
and other elements of its system infringe United States Patent No. 5,404,505
(the ‘505 patent).
In July
2006, we, together with NagraStar LLC, filed a Complaint for Declaratory
Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
against Finisar that asks the Court to declare that they and we do not infringe,
and have not infringed, any valid claim of the ‘505 patent. Trial is
not currently scheduled. The District Court has stayed our action
until the Federal Circuit has resolved DirecTV’s appeal.
We intend
to vigorously prosecute this case. In the event that a Court
ultimately determines that we infringe this patent, we may be subject to
substantial damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that
could require us to modify our system architecture. We cannot predict
with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of
any potential liability or damages.
Forgent
During
2005, Forgent Networks, Inc. (“Forgent”) filed a lawsuit against us in the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The
suit also named DirecTV, Charter, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cable One and Cox
as defendants. The suit alleged infringement of United States Patent
No. 6,285,746 (the ‘746 patent). The ‘746 patent discloses, among
other things, a video teleconferencing system which utilizes digital telephone
lines. Prior to trial, all of the other defendants settled with
Forgent. Forgent sought over $200 million in damages from DISH
Network. On May 21, 2007, the jury unanimously ruled in favor of DISH
Network, finding the ‘746 patent invalid. Forgent filed a motion for
a new trial, which the District Court denied. Forgent did not
appeal, so the District Court’s finding of invalidity is now
final.
Global
Communications
On April
19, 2007, Global Communications, Inc. (“Global”) filed a patent infringement
action against us in the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Texas. The suit alleges infringement of United States Patent No.
6,947,702 (the ‘702 patent). This patent, which involves satellite
reception, was issued in September 2005. On October 24, 2007, the
United States Patent and Trademark Office granted our request for reexamination
of the ‘702 patent and issued an Office Action finding that all of the claims of
the ‘702 patent were invalid. Based on the PTO’s decision, we have
asked the District Court to stay the litigation until the reexamination
proceeding is concluded. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. In the event that a Court ultimately determines that we
infringe the ‘702 patent, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may
include treble damages and/or an injunction that could require us to materially
modify certain user-friendly features that we currently offer to
consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome
of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Katz
Communications
On June
21, 2007, Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. (“Katz”) filed a patent
infringement action against us in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of California. The suit alleges infringement of 19
patents owned by Katz. The patents relate to interactive voice
response, or IVR, technology. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. In the event that a Court ultimately determines that we
infringe any of the asserted patents, we may be subject to substantial damages,
which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could require us to
materially modify certain user-friendly features that we currently offer to
consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome
of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Retailer
Class Actions
During
2000, lawsuits were filed by retailers in Colorado state and federal court
attempting to certify nationwide classes on behalf of certain of our
retailers. The plaintiffs are requesting the Courts declare certain
provisions of, and changes to, alleged agreements between us and the retailers
invalid and unenforceable, and to award damages for lost incentives and
payments, charge backs, and other compensation. We are vigorously
defending against the suits and have asserted a variety of
counterclaims. The federal court action has been stayed during the
pendency of the state court action. We filed a motion for summary
judgment on all counts and against all plaintiffs. The plaintiffs
filed a motion for additional time to conduct discovery to enable them to
respond to our motion. The Court granted limited discovery which
ended during 2004. The plaintiffs claimed we did not provide adequate
disclosure during the discovery process. The Court agreed, and
recently denied our motion for summary judgment as a result. The
final impact of the Court’s ruling cannot be fully assessed at this
time. Trial has been set for August 2008. We intend to
vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of
certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential
liability or damages.
Superguide
During
2000, Superguide Corp. (“Superguide”) filed suit against us, DirecTV, Thomson
and others in the United States District Court for the Western District of North
Carolina, Asheville Division, alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos.
5,038,211 (the ‘211 patent), 5,293,357 (the ‘357 patent) and 4,751,578 (the ‘578
patent) which relate to certain electronic program guide functions, including
the use of electronic program guides to control VCRs. Superguide
sought injunctive and declaratory relief and damages in an unspecified
amount.
On
summary judgment, the District Court ruled that none of the asserted patents
were infringed by us. These rulings were appealed to the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. During 2004, the
Federal Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part the District Court’s
findings and remanded the case back to the District Court for further
proceedings. In 2005, Superguide indicated that it would no longer
pursue infringement allegations with respect to the ‘211 and ‘357 patents and
those patents have now been dismissed from the suit. The District
Court subsequently entered judgment of non-infringement in favor of all
defendants as to the ‘211 and ‘357 patents and ordered briefing on Thomson’s
license defense as to the ‘578 patent. During December 2006, the
District Court found that there were disputed issues of fact regarding Thomson’s
license defense, and ordered a trial solely addressed to that
issue. That trial took place in March 2007. In July 2007,
the District Court ruled in favor of Superguide. As a result,
Superguide will be able to proceed with its infringement action against us,
DirecTV and Thomson.
We intend
to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a Court ultimately
determines that we infringe the ‘578 patent, we may be subject to substantial
damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain user-friendly electronic programming
guide and related features that we currently offer to consumers. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine
the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Tivo
Inc.
On
January 31, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed in
part and reversed in part the April 2006 jury verdict concluding that certain of
our digital video recorders, or DVRs, infringed a patent held by
Tivo. In its decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed the jury’s
verdict of infringement on Tivo’s “software claims,” upheld the award of damages
from the district court, and ordered that the stay of the district court’s
injunction against us, which was issued pending appeal, will dissolve when the
appeal becomes final. The Federal Circuit, however, found that we did
not literally infringe Tivo’s “hardware claims,” and remanded such claims back
to the district court for further proceedings. We are appealing the
Federal Circuit’s ruling.
In
addition, we have developed and deployed ‘next-generation’ DVR software to our
customers’ DVRs. This improved software is fully operational and has
been automatically downloaded to current customers (the
“Design-Around”). We have formal legal opinions from outside counsel
that conclude that our Design-Around does not infringe, literally or under the
doctrine of equivalents, either the hardware or software claims of Tivo’s
patent.
In
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 5, “Accounting
for Contingencies” (“SFAS 5”), we recorded a total reserve of $128 million in
“Litigation expense” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets to reflect the jury
verdict, supplemental damages and pre-judgment interest awarded by the Texas
court. This amount also includes the estimated cost of any software
infringement prior to the Design-Around, plus interest subsequent to the jury
verdict.
If the
Federal Circuit’s decision is upheld and Tivo decides to challenge the
Design-Around, we will mount a vigorous defense. If we are
unsuccessful in subsequent appeals or in defending against claims that the
Design-Around infringes Tivo’s patent, we could be prohibited from distributing
DVRs, or be required to modify or eliminate certain user-friendly DVR features
that we currently offer to consumers. In that event we would be at a
significant disadvantage to our competitors who could offer this functionality
and, while we would attempt to provide that functionality through other
manufacturers, the adverse affect on our business could be
material. We could also have to pay substantial additional
damages.
Trans
Video
In August
2006, Trans Video Electronic, Ltd. (“Trans Video”) filed a patent infringement
action against us in the United States District Court for the Northern District
of California. The suit alleges infringement of United States Patent
Nos. 5,903,621 (the ‘621 patent) and 5,991,801 (the ‘801 patent). The
patents relate to various methods related to the transmission of digital data by
satellite. On May 14, 2007, we reached a settlement with Trans Video
which did not have a material impact on our results of operations.
Other
In
addition to the above actions, we are subject to various other legal proceedings
and claims which arise in the ordinary course of business. In our
opinion, the amount of ultimate liability with respect to any of these actions
is unlikely to materially affect our financial position, results of operations
or liquidity.
Item
4.
|
SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY
HOLDERS
|
No items
were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of
2007.
PART
II
Item
5.
|
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
|
Market
Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder
Matters
Market
Information. Our Class A common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market
under the symbol “DISH.” The sale prices shown below reflect
inter-dealer quotations and do not include retail markups, markdowns, or
commissions and may not necessarily represent actual
transactions. The high and low closing sale prices of our Class A
common stock during 2007 and 2006 on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (as
reported by Nasdaq) are set forth below. The sales prices of our
Class A common stock reported below are not adjusted to reflect the
Spin-off.
2007
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
First
Quarter
|
|
$ |
44.43 |
|
|
$ |
38.21 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
|
49.56 |
|
|
|
42.89 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
|
46.81 |
|
|
|
38.00 |
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
|
51.08 |
|
|
|
36.77 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
First
Quarter
|
|
$ |
29.98 |
|
|
$ |
27.20 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
|
32.25 |
|
|
|
29.85 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
|
35.44 |
|
|
|
30.02 |
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
|
38.45 |
|
|
|
32.07 |
|
As of
February 19, 2008, there were approximately 11,435 holders of record of our
Class A common stock, not including stockholders who beneficially own Class A
common stock held in nominee or street name. As of February 19, 2008,
208,059,154 of the 238,435,208 outstanding shares of our Class B common stock
were held by Charles W. Ergen, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and
the remaining 30,376,054 were held in a trust for members of Mr. Ergen’s
family. There is currently no trading market for our Class B common
stock.
Spin-off. On
January 1, 2008, DISH Network spun off EchoStar as a separate publicly-traded
company in the form of a stock dividend distributed to DISH Network
shareholders. DISH Network stockholders received for each share of
common stock held on the record date for the Spin-off, 0.20 of a share of the
same class of common stock of EchoStar. On February 19, 2008, the
closing sale price per share of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select
Market was $30.33.
We
currently do not intend to declare additional dividends on our common
stock. Payment of any future dividends will depend upon our earnings
and capital requirements, restrictions in our debt facilities, and other factors
the Board of Directors considers appropriate. We currently intend to
retain our earnings, if any, to support future growth and expansion although we
expect to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to
time. See “Item 7. - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital
Resources.”
Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans. See
Item 12 – Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management.
Purchases
of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The
following table provides information regarding purchases of our Class A common
stock made by us for the period from October 1, 2007 through December 31,
2007.
Period
|
|
Total
Number
of
Shares
Purchased
(a)
|
|
|
Average
Price
Paid
per
Share
|
|
|
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
as
Part of Publicly
Announced
Plans
or
Programs
|
|
|
Maximum
Approximate
Dollar
Value of Shares
that
May Yet be
Purchased
Under the
Plans
or Programs (b)
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands, except share data)
|
|
October
1 - October 31, 2007
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
625,811 |
|
November
1 - November 30, 2007
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
December
1 - December 31, 2007
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
Total
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
|
(a)
|
During
the period from October 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007, we did not
repurchase any of our Class A common stock pursuant to our repurchase
program.
|
|
(b)
|
During
November 2007, our Board of Directors authorized an increase in the
maximum dollar value of shares that may be repurchased under our stock
repurchase program, such that we are currently authorized to repurchase up
to an aggregate of $1.0 billion of our outstanding shares through and
including December 31, 2008. Purchases under our repurchase
program may be made through open market purchases, privately negotiated
transactions, or Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, subject to market conditions
and other factors. We may elect not to purchase the maximum
amount of shares allowable under this program and we may also enter into
additional share repurchase programs authorized by our Board of
Directors.
|
The
selected consolidated financial data as of and for each of the five years ended
December 31, 2007 have been derived from, and are qualified by reference to our
Consolidated Financial Statements. Certain prior year amounts have
been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. See
further discussion under Item 7. – “Explanation of Key Metrics and Other
Items.” This data should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated
Financial Statements and related Notes thereto for the three years ended
December 31, 2007, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this
report.
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
Statements
of Operations Data
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
revenue
|
|
$ |
10,690,976 |
|
|
$ |
9,422,274 |
|
|
$ |
8,027,664 |
|
|
$ |
6,724,757 |
|
|
$ |
5,439,638 |
|
Equipment
sales
|
|
|
362,185 |
|
|
|
362,098 |
|
|
|
367,968 |
|
|
|
364,929 |
|
|
|
285,551 |
|
Other
|
|
|
37,214 |
|
|
|
34,114 |
|
|
|
51,543 |
|
|
|
68,785 |
|
|
|
14,107 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
11,090,375 |
|
|
|
9,818,486 |
|
|
|
8,447,175 |
|
|
|
7,158,471 |
|
|
|
5,739,296 |
|
Costs
and Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
expenses (exclusive of depreciation shown below
|
|
|
5,496,579 |
|
|
|
4,807,872 |
|
|
|
4,095,986 |
|
|
|
3,618,259 |
|
|
|
2,738,821 |
|
Satellite
and transmission expenses (exclusive of depreciation shown
below
|
|
|
180,687 |
|
|
|
147,450 |
|
|
|
134,545 |
|
|
|
112,238 |
|
|
|
79,322 |
|
Cost
of sales – equipment
|
|
|
270,389 |
|
|
|
282,420 |
|
|
|
271,697 |
|
|
|
259,058 |
|
|
|
161,724 |
|
Cost
of sales – other
|
|
|
11,333 |
|
|
|
7,260 |
|
|
|
23,339 |
|
|
|
33,265 |
|
|
|
3,496 |
|
Subscriber
acquisition costs
|
|
|
1,570,415 |
|
|
|
1,596,303 |
|
|
|
1,492,581 |
|
|
|
1,527,887 |
|
|
|
1,312,068 |
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
624,251 |
|
|
|
551,547 |
|
|
|
456,206 |
|
|
|
398,898 |
|
|
|
336,267 |
|
Litigation
expense
|
|
|
33,907 |
|
|
|
93,969 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
|
|
505,561 |
|
|
|
400,050 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,516,971 |
|
|
|
8,601,115 |
|
|
|
7,279,927 |
|
|
|
6,455,166 |
|
|
|
5,031,748 |
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1,573,404 |
|
|
$ |
1,217,371 |
|
|
$ |
1,167,248 |
|
|
$ |
703,305 |
|
|
$ |
707,548 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
(1) |
|
$ |
214,769 |
|
|
$ |
224,506 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
net income (loss) available to common stockholders
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
|
$ |
214,769 |
|
|
$ |
224,506 |
|
Diluted
net income (loss) available to common stockholders
|
|
$ |
765,571 |
|
|
$ |
618,106 |
|
|
$ |
1,560,688 |
(1) |
|
$ |
214,769 |
|
|
$ |
224,506 |
|
Basic
weighted-average common shares outstanding
|
|
|
447,302 |
|
|
|
444,743 |
|
|
|
452,118 |
|
|
|
464,053 |
|
|
|
483,098 |
|
Diluted
weighted-average common shares outstanding
|
|
|
456,834 |
|
|
|
452,685 |
|
|
|
484,131 |
|
|
|
467,598 |
|
|
|
488,314 |
|
Basic
net income (loss) per share
|
|
$ |
1.69 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
|
$ |
0.46 |
|
|
$ |
0.46 |
|
Diluted
net income (loss) per share
|
|
$ |
1.68 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.22 |
|
|
$ |
0.46 |
|
|
$ |
0.46 |
|
Cash
dividend per common share
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
1.00 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
Balance
Sheet Data
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2003
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Cash,
cash equivalents and marketable investment securities
|
|
$ |
2,788,196 |
|
|
$ |
3,032,570 |
|
|
$ |
1,181,361 |
|
|
$ |
1,155,633 |
|
|
$ |
3,972,974 |
|
Restricted
cash and marketable investment securities
|
|
|
172,520 |
|
|
|
172,941 |
|
|
|
67,120 |
|
|
|
57,552 |
|
|
|
19,974 |
|
Cash
reserved for satellite insurance
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
176,843 |
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
10,086,529 |
|
|
|
9,768,696 |
|
|
|
7,410,210 |
|
|
|
6,029,277 |
|
|
|
7,585,018 |
|
Long-term
debt and capital lease obligations (including current
portion)
|
|
|
6,125,704 |
|
|
|
6,967,321 |
|
|
|
5,935,301 |
|
|
|
5,791,561 |
|
|
|
6,937,673 |
|
Total
stockholders' equity (deficit)
|
|
|
639,989 |
|
|
|
(219,383 |
) |
|
|
(866,624 |
) |
|
|
(2,078,212 |
) |
|
|
(1,032,524 |
) |
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
Other
Data
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
2003
|
|
DISH
Network subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
|
|
|
13.780 |
|
|
|
13.105 |
|
|
|
12.040 |
|
|
|
10.905 |
|
|
|
9.425 |
|
DISH
Network subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
|
|
|
3.434 |
|
|
|
3.516 |
|
|
|
3.397 |
|
|
|
3.441 |
|
|
|
2.894 |
|
DISH
Network subscriber additions, net (in millions)
|
|
|
0.675 |
|
|
|
1.065 |
|
|
|
1.135 |
|
|
|
1.480 |
|
|
|
1.245 |
|
Average
monthly subscriber churn rate
|
|
|
1.70 |
% |
|
|
1.64 |
% |
|
|
1.65 |
% |
|
|
1.62 |
% |
|
|
1.57 |
% |
Average
monthly revenue per subscriber ("ARPU")
|
|
$ |
65.83 |
|
|
$ |
62.78 |
|
|
$ |
58.34 |
|
|
$ |
55.26 |
|
|
$ |
51.30 |
|
Average
subscriber acquisition costs per subscriber ("SAC")
|
|
$ |
656 |
|
|
$ |
686 |
|
|
$ |
693 |
|
|
$ |
611 |
|
|
$ |
491 |
|
Net
cash flows from (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
activities
|
|
$ |
2,616,721 |
|
|
$ |
2,279,242 |
|
|
$ |
1,774,074 |
|
|
$ |
1,001,442 |
|
|
$ |
575,581 |
|
Investing
activities
|
|
$ |
(2,382,992 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,993,953 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,460,342 |
) |
|
$ |
1,078,281 |
|
|
$ |
(1,761,870 |
) |
Financing
activities
|
|
$ |
(976,016 |
) |
|
$ |
1,022,147 |
|
|
$ |
(402,623 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,666,022 |
) |
|
$ |
994,070 |
|
|
(1)
|
Net
income in 2005 includes $593 million and $322 million resulting from the
reversal and current year activity, respectively, of our recorded
valuation allowance for those net deferred tax assets that we believe are
more likely than not to be realized in the future (see Note 6 in the Notes
to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report
on Form 10-K).
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
|
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Overview
We have
historically positioned the DISH Network as the leading low-cost provider of
multi-channel pay TV principally by offering lower cost programming
packages. At the same time we have sought to offer high quality
programming, equipment and customer service.
We invest
significant amounts in subscriber acquisition and retention programs based on
our expectation that long-term subscribers will be profitable. To
attract subscribers, we subsidize the cost of equipment and installation and may
also from time to time offer promotional pricing on programming and other
services to increase our subscriber base. We also seek to
differentiate DISH Network through the quality of the equipment we provide to
our subscribers, including our highly rated digital video recorder (“DVR”) and
high definition (“HD”) equipment which we promote to drive subscriber growth and
retention. Subscriber growth is also impacted, positively and
negatively, by customer service and customer experience in order, installation
and troubleshooting interactions.
During
2007, our subscriber base continued to grow, but at a slower pace than in
previous periods. We believe that our slower subscriber growth
was driven in part by competitive factors including the
effectiveness of certain competitors’ promotional offers, the number of
markets in which competitors offer local HD channels, and their aggressive
marketing of such advantages. Satellite launch delays at DISH Network have
slowed its growth of local HD markets which in turn has delayed its own
aggressive retention marketing efforts. Subscriber growth was also
affected by worsening economic conditions which included a
slowdown in new housing starts. Additional impacts to subscriber growth
included operational inefficiencies at DISH Network and piracy and other forms
of fraud. Most of the factors described above have affected both the
growth of new subscribers and the churn of existing customers.
Slower
subscriber growth rates continued in the fourth quarter of 2007, during which we
added 85,000 net new DISH Network subscribers. This rate of growth was
substantially lower than we have historically experienced on a quarterly basis
for the reasons mentioned above, and was particularly slow given that we
typically record relatively higher net subscriber growth rates in the fourth
fiscal quarter of each year.
We
believe opportunities exist to continue growing our subscriber base but whether
we will be able to achieve net subscriber growth is subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties, including those described elsewhere in this annual
report.
The
Spin-off. Effective January 1, 2008, we completed the
separation of the assets and businesses we owned and operated historically into
two companies (the “Spin-off”):
|
·
|
DISH
Network, through which we retain our pay-TV business,
and
|
|
·
|
EchoStar
Corporation (“EchoStar”), formerly known as EchoStar Holding Corporation,
which holds the digital set top box business, certain satellites, uplink
and satellite transmission assets, real estate and other assets and
related liabilities formerly held by DISH
Network.
|
DISH Network and
EchoStar now
operate separately, and neither entity has any ownership interest in the
other. In connection with the Spin-off, DISH Network entered
into certain agreements with EchoStar to define responsibility for obligations
relating to, among other things, set-top box sales, transition services, taxes,
employees and intellectual property which will have an impact in the future on
several of our key operating metrics.
We
believe that the Spin-off will enable us to focus more directly on the business
strategies relevant to subscription television business, but we recognize that,
particularly during 2008, we may experience disruptions and loss of synergies in
our business due to the separation of the two businesses, which could in turn
increase our costs.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Operational
Results and Goals
Adding new
subscribers. During 2007, DISH Network added 675,000 net new
subscribers ending the year with approximately 13.780 million subscribers
compared to approximately 13.105 million subscribers at December 31, 2006, an
increase of 5.2%. Although this growth rate was slower than in prior
years and this deceleration continued in the fourth quarter, we intend to
continue to seek to add new subscribers by offering compelling value-based
consumer promotions in a disciplined manner. These promotions include
offers of free or low cost advanced consumer electronics products, such as
receivers with multiple tuners, HD receivers, DVRs, HD DVRs and place shifting
technology (“Slingbox”), as well as programming packages which we position to
have a better “price-to-value” relationship than packages offered by our
competitors.
However,
there are many reasons we may not be able to maintain subscriber growth, which
will depend in part on general economic conditions affecting demand for
multi-channel video programming generally. In addition, many of our
competitors are better equipped than we are to offer video services bundled with
broadband and other telecommunications services that may be attractive to
prospective subscribers. Our subscriber growth would also be
negatively impacted to the extent our competitors offer more attractive consumer
promotions or are perceived in the market as offering more compelling services,
such as a broader range of HD programming or exclusive programming
packages.
Minimize existing
customer churn. In
order to continue growing our subscriber base, we must minimize our rate of
customer turnover, or “churn.” Our average monthly subscriber churn for
the year ended December 31, 2007 was approximately 1.70%, a rate greater than
we’ve experienced in recent years due mostly to high churn in the second half of
2007. We attempt to contain churn by tailoring our promotions towards
DVRs, HD, and other advanced products which attract customers who tend to churn
at slower rates. We continue to require and have lengthened service
commitments from subscribers and have strengthened credit
requirements. Beyond these efforts, the competitive environment may
require us to increase promotional spending substantially or accept lower
subscriber acquisitions. Moreover, given the increasing customer demand
for advanced products such as DVRs and HD, it may not be possible to reduce
churn without significantly increasing our spending on customer retention, which
would have a negative effect on our earnings and free cash
flow.
Reduce
costs. We believe that our low cost structure is one of our
key competitive advantages and we continue to work aggressively to retain this
position. We are attempting to control costs by improving the quality
of the initial installation of subscriber equipment, improving the reliability
of our equipment, providing better subscriber education in the use of our
products and services, and enhancing our training and quality assurance programs
for our in-home service and call center representatives, all of which should
reduce the number of in-home installation and service calls. We
believe that further standardization of our receiver systems, introduction of
new installation technology and the migration away from relatively expensive and
complex subscriber equipment installations may also reduce in-home service and
customer service calls. In addition, we hope to further reduce our
customer service calls by simplifying processes such as billing and
non-technical equipment issues. However, these initiatives may not be
sufficient to maintain or increase our operational efficiencies and we may not
be able to continue to grow our operations cost effectively.
We also
attempt to reduce subscriber acquisition and retention costs by lowering the
overall cost of subsidized equipment we provide to new and existing customers
and improving the cost effectiveness of our sales efforts. Our
principal method for reducing the cost of subscriber equipment is to lease our
receiver systems to new and existing subscribers rather than selling systems to
them at little or no cost. Leasing enables us to, among other things,
reduce our future subscriber acquisition costs by redeploying equipment returned
by disconnected lease subscribers. We are further reducing the cost
of subscriber equipment through our design and deployment of receivers with
multiple tuners that allow the subscriber to receive our DISH Network services
in multiple rooms using a single receiver, thereby reducing the number of
receivers we deploy to each subscriber household. Additionally, we
continue to re-engineer our equipment to reduce the manufacturing
costs.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
However,
our overall costs to retain existing subscribers and acquire new subscribers,
including amounts expensed and capitalized, both in the aggregate and on a per
subscriber basis, may materially increase in the future to the extent that we
respond to the competitive environment by introducing more aggressive promotions
or newer, more expensive consumer electronics products. In addition,
expanded use of new compression technologies, such as MPEG-4 and 8PSK, will
inevitably render some portion of our current and future receivers obsolete, and
we will incur additional costs, which may be substantial, to upgrade or replace
these receivers. While we may be able to generate increased revenue
from such conversions, the deployment of equipment including new technologies
will increase the cost of our consumer equipment, at least in the short
term. Our subscriber acquisition and retention costs will increase to
the extent we subsidize those costs for new and existing
subscribers.
Prior to
the Spin-off, our set-top boxes and other customer equipment and satellite,
uplink and transmission services were recorded at cost. Following the
Spin-off, we will purchase set-top boxes from EchoStar at its cost plus an
additional incremental amount that is equal to a fixed percentage of its
cost. The specific amounts that we pay for set-top boxes will depend on a
variety of factors including the types of set-top boxes that we
purchase. In addition, we will purchase and/or lease satellite,
uplink and transmission services from EchoStar at higher rates than we have
traditionally paid. The prices that we pay for these services will
depend upon the nature of the services that we obtain from EchoStar and the
competitive market for these services. Furthermore, as part of the
Spin-off, certain real estate was contributed to EchoStar and leased back to us
and we will incur additional costs in the form of rent paid on these
leases. These additional anticipated costs are not reflected in our
historical consolidated financial statements for periods prior to January 1,
2008.
Pursue growth
initiatives. Our ability to achieve future growth and success
may require that we seek out opportunities to acquire other businesses or
technologies to complement, enhance or expand our current business or products,
or offer us other growth opportunities or that we make other significant
investments in technologies or in alternative or expanded means of distributing
our programming. Any of these acquisitions, investments or other
transactions may require that we commit significant capital that would otherwise
be directed to investments in our existing businesses or available for
distribution to our shareholders
Current
dislocations in the credit markets, which have significantly impacted the
availability and pricing of financing, particularly in the high yield debt and
leveraged credit markets, may limit our ability to obtain financing to support
our growth initiatives. These developments in the credit markets may
have a significant effect on our cost of financing and may, as a result, cause
us to defer or abandon profitable business strategies that we would otherwise
pursue if financing were available on acceptable terms
The FCC
announced on January 14, 2008 that we were qualified to participate in the FCC
auction of the 700 MHz band. The 700 MHz spectrum is being returned
by television broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early
2009. The spectrum has significant commercial value because 700 MHz
signals can travel long distances and penetrate thick walls. Under
the FCC’s anti-collusion and anonymous bidding rules for this auction, we are
not permitted to disclose publicly our interest level or activity level in the
auction, if any, at this time. Based on published reports, however,
we believe that any successful bidders will be required to expend significant
amounts to secure and commercialize these licenses. In particular if
we were to participate and be successful in this auction we could be required to
raise additional capital in order to secure and commercialize these licenses,
which may not be available to us on attractive terms in the current credit
market environment. Moreover, there can be no assurance that
successful bidders will be able to achieve a return on their investments in the
700MHz spectrum or to raise all the capital required to develop these
licenses.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
EXPLANATION
OF KEY METRICS AND OTHER ITEMS
Subscriber-related
revenue. “Subscriber-related
revenue” consists principally of revenue from basic, movie, local, pay-per-view,
and international subscription television services, equipment rental fees,
additional outlet fees from subscribers with multiple receivers, DVR fees,
advertising sales, fees earned from our DishHOME Protection Plan, equipment
upgrade fees, HD programming and other subscriber revenue. Therefore,
not all of the amounts we include in “Subscriber-related revenue” are recurring
on a monthly basis.
Effective
the third quarter of 2007, we reclassified certain revenue from programmers from
“Other” sales to “Subscriber-related revenue.” All prior period
amounts were reclassified to conform to the current period
presentation.
Equipment
sales. “Equipment sales”
include sales of non-DISH Network digital receivers and related components to an
international DBS service provider and to other international
customers. “Equipment sales” also includes unsubsidized sales of DBS
accessories to retailers and other distributors of our equipment domestically
and to DISH Network subscribers. Following the Spin-off, our set-top
box business, consisting of sales of non-DISH Network digital receivers and
related components to an international DBS service provider and to other
international customers, is being operated by EchoStar, a separate,
publicly-traded company.
“Other”
sales. “Other” sales consist principally of satellite transmission
revenue.
Effective
in the third quarter of 2007, we reclassified certain revenue from programmers
from “Other” sales to “Subscriber-related revenue.” All prior period
amounts were reclassified to conform to the current period
presentation.
Subscriber-related
expenses. “Subscriber-related
expenses” principally include programming expenses, costs incurred in connection
with our in-home service and call center operations, copyright royalties,
billing costs, residual commissions paid to our distributors, refurbishment and
repair costs related to receiver systems, subscriber retention and other
variable subscriber expenses. All prior period amounts were
reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
Satellite and
transmission expenses. “Satellite and
transmission expenses” include costs associated with the operation of our
digital broadcast centers, the transmission of local channels, satellite
telemetry, tracking and control services, satellite and transponder leases, and
other related services. Following the Spin-off, we lease satellite
and transponder capacity on several satellites that we formerly owned, and we
will incur higher satellite and transmission expenses with respect to that
leased capacity.
Cost of sales –
equipment. “Cost of sales – equipment” principally includes
costs associated with non-DISH Network digital receivers and related components
sold to an international DBS service provider and to other international
customers. “Cost of sales – equipment” also includes unsubsidized
sales of DBS accessories to retailers and other distributors of our equipment
domestically and to DISH Network subscribers. Following the Spin-off,
our set-top box business, consisting of sales of non-DISH Network digital
receivers and related components to an international DBS service provider and to
other international customers, is being operated by EchoStar.
Cost of sales –
other. “Cost of sales – other” principally includes costs
related to satellite transmission services.
Subscriber
acquisition costs. In addition to leasing
receivers, we generally subsidize installation and all or a portion of the cost
of our receiver systems in order to attract new DISH Network
subscribers. Our “Subscriber acquisition costs” include the cost of
our receiver systems sold to retailers and other distributors of our equipment,
the cost of receiver systems sold directly by us to subscribers, net costs
related to our promotional incentives, and costs related to installation and
acquisition advertising. We exclude the value of equipment
capitalized under our lease program for new subscribers from “Subscriber
acquisition costs.”
SAC. Management
believes subscriber acquisition cost measures are commonly used by those
evaluating companies in the multi-channel video programming distribution
industry. We are not aware of any uniform standards for calculating
the “average subscriber acquisition costs per new subscriber activation,” or
SAC, and we believe presentations of SAC may not be calculated consistently by
different companies in the same or similar businesses. Our SAC is
calculated as “Subscriber acquisition costs,” plus the value of equipment
capitalized under our lease program for new subscribers, divided by gross
subscriber additions. We include all the costs of acquiring
subscribers (i.e. subsidized and capitalized equipment) as our management
believes it is a more comprehensive measure of how much we are spending to
acquire subscribers. We also include all new DISH Network subscribers
in our calculation, including DISH Network subscribers added with little or no
subscriber acquisition costs.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
General and
administrative expenses. “General and
administrative expenses” consists primarily of employee-related costs associated
with administrative services such as legal, information systems, accounting and
finance, including non-cash, stock-based compensation
expense. It also includes outside professional fees (i.e. legal,
information systems and accounting services) and other items associated with
facilities and administration. Following the Spin-off, the general
and administrative expenses associated with our set-top box business and certain
infrastructure assets now held by EchoStar, including in particular research and
development expenses for those businesses, will be incurred by
EchoStar.
Interest
expense. “Interest expense”
primarily includes interest expense, prepayment premiums and amortization of
debt issuance costs associated with our senior debt and convertible subordinated
debt securities (net of capitalized interest) and interest expense associated
with our capital lease obligations.
“Other” income
(expense). The main components of
“Other” income and expense are unrealized gains and losses from changes in fair
value of non-marketable strategic investments accounted for at fair value,
equity in earnings and losses of our affiliates, gains and losses realized on
the sale of investments, and impairment of marketable and non-marketable
investment securities.
Earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
(“EBITDA”). EBITDA is defined as “Net income (loss)” plus
“Interest expense” net of “Interest income,” “Taxes” and “Depreciation and
amortization.”
DISH Network
subscribers. We include customers obtained through direct
sales, and through our retail networks and other distribution relationships, in
our DISH Network subscriber count. We also provide DISH Network service to
hotels, motels and other commercial accounts. For certain of these
commercial accounts, we divide our total revenue for these commercial accounts
by an amount approximately equal to the retail price of our most widely
distributed programming package, America’s Top 100 (but taking into account,
periodically, price changes and other factors), and include the resulting
number, which is substantially smaller than the actual number of commercial
units served, in our DISH Network subscriber count.
Average monthly
revenue per subscriber (“ARPU”). We are not aware
of any uniform standards for calculating ARPU and believe presentations of ARPU
may not be calculated consistently by other companies in the same or similar
businesses. We calculate average monthly revenue per subscriber, or
ARPU, by dividing average monthly “Subscriber-related revenues” for the period
(total “Subscriber-related revenue” during the period divided by the number of
months in the period) by our average DISH Network subscribers for the
period. Average DISH Network subscribers are calculated for the
period by adding the average DISH Network subscribers for each month and
dividing by the number of months in the period. Average DISH Network
subscribers for each month are calculated by adding the beginning and ending
DISH Network subscribers for the month and dividing by two.
Subscriber
churn rate/subscriber turnover. We are not
aware of any uniform standards for calculating subscriber churn rate and believe
presentations of subscriber churn rates may not be calculated consistently by
different companies in the same or similar businesses. We calculate
percentage monthly subscriber churn by dividing the number of DISH Network
subscribers who terminate service during each month by total DISH Network
subscribers as of the beginning of that month. We calculate average
subscriber churn rate for any period by dividing the number of DISH Network
subscribers who terminated service during that period by the average number of
DISH Network subscribers subject to churn during the period, and further
dividing by the number of months in the period. Average DISH Network
subscribers subject to churn during the period are calculated by adding the DISH
Network subscribers as of the beginning of each month in the period and dividing
by the total number of months in the period.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Free cash
flow. We define free
cash flow as “Net cash flows from operating activities” less “Purchases of
property and equipment,” as shown on our Consolidated Statements of Cash
Flows.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
Year
Ended December 31, 2007 Compared to the Year Ended December 31,
2006.
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Variance
|
|
Statements
of Operations Data
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
%
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
revenue
|
|
$ |
10,690,976 |
|
|
|
9,422,274 |
|
|
$ |
1,268,702 |
|
|
|
13.5 |
|
Equipment
sales
|
|
|
362,185 |
|
|
|
362,098 |
|
|
|
87 |
|
|
NM
|
|
Other
|
|
|
37,214 |
|
|
|
34,114 |
|
|
|
3,100 |
|
|
|
9.1 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
11,090,375 |
|
|
|
9,818,486 |
|
|
|
1,271,889 |
|
|
|
13.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs
and Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
expenses
|
|
|
5,496,579 |
|
|
|
4,807,872 |
|
|
|
688,707 |
|
|
|
14.3 |
|
%
of Subscriber-related revenue
|
|
|
51.4 |
% |
|
|
51.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Satellite
and transmission expenses
|
|
|
180,687 |
|
|
|
147,450 |
|
|
|
33,237 |
|
|
|
22.5 |
|
%
of Subscriber-related revenue
|
|
|
1.7 |
% |
|
|
1.6 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of sales - equipment
|
|
|
270,389 |
|
|
|
282,420 |
|
|
|
(12,031 |
) |
|
|
(4.3 |
) |
%
of Equipment sales
|
|
|
74.7 |
% |
|
|
78.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of sales - other
|
|
|
11,333 |
|
|
|
7,260 |
|
|
|
4,073 |
|
|
|
56.1 |
|
Subscriber
acquisition costs
|
|
|
1,570,415 |
|
|
|
1,596,303 |
|
|
|
(25,888 |
) |
|
|
(1.6 |
) |
General
and administrative
|
|
|
624,251 |
|
|
|
551,547 |
|
|
|
72,704 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
%
of Total revenue
|
|
|
5.6 |
% |
|
|
5.6 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Litigation
expense
|
|
|
33,907 |
|
|
|
93,969 |
|
|
|
(60,062 |
) |
|
|
(63.9 |
) |
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
215,116 |
|
|
|
19.3 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,516,971 |
|
|
|
8,601,115 |
|
|
|
915,856 |
|
|
|
10.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
1,573,404 |
|
|
|
1,217,371 |
|
|
|
356,033 |
|
|
|
29.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
137,872 |
|
|
|
126,401 |
|
|
|
11,471 |
|
|
|
9.1 |
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(405,319 |
) |
|
|
(458,150 |
) |
|
|
52,831 |
|
|
|
11.5 |
|
Other
|
|
|
(55,804 |
) |
|
|
37,393 |
|
|
|
(93,197 |
) |
|
NM
|
|
Total
other income (expense)
|
|
|
(323,251 |
) |
|
|
(294,356 |
) |
|
|
(28,895 |
) |
|
|
(9.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
(loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
1,250,153 |
|
|
|
923,015 |
|
|
|
327,138 |
|
|
|
35.4 |
|
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
|
(494,099 |
) |
|
|
(314,743 |
) |
|
|
(179,356 |
) |
|
|
(57.0 |
) |
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
147,782 |
|
|
|
24.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DISH
Network subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
|
|
|
13.780 |
|
|
|
13.105 |
|
|
|
0.675 |
|
|
|
5.2 |
|
DISH
Network subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
|
|
|
3.434 |
|
|
|
3.516 |
|
|
|
(0.082 |
) |
|
|
(2.3 |
) |
DISH
Network subscriber additions, net (in millions)
|
|
|
0.675 |
|
|
|
1.065 |
|
|
|
(0.390 |
) |
|
|
(36.6 |
) |
Average
monthly subscriber churn rate
|
|
|
1.70 |
% |
|
|
1.64 |
% |
|
|
0.06 |
% |
|
|
3.7 |
|
Average
monthly revenue per subscriber ("ARPU")
|
|
$ |
65.83 |
|
|
$ |
62.78 |
|
|
$ |
3.05 |
|
|
|
4.9 |
|
Average
subscriber acquisition costs per subscriber ("SAC")
|
|
$ |
656 |
|
|
$ |
686 |
|
|
$ |
(30 |
) |
|
|
(4.4 |
) |
EBITDA
|
|
$ |
2,847,010 |
|
|
$ |
2,369,058 |
|
|
$ |
477,952 |
|
|
|
20.2 |
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
DISH Network
subscribers. As of December 31,
2007, we had approximately 13.780 million DISH Network subscribers compared to
approximately 13.105 million subscribers at December 31, 2006, an increase of
5.2%. DISH Network added approximately 3.434 million gross new
subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2007, compared to approximately
3.516 million gross new subscribers during 2006, a decrease of approximately
82,000 gross new subscribers. We believe our gross new subscriber
additions have been and are likely to continue to be negatively impacted by
increased competition, including the relative attractiveness of promotions and
market perceptions of the availability of attractive programming, particularly
the relative quantity of HD programming offered, operational inefficiencies
which resulted in lower customer satisfaction with our products and services and
adverse economic conditions.
DISH
Network added approximately 675,000 net new subscribers for the year ended
December 31, 2007, compared to approximately 1.065 million net new subscribers
during 2006, a decrease of 36.6%. This decrease primarily resulted
from an increase in our subscriber churn rate, churn on a larger subscriber
base, and the decrease in gross new subscribers discussed above. Our
percentage monthly subscriber churn for the year ended December 31, 2007 was
1.70%, compared to 1.64% for the same period in 2006. We believe our
subscriber churn rate has been and is likely to continue to be negatively
impacted by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, increased
competition, an increase in non-pay disconnects primarily resulting from adverse
economic conditions, continuing effects of customer commitment expirations, and
increases in the theft of our signal or our competitors’ signals. In
addition, we also believe that churn was adversely affected by a number of
operational inefficiencies which, among other things, impacted our customer
service and overall customer experience.
We cannot
assure you that we will be able to lower our subscriber churn rate, or that our
subscriber churn rate will not increase. We believe we can reduce
churn by improving customer service and other areas of our operations in which
have recently experienced operational inefficiencies. However, given
the increasingly competitive nature of our industry, it may not be possible to
reduce churn without significantly increasing our spending on customer
retention, which would have a negative effect on our earnings and free cash
flow.
Our gross
new subscribers, our net new subscriber additions, and our entire subscriber
base are negatively impacted when existing and new competitors offer attractive
promotions or attractive product and service alternatives, including, among
other things, video services bundled with broadband and other telecommunications
services, better priced or more attractive programming packages and more
compelling consumer electronic products and services, including DVRs, video on
demand services, receivers with multiple tuners, HD programming, and HD and
standard definition local channels. We also expect to face increasing
competition from content and other providers who distribute video services
directly to consumers over the Internet.
As the
size of our subscriber base increases, even if our subscriber churn rate remains
constant or declines, increasing numbers of gross new DISH Network subscribers
are required to sustain net subscriber growth.
AT&T
and other telecommunications providers offer DISH Network programming bundled
with broadband, telephony and other services. Our net new subscriber
additions and certain of our other key operating metrics could be adversely
affected if AT&T or other telecommunication providers de-emphasize or
discontinue selling our services and we are not able to develop comparable
alternative distribution channels.
Subscriber-related
revenue. DISH Network “Subscriber-related revenue” totaled
$10.691 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $1.269
billion or 13.5% compared to 2006. This increase was directly
attributable to continued DISH Network subscriber growth and the increase in
“ARPU” discussed below.
ARPU. Monthly average
revenue per subscriber was $65.83 during the year ended December 31, 2007 versus
$62.78 during the same period in 2006. The $3.05 or 4.9% increase in
ARPU is primarily attributable to price increases in February 2007 and 2006 on
some of our most popular programming packages, increased penetration of HD
programming, higher equipment rental fees resulting from increased penetration
of our equipment leasing programs, other hardware related fees, fees for DVRs,
and revenue from increased availability of standard definition and HD local
channels by satellite.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS –
Continued
|
Equipment
sales. “Equipment sales”
totaled $362 million during each of the years ended December 31, 2007 and
2006. During 2007, we experienced a slight increase in sales of
non-DISH Network digital receivers and related components to international
customers, offset by a decrease in domestic sales of DBS
accessories. A substantial portion of our “Equipment sales” in 2007
consisted of sales of non-DISH Network digital receivers and related components
to an international DBS service provider and to other international
customers. This set-top box business is, following the Spin-off,
operated by EchoStar. As a result, our “Equipment sales” are likely
to be substantially lower in 2008 than those recorded in 2007.
Subscriber-related
expenses. “Subscriber-related expenses” totaled $5.497 billion
during the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $689 million or 14.3%
compared to 2006. The increase in “Subscriber-related expenses” was
primarily attributable to the increase in the number of DISH Network subscribers
and the items discussed below that contributed to the increase in the expense to
revenue ratio. “Subscriber-related expenses” as a percentage of
“Subscriber-related revenue” increased to 51.4% from 51.0% in the year ended
December 31, 2007 compared to 2006. The increase in this expense to
revenue ratio primarily resulted from increases in: (i) programming
costs, (ii) in-home service, refurbishment and repair costs for our receiver
systems associated with increased penetration of our equipment lease programs,
and (iii) bad debt expense resulting from an increase in the number of
subscribers who we deactivated for non-payment of their bill. These increases
were partially offset by a decline in costs associated with our call center
operations and in costs associated with our previous co-branding arrangement
with AT&T.
In the
normal course of business, we enter into various contracts with programmers to
provide content. Our programming contracts generally require us to
make payments based on the number of subscribers to which the respective content
is provided. Consequently, our programming expenses will continue to
increase to the extent we are successful in growing our subscriber
base. In addition, because programmers continue to raise the price of
content, our “Subscriber-related expenses” as a percentage of
“Subscriber-related revenue” could materially increase absent corresponding
price increases in our DISH Network programming packages.
Satellite and
transmission expenses. “Satellite and
transmission expenses” totaled $181 million during the year ended December 31,
2007, an increase of $33 million or 22.5% compared to 2006. This
increase primarily resulted from higher operational costs associated with our
capital lease of Anik F3 which commenced commercial operations in April 2007 and
the higher costs associated with our enhanced content platform including a
broader distribution of more extensive HD programming. “Satellite and
transmission expenses” as a percentage of “Subscriber-related revenue” increased
to 1.7% from 1.6% in the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to
2006.
Following
the Spin-off, we are leasing satellite and transponder capacity on several
satellites that we formerly owned. As a result, we will, beginning
January 1, 2008, record higher satellite and transmission expenses for this
leased satellite capacity. This will be offset to some extent by
lower depreciation expense as we will no longer record depreciation on these
satellites which are now owned by EchoStar. Satellite and
transmission expenses are likely to increase further in the future to the extent
we increase the size of our owned and leased satellite fleet, obtain in-orbit
satellite insurance, increase our uplinking capacity and launch additional
HD local markets and other programming services.
Cost of sales –
equipment. “Cost of sales – equipment” totaled $270 million
during the year ended December 31, 2007, a decrease of $12 million or 4.3%
compared to 2006. This decrease primarily resulted from a decline in
charges for defective, slow moving and obsolete inventory and in the cost of
non-DISH Network digital receivers and related components sold to international
customers. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in the cost
of domestic sales of DBS accessories. “Cost of sales – equipment” as
a percentage of “Equipment sales” decreased to 74.7% from 78.0% in the year
ended December 31, 2007 compared to 2006. The decrease in the expense to
revenue ratio is principally related to lower 2007 charges for defective, slow
moving and obsolete inventory and an increase in margins on sales of non-DISH
Network digital receivers and related components sold to international
customers, partially offset by the decrease in margins on domestic sales of DBS
accessories. A substantial portion of our “Cost of sales – equipment”
in 2007 consisted of sales of non-DISH Network digital receivers and related
components to an international DBS service provider and to other international
customers. This set-top box business is, following the Spin-off,
operated by EchoStar. As a result, our “Cost of sales – equipment”
are likely to be substantially lower in 2008 than those recorded in
2007.
Subscriber
acquisition costs. “Subscriber acquisition costs” totaled $1.570
billion for the year ended December 31, 2007, a decrease of $26 million or 1.6%
compared to 2006. The decrease in “Subscriber acquisition costs” was
attributable to a decrease in gross new subscribers, a decrease in SAC
discussed below and a higher number of DISH Network subscribers participating in
our equipment lease program for new subscribers.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
SAC. SAC
was $656 during the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to $686 during 2006, a
decrease of $30, or 4.4%. This decrease was primarily attributable to
the redeployment benefits of our equipment lease program for new subscribers and
lower average equipment costs, partially offset by higher acquisition
advertising. As a result of the Spin-off, we are likely to incur
higher SAC as we will be acquiring equipment, particularly digital receivers,
from third parties. This equipment was historically designed in-house
and procured at our cost. We initially expect to acquire this
equipment from EchoStar at its cost, plus an additional amount representing an
agreed margin on that cost.
During
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, the amount of equipment capitalized
under our lease program for new subscribers totaled approximately $682 million
and $817 million, respectively. This decrease in capital expenditures
under our lease program for new subscribers resulted primarily from an increase
in redeployment of equipment returned by disconnecting lease program
subscribers, decreased subscriber growth, fewer receivers per installation as
the number of dual tuner receivers we install continues to increase, lower
average equipment costs and a reduction in accessory costs.
Capital
expenditures resulting from our equipment lease program for new subscribers have
been, and we expect will continue to be, partially mitigated by, among other
things, the redeployment of equipment returned by disconnecting lease program
subscribers. However, to remain competitive we will have to upgrade
or replace subscriber equipment periodically as technology changes, and the
associated costs may be substantial. To the extent technological
changes render a portion of our existing equipment obsolete, we would be unable
to redeploy all returned equipment and would realize less benefit from the SAC
reduction associated with redeployment of that returned lease
equipment.
Our SAC
calculation does not include the benefit of payments we received in connection
with equipment not returned to us from disconnecting lease subscribers and
returned equipment that is made available for sale rather than being redeployed
through our lease program. During the years ended December 31, 2007
and 2006, these amounts totaled approximately $87 million and $121 million,
respectively.
Our
“Subscriber acquisition costs,” both in aggregate and on a per new subscriber
activation basis, may materially increase in the future to the extent that we
introduce more aggressive promotions if we determine that they are necessary to
respond to competition, or for other reasons. See further discussion
under “Liquidity and Capital
Resources – Subscriber Retention and Acquisition Costs.”
Litigation
expense. During
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, we recorded “Litigation expense” in
the Tivo case of $34 million and $94 million, respectively. The $94 million
reflects the jury verdict, supplemental damages and pre-judgment interest
awarded by the Texas court. The $34 million additional expense in
2007 represents the estimated cost of any software infringement prior to the
implementation of the alternative technology, plus interest subsequent to the
jury verdict. See Note 9 in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial
Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further
discussion.
General and
administrative expenses. “General and administrative expenses”
totaled $624 million during the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $73
million or 13.2% compared to 2006. This increase was primarily
attributable to an increase in administrative costs to support the growth of the
DISH Network and outside professional fees. In addition, this
increase primarily related to the expensing of the in-process research and
development costs associated with the acquisition of Sling Media. “General
and administrative expenses” represented 5.6% of “Total revenue” during each of
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006. Following the Spin-off, we
anticipate that “General and administrative expenses” should decline as overhead
and other expenses, particularly research and development expenses, associated
with the set-top box and certain infrastructure assets, are incurred at
EchoStar.
Depreciation and
amortization. “Depreciation and amortization” expense totaled
$1.329 billion during the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $215
million or 19.3% compared to 2006. The increase in “Depreciation and
amortization” expense was primarily attributable to depreciation on equipment
leased to subscribers resulting from increased penetration of our equipment
lease programs, additional depreciation related to satellites and other
depreciable assets placed in service to support the DISH Network, and the
write-off of costs associated with obsolete fixed assets. Several
satellites and other infrastructure assets formerly owned by us were contributed
to EchoStar in the Spin-off and, as a result, we will no longer record
depreciation expense related to these assets.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Interest expense,
net of amounts capitalized. “Interest expense”
totaled $405 million during the year ended December 31, 2007, a decrease of $53
million or 11.5% compared to 2006. This decrease primarily resulted
from a net decrease in interest expense related to redemptions and issuances of
debt during 2006 and 2007.
Other. “Other” expense totaled
$56 million during the year ended December 31, 2007, a decrease of $93 million
compared to “Other” income of $37 million during 2006. The decrease
in “Other” primarily resulted from $56 million in charges to earnings for other
than temporary declines in fair value of our common stock investment in a
foreign public company and a non-marketable investment security during
2007. In addition, we had a decrease in net unrealized and realized
gains during 2007 compared to 2006.
Earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA was $2.847
billion during the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $478 million or
20.2% compared to 2006. The following table reconciles EBITDA to the
accompanying financial statements:
|
|
For
the Years Ended
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
$ |
2,847,010 |
|
|
$ |
2,369,058 |
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
expense, net
|
|
|
267,447 |
|
|
|
331,749 |
|
Income
tax provision (benefit), net
|
|
|
494,099 |
|
|
|
314,743 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
EBITDA is
not a measure determined in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States, or GAAP, and should not be considered a
substitute for operating income, net income or any other measure determined in
accordance with GAAP. EBITDA is used as a measurement of operating
efficiency and overall financial performance and we believe it to be a helpful
measure for those evaluating companies in the multi-channel video programming
distribution industry. Conceptually, EBITDA measures the amount of
income generated each period that could be used to service debt, pay taxes and
fund capital expenditures. EBITDA should not be considered in
isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance
with GAAP.
Income
tax
(provision)
benefit,
net. Our income tax provision was $494 million during the year
ended December 31, 2007, an increase of $179 million or 57.0% compared to during
the same period in 2006. The increase in the provision was primarily
related to the improvement in “Income (loss) before income taxes” and an
increase in the effective state tax rate due to changes in state apportionment
percentages. The year ended December 31, 2007 includes a deferred tax
liability of $16 million related to the conversion of one of our subsidiaries to
a limited liability company from a corporation in connection with the
Spin-off. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2007, includes a
reversal of $4 million related to state tax valuation allowances. The
year ended December 31, 2006 includes a credit of $13 million related to the
recognition of state net operating loss carry forwards ("NOLs") for prior
periods. During 2008, we expect our income tax provision to reflect
statutory Federal and state tax rates.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
|
|
For
the Years
|
|
|
|
Ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted
income tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
$ |
(474,581 |
) |
|
$ |
(338,514 |
) |
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
year valuation allowance activity
|
|
|
3,845 |
|
|
|
(7,324 |
) |
Deferred
tax liability corporate restructuring
|
|
|
15,673 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Deferred
tax asset for filed returns
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
5,319 |
|
Prior
period adjustments to state NOLs
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(13,461 |
) |
Amended
state filings
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(8,305 |
) |
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
$ |
(494,099 |
) |
|
$ |
(314,743 |
) |
Net income
(loss). Net
income was $756 million during the year ended December 31, 2007, an increase of
$148 million compared to $608 million in 2006. The increase was
primarily attributable to the changes in revenue and expenses discussed
above.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Year
Ended December 31, 2006 Compared to the Year Ended December 31,
2005.
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
Variance
|
|
Statements
of Operations Data
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
%
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
revenue
|
|
$ |
9,422,274 |
|
|
$ |
8,027,664 |
|
|
$ |
1,394,610 |
|
|
|
17.4 |
|
Equipment
sales
|
|
|
362,098 |
|
|
|
367,968 |
|
|
|
(5,870 |
) |
|
|
(1.6 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
34,114 |
|
|
|
51,543 |
|
|
|
(17,429 |
) |
|
|
(33.8 |
) |
Total
revenue
|
|
|
9,818,486 |
|
|
|
8,447,175 |
|
|
|
1,371,311 |
|
|
|
16.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs
and Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
expenses
|
|
|
4,807,872 |
|
|
|
4,095,986 |
|
|
|
711,886 |
|
|
|
17.4 |
|
%
of Subscriber-related revenue
|
|
|
51.0 |
% |
|
|
51.0 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Satellite
and transmission expenses
|
|
|
147,450 |
|
|
|
134,545 |
|
|
|
12,905 |
|
|
|
9.6 |
|
%
of Subscriber-related revenue
|
|
|
1.6 |
% |
|
|
1.7 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of sales - equipment
|
|
|
282,420 |
|
|
|
271,697 |
|
|
|
10,723 |
|
|
|
3.9 |
|
%
of Equipment sales
|
|
|
78.0 |
% |
|
|
73.8 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of sales - other
|
|
|
7,260 |
|
|
|
23,339 |
|
|
|
(16,079 |
) |
|
|
(68.9 |
) |
Subscriber
acquisition costs
|
|
|
1,596,303 |
|
|
|
1,492,581 |
|
|
|
103,722 |
|
|
|
6.9 |
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
551,547 |
|
|
|
456,206 |
|
|
|
95,341 |
|
|
|
20.9 |
|
%
of Total revenue
|
|
|
5.6 |
% |
|
|
5.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Litigation
expense
|
|
|
93,969 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
93,969 |
|
|
NM
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
|
|
308,721 |
|
|
|
38.3 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
8,601,115 |
|
|
|
7,279,927 |
|
|
|
1,321,188 |
|
|
|
18.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
1,217,371 |
|
|
|
1,167,248 |
|
|
|
50,123 |
|
|
|
4.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
126,401 |
|
|
|
43,518 |
|
|
|
82,883 |
|
|
NM
|
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(458,150 |
) |
|
|
(373,844 |
) |
|
|
(84,306 |
) |
|
|
(22.6 |
) |
Gain
on insurance settlement
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
134,000 |
|
|
|
(134,000 |
) |
|
|
(100.0 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
37,393 |
|
|
|
36,169 |
|
|
|
1,224 |
|
|
|
3.4 |
|
Total
other income (expense)
|
|
|
(294,356 |
) |
|
|
(160,157 |
) |
|
|
(134,199 |
) |
|
|
(83.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
(loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
923,015 |
|
|
|
1,007,091 |
|
|
|
(84,076 |
) |
|
|
(8.3 |
) |
Income
tax (provision) benefit, net
|
|
|
(314,743 |
) |
|
|
507,449 |
|
|
|
(822,192 |
) |
|
NM
|
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
|
$ |
(906,268 |
) |
|
|
(59.8 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DISH
Network subscribers, as of period end (in millions)
|
|
|
13.105 |
|
|
|
12.040 |
|
|
|
1.065 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
DISH
Network subscriber additions, gross (in millions)
|
|
|
3.516 |
|
|
|
3.397 |
|
|
|
0.119 |
|
|
|
3.5 |
|
DISH
Network subscriber additions, net (in millions)
|
|
|
1.065 |
|
|
|
1.135 |
|
|
|
(0.070 |
) |
|
|
(6.2 |
) |
Average
monthly subscriber churn rate
|
|
|
1.64 |
% |
|
|
1.65 |
% |
|
|
(0.01 |
%) |
|
|
(0.6 |
) |
Average
monthly revenue per subscriber ("ARPU")
|
|
$ |
62.78 |
|
|
$ |
58.34 |
|
|
$ |
4.44 |
|
|
|
7.6 |
|
Average
subscriber acquisition costs per subscriber ("SAC")
|
|
$ |
686 |
|
|
$ |
693 |
|
|
$ |
(7 |
) |
|
|
(1.0 |
) |
EBITDA
|
|
$ |
2,369,058 |
|
|
$ |
2,142,990 |
|
|
$ |
226,068 |
|
|
|
10.5 |
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
DISH Network
subscribers. As of December 31,
2006, we had approximately 13.105 million DISH Network subscribers compared to
approximately 12.040 million subscribers at December 31, 2005, an increase of
8.8%. DISH Network added approximately 3.516 million gross new
subscribers for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to approximately
3.397 million gross new subscribers during 2005, an increase of approximately
119,000. The increase in gross new subscribers resulted in large part
from increased advertising and the effectiveness of our promotions and products
during the year. A substantial majority of our gross new subscribers
are acquired through our equipment lease program.
DISH
Network added approximately 1.065 million net new subscribers for the year ended
December 31, 2006, compared to approximately 1.135 million net new subscribers
during 2005, a decrease of 6.2%. This decrease was primarily a result
of subscriber churn on a larger subscriber base.
Subscriber-related
revenue. DISH Network “Subscriber-related revenue” totaled
$9.422 billion for the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $1.395
billion or 17.4% compared to 2005. This increase was directly
attributable to continued DISH Network subscriber growth and the increase in
“ARPU” discussed below.
ARPU. Average monthly
revenue per subscriber was $62.78 during the year ended December 31, 2006 versus
$58.34 during the same period in 2005. The $4.44 or 7.6% increase in
ARPU was primarily attributable to price increases in February 2006 and 2005 on
some of our most popular packages, higher equipment rental fees resulting from
increased penetration of our equipment leasing programs, fees for DVRs, revenue
from increased availability of standard and HD local channels by satellite, fees
earned from our DishHOME Protection Plan, and HD programming. This
increase was partially offset by a decrease in revenues from installation and
other services related to our original agreement with AT&T.
Equipment
sales. “Equipment sales”
totaled $362 million during the year ended December 31, 2006, a decrease of $6
million or 1.6% compared to 2005. This decrease principally resulted
from a decline in domestic sales of DBS accessories, partially
offset by an increase in sales of non-DISH Network digital receivers and related
components to international customers.
Subscriber-related
expenses. “Subscriber-related
expenses” totaled $4.808 billion during the year ended December 31, 2006, an
increase of $712 million or 17.4% compared to 2005. The increase in
“Subscriber-related expenses” was primarily attributable to the increase in the
number of DISH Network subscribers together with an increase in refurbishment
and repair costs for returned receiver systems, partially offset by the decline
in costs associated with installation and other services related to our original
agreement with AT&T. “Subscriber-related expenses” represented
51.0% of “Subscriber-related revenue” for each of the years ended December 31,
2006 and 2005.
Satellite and
transmission expenses. “Satellite and
transmission expenses” totaled $147 million during the year ended December 31,
2006, an increase of $13 million or 9.6% compared to 2005. This
increase primarily resulted from higher operational costs associated with our
capital leases of AMC-15 and AMC-16. “Satellite and transmission
expenses” totaled 1.6% and 1.7% of “Subscriber-related revenue” during the years
ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Cost of sales –
equipment. “Cost of sales – equipment” totaled $282 million
during the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $11 million or 3.9%
compared to 2005. This increase primarily resulted from an increase
in charges for defective, slow moving and obsolete inventory. “Cost
of sales – equipment” represented 78.0% and 73.8% of “Equipment sales,” during
the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. The
increase in the expense to revenue ratio principally related to higher charges
for defective, slow moving and obsolete inventory in 2006.
Subscriber
acquisition costs. “Subscriber acquisition costs” totaled $1.596
billion for the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $104 million or
6.9% compared to 2005. The increase in “Subscriber acquisition costs”
was primarily attributable to an increase in gross new subscribers and a
decline in the number of co-branded subscribers acquired under our original
AT&T agreement, for which we did not incur subscriber acquisition
costs. This increase was also attributable to higher installation and
acquisition advertising costs, partially offset by a higher number of DISH
Network subscribers participating in our equipment lease program for new
subscribers. The introduction of new equipment resulted in a decrease
in our cost per installation during 2006 compared to 2005; however, as a result
of increased volume, our overall installation expense
increased.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
SAC. SAC
was $686 during the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to $693 during 2005, a
decrease of $7, or 1.0%. This decrease was primarily attributable to
the equipment redeployment benefits of our equipment lease programs, discussed
below, and lower average equipment and installation costs, partially offset by a
decline in the number of co-branded subscribers acquired under our original
AT&T agreement and higher acquisition advertising costs.
During
the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, the amount of equipment capitalized
under our lease program for new subscribers totaled $817 million and $862
million, respectively. This decrease in capital expenditures under
our lease program for new subscribers resulted primarily from lower hardware
costs per receiver, fewer receivers per installation as the number of dual tuner
receivers we install continues to increase, increased redeployment of equipment
returned by disconnecting lease program subscribers, and a reduction in
accessory costs related to the introduction of less costly installation
technology and our migration away from relatively expensive and complex
subscriber equipment installations.
As
previously discussed, our SAC calculation does not include the benefit of
payments we received in connection with equipment not returned to us from
disconnecting lease subscribers and returned equipment that is made available
for sale rather than being redeployed through our lease
program. During the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, these
amounts totaled $121 million and $86 million, respectively.
General and
administrative expenses. “General
and administrative expenses” totaled $552 million during the year ended December
31, 2006, an increase of $95 million or 20.9% compared to 2005. This
increase was primarily attributable to increased personnel and related costs to
support the growth of the DISH Network, including, among other things, non-cash,
stock-based compensation expense, outside professional fees and non-income based
taxes. “General and administrative expenses” represented 5.6% and 5.4% of
“Total revenue” during the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. The increase in the ratio of those expenses to “Total
revenue” was primarily attributable to increased infrastructure expenses to
support the growth of the DISH Network, discussed above.
Depreciation and
amortization. “Depreciation
and amortization” expense totaled $1.114 billion during the year ended December
31, 2006, an increase of $309 million or 38.3% compared to 2005. The
increase in “Depreciation and amortization” expense was primarily attributable
to depreciation of equipment leased to subscribers resulting from increased
penetration of our equipment lease programs, additional depreciation related to
satellites placed in service and other depreciable assets placed in service to
support the DISH Network.
Interest
income. “Interest income”
totaled $126 million during the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $83
million compared to 2005. This increase principally resulted from
higher cash and marketable investment securities balances and higher total
percentage returns earned on our cash and marketable investment securities
during 2006.
Interest expense,
net of amounts capitalized. “Interest expense”
totaled $458 million during the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $84
million or 22.6% compared to 2005. This increase primarily resulted
from a net increase in interest expense of $65 million related to the issuance
of additional senior debt during 2006, net of redemptions, and an increase in
prepayment premiums and write-off of debt issuance costs totaling $29 million,
related to the redemption of certain outstanding senior debt during
2006. This increase was partially offset by an increase in
capitalized interest on the construction of satellites.
Earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA was $2.369
billion during the year ended December 31, 2006, an increase of $226 million or
10.5% compared to 2005. EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2005
was favorably impacted by the $134 million “Gain on insurance settlement” and
the year ended December 31, 2006 was negatively impacted by the $94 million
“Litigation expense.” Absent these items, our EBITDA for the year
ended December 31, 2006 would have been $454 million or 22.6% higher than
EBITDA in 2005. The increase in EBITDA (excluding these items) was
primarily attributable to changes in operating revenues and expenses discussed
above. The following table reconciles EBITDA to the accompanying
financial statements:
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
|
|
For
the Years Ended
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
EBITDA
|
|
$ |
2,369,058 |
|
|
$ |
2,142,990 |
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
expense, net
|
|
|
331,749 |
|
|
|
330,326 |
|
Income
tax provision (benefit), net
|
|
|
314,743 |
|
|
|
(507,449 |
) |
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
EBITDA is
not a measure determined in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States, or GAAP, and should not be considered a
substitute for operating income, net income or any other measure determined in
accordance with GAAP. EBITDA is used as a measurement of operating
efficiency and overall financial performance and we believe it to be a helpful
measure for those evaluating companies in the multi-channel video programming
distribution industry. Conceptually, EBITDA measures the amount of
income generated each period that could be used to service debt, pay taxes and
fund capital expenditures. EBITDA should not be considered in
isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance
with GAAP.
Income tax
benefit (provision), net. Our income tax provision was $315
million during the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to a benefit of $507
million during 2005. The income tax benefit for the year ended
December 31, 2005 included credits of $593 million and $322 million to our
provision for income taxes resulting from the reversal and current year
activity, respectively, of our recorded valuation allowance. The year
ended December 31, 2006 includes a credit of $13 million related to the
recognition of state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) for prior
periods. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2006, includes a
credit of $8 million related to amended state filings.
|
|
For
the Years
|
|
|
|
Ended
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Adjusted
income tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
$ |
(338,514 |
) |
|
$ |
(378,687 |
) |
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Valuation
allowance reversal
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(592,804 |
) |
Current
year valuation allowance activity
|
|
|
(7,324 |
) |
|
|
(321,982 |
) |
Deferred
tax asset for filed returns
|
|
|
5,319 |
|
|
|
28,650 |
|
Prior
period adjustments to state NOLs
|
|
|
(13,461 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Amended
state filings
|
|
|
(8,305 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
$ |
(314,743 |
) |
|
$ |
507,449 |
|
Net income
(loss). Net
income was $608 million during the year ended December 31, 2006, a decrease of
$906 million compared to $1.515 billion in 2005. Net income for the
year ended December 31, 2005 was favorably impacted by the $915 million reversal
of our recorded valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and the $134 million
“Gain on insurance settlement.” Net income for the year ended
December 31, 2006 was unfavorably impacted by the Tivo litigation charge
discussed above.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Our
principal source of liquidity during 2007 was cash generated by operating
activities of $2.617 billion. Our primary uses of cash during 2007
were for the purchases of property and equipment of $1.445 billion, redemption
of our 5 ¾% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2008 for $1.0 billion,
acquisitions of strategic investments and FCC licenses for $489 million,
including our acquisition of Sling Media Inc. in October 2007.
Cash, cash
equivalents and marketable investment securities. We consider
all liquid investments purchased within 90 days of their maturity to be cash
equivalents. See “Item 7A. – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
About Market Risk” for further discussion regarding our marketable investment
securities. As of December 31, 2007, our restricted and unrestricted
cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment securities totaled $2.961
billion, including $173 million of restricted cash and marketable investment
securities, compared to $3.206 billion, also including $173 million of
restricted cash and marketable investment securities, as of December 31,
2006. On January 1, 2008, we distributed $1.0 billion of our cash and
cash equivalents to EchoStar in connection with the Spin-off.
The
following discussion highlights our free cash flow and cash flow activities
during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005.
Free cash
flow. We define free cash flow as “Net cash flows from
operating activities” less “Purchases of property and equipment,” as shown on
our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. We believe free cash flow
is an important liquidity metric because it measures, during a given period, the
amount of cash generated that is available to repay debt obligations, make
investments, fund acquisitions and for certain other activities. Free
cash flow is not a measure determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be
considered a substitute for “Operating income,” “Net income,” “Net cash flows
from operating activities” or any other measure determined in accordance with
GAAP. Since free cash flow includes investments in operating assets,
we believe this non-GAAP liquidity measure is useful in addition to the most
directly comparable GAAP measure - “Net cash flows from operating
activities.”
During
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, free cash flow was
significantly impacted by changes in operating assets and liabilities as shown
in the “Net cash flows from operating activities” section of our Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows included herein. Operating asset and
liability balances can fluctuate significantly from period to period and there
can be no assurance that free cash flow will not be negatively impacted by
material changes in operating assets and liabilities in future periods, since
these changes depend upon, among other things, management’s timing of payments
and control of inventory levels, and cash receipts. In addition to
fluctuations resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities, free
cash flow can vary significantly from period to period depending upon, among
other things, subscriber growth, subscriber revenue, subscriber churn,
subscriber acquisition costs including amounts capitalized under our equipment
lease programs, operating efficiencies, increases or decreases in purchases of
property and equipment and other factors.
The
following table reconciles free cash flow to “Net cash flows from operating
activities.”
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Free
cash flow
|
|
$ |
1,172,199 |
|
|
$ |
882,924 |
|
|
$ |
267,680 |
|
Add
back:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
|
|
1,444,522 |
|
|
|
1,396,318 |
|
|
|
1,506,394 |
|
Net
cash flows from operating activities
|
|
$ |
2,616,721 |
|
|
$ |
2,279,242 |
|
|
$ |
1,774,074 |
|
Free cash
flow was $1.172 billion, $883 million and $268 million for the years ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
The
improvement in free cash flow from 2006 to 2007 of $289 million resulted from an
increase in “Net cash flows from operating activities” of $337 million, or
14.8%, partially offset by an increase in “Purchases of property and equipment”
of $48 million, or 3.4%. The increase in “Net cash flows from
operating activities” was primarily attributable to a $602 million increase in
net income, including changes in: (i) “Depreciation and amortization”
expense; (ii) “Deferred tax expense (benefit);” and (iii) “Realized and
unrealized losses (gains) on investments.” This increase was
partially offset by a $272 million decrease in cash resulting from changes in
operating assets and liabilities. The 2007 increase in “Purchases of
property and equipment” was primarily attributable to an increase in capital
expenditures for satellite construction, and equipment under our lease program
for existing subscribers, partially offset by increased spending for equipment
under our lease program for new subscribers.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
The
improvement in free cash flow from 2005 to 2006 of $615 million resulted from an
increase in “Net cash flows from operating activities” of $505 million, or
28.5%, and a decrease in “Purchases of property and equipment” of $110 million,
or 7.3%. The increase in “Net cash flows from operating activities”
was primarily attributable to a $336 million increase in net income, net of
changes in: (i) “Deferred tax expense (benefit);” (ii) “Gain on
insurance settlement;” and (iii) “Depreciation and amortization”
expense. A $161 million increase in cash resulting from changes in
operating assets and liabilities also contributed to the
increase. The 2006 decrease in “Purchases of property and equipment”
was primarily attributable to a decline in overall capital expenditures,
including satellite construction, and equipment under our new subscriber lease
program, partially offset by increased spending for equipment under our existing
subscriber lease program.
Our
future capital expenditures could increase or decrease depending on the strength
of the economy, strategic opportunities or other factors.
Cash flows from
operating activities. We typically reinvest the cash flow from
operating activities in our business primarily to grow our subscriber base
and to expand our infrastructure. For the years ended December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005, we reported net cash flows from operating activities of
$2.617 billion, $2.279 billion, and $1.774 billion, respectively. See
discussion of changes in net cash flows from operating activities included in
“Free cash flow” above.
Cash flows from
investing activities. Our investing activities generally
include purchases and sales of marketable investment securities, strategic
investments and cash used to grow our subscriber base and expand our
infrastructure. For the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
we reported net cash outflows from investing activities of $2.383 billion,
$1.994 billion and $1.460 billion, respectively.
The
increase in net cash outflows from investing activities from 2006 to 2007 of
$389 million primarily resulted from an increase in cash used for the purchases
of strategic investments, including Sling Media, FCC licenses and capital
expenditures, partially offset by a decrease in net purchases of marketable
investment securities during 2007.
The
decrease in cash flow from investing activities from 2005 to 2006 of $534
million primarily resulted from an increase in net purchases of marketable
investment securities, partially offset by a decrease in cash used for capital
expenditures during 2006. Cash flow from investing activities for
2005 was favorably impacted by a $240 million insurance settlement.
Cash
flows from
financing
activities. Our financing activities include net proceeds related to
the issuance of long-term debt, and cash used for the repurchase or redemption
of long-term debt, and capital lease obligations, mortgages or other notes
payable, and repurchases of our Class A common stock. For the years
ended December 31, 2007 and 2005, we reported net cash outflows from financing
activities of $976 million and $403 million, respectively. For the
year ended December 31, 2006, we reported net cash inflows from financing
activities of $1.022 billion.
The
decrease in cash flow from financing activities from 2006 to 2007 of $1.998
billion principally resulted from the following:
|
·
|
During
February 2007, we redeemed $1.0 billion principal amount of our 5 3/4%
Convertible Subordinated Notes due
2008.
|
|
·
|
During
February 2006, we sold $1.5 billion principal amount of our 7 1/8% Senior
Notes due 2016 and redeemed the remaining $442 million outstanding
principal amount of our 9 1/8% Senior Notes due
2009.
|
|
·
|
During
October 2006, we sold $500 million principal amount of our 7% Senior Notes
due 2013 and redeemed the $500 million outstanding principal amount of our
Floating Rate Senior Notes due
2008.
|
|
·
|
During
2006, we repurchased approximately 429,000 shares of our Class A common
stock in open market transactions for a total cost of $12
million.
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
The
increase in cash flow from financing activities from 2005 to 2006 of $1.425
billion principally resulted from the 2006 transactions discussed
above. The repurchases of our Class A common stock unfavorably
impacted 2005 compared to 2006. We repurchased approximately 13.2
million shares at a total cost of $363 million during 2005 compared to 429,000
shares at a cost of $12 million during 2006.
Other
Liquidity Items
Auction of
spectrum for new services. The FCC announced on January 14,
2008 that we were qualified to participate in the FCC auction of the 700 MHz
band. The 700 MHz spectrum is being returned by television
broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early
2009. The spectrum has significant commercial value because 700 MHz
signals can travel long distances and penetrate thick walls. Under
the FCC’s anti-collusion and anonymous bidding rules for this auction, we are
not permitted to disclose publicly our interest level or activity level in the
auction, if any, at this time. Based on published reports, however,
we believe that any successful bidders will be required to expend significant
amounts to secure and commercialize these licenses. In particular if
we were to participate and be successful in this auction we could be required to
raise additional capital in order to secure and commercialize these licenses,
which may not be available to us on attractive terms in the current credit
market environment. Moreover, there can be no assurance that
successful bidders will be able to achieve a return on their investments in the
700 MHz spectrum or to raise all the capital required to develop these
licenses.
Subscriber
turnover. Our percentage monthly subscriber churn for the year
ended December 31, 2007 was 1.70%, compared to 1.64% for the same period in
2006. This year over year increase was mostly driven by churn results
from the second half of 2007. We believe our subscriber churn rate has
been and is likely to continue to be negatively impacted by a number of factors,
including, but not limited to, increased competition, an increase in non-pay
disconnects primarily resulting from adverse economic conditions, operational
inefficiencies, continuing effects of customer commitment expirations, and
increases in the theft of our signal or our competitors’ signals, as well as
other forms of fraud.
Competitor
bundling of video services with 2-way high-speed Internet access and telephone
services may also contribute more significantly to churn over
time. Additionally, certain of our promotions allow consumers with
relatively lower credit scores to become subscribers, and these subscribers
typically churn at a higher rate. However, these subscribers are also
acquired at a lower cost resulting in a smaller economic loss upon
disconnect.
We cannot
assure you that we will be able to lower our subscriber churn rate, or that our
subscriber churn rates will not increase. We believe we can reduce
churn by improving customer service and other areas of our
operations. However, given the increasing demand for advanced
products such as DVRs and HD, it may not be possible to reduce churn without
significantly increasing our spending on customer retention, which would have a
negative effect on our earnings and free cash flow. Additionally, as
the size of our subscriber base increases, even if our subscriber churn rate
remains constant or declines, increasing numbers of gross new DISH Network
subscribers are required to sustain net subscriber growth.
AT&T
and other telecommunications providers offer DISH Network programming bundled
with broadband, telephony and other services. Our net new subscriber
additions and certain of our other key operating metrics could be adversely
affected if AT&T or other telecommunication providers de-emphasize or
discontinue selling our services and we are not able to develop comparable
alternative distribution channels.
Increases
in theft of our signal, or our competitors’ signals, could in addition to
reducing new subscriber activations, also cause subscriber churn to
increase. We use microchips embedded in credit card-sized access
cards, called “smart cards,” or security chips in our receiver systems to
control access to authorized programming content. However, our signal
encryption has been compromised by theft of service, and even though we continue
to respond to compromises of our encryption system with security measures
intended to make signal theft of our programming more difficult, theft of our
signal is increasing. We cannot assure you that we will be successful
in reducing or controlling theft of our service.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
During
2005, we replaced our smart cards in order to reduce theft of our
service. However, the smart card replacement did not fully secure our
system, and we have since implemented software patches and other security
measures to help protect our service. Nevertheless, these security
measures are short-term fixes and we remain susceptible to additional signal
theft. Therefore, we have developed a plan to replace our existing
smart cards and/or security chips to re-secure our signals for a longer term
which will commence later this year and is expected to take approximately nine
to twelve months to complete. While our existing smart cards
installed in 2005 remain under warranty, we could incur operational costs in
excess of $50 million in connection with our smart card replacement
program.
We are
also vulnerable to fraud, particularly in the acquisition of new
subscribers. While we are addressing the impact of subscriber fraud
through a number of actions, including eliminating certain payment options for
subscribers, such as the use of pre-paid debit cards, there can be no assurance
that we will not continue to experience fraud which could impact our subscriber
growth and churn.
Subscriber
acquisition and retention costs. Our subscriber acquisition
and retention costs can vary significantly from period to period which can in
turn cause significant variability to our “Net income (loss)” and “Free cash
flow” between periods. Our “Subscriber acquisition costs,” SAC and
“Subscriber-related expenses” may materially increase to the extent that we
introduce more aggressive promotions in the future if we determine they are
necessary to respond to competition, or for other reasons.
Capital
expenditures resulting from our equipment lease program for new subscribers have
been, and we expect will continue to be, partially mitigated by, among other
things, the redeployment of equipment returned by disconnecting lease program
subscribers. However, to remain competitive we will have to upgrade
or replace subscriber equipment periodically as technology changes, and the
associated costs may be substantial. To the extent technological
changes render a portion of our existing equipment obsolete, we would be unable
to redeploy all returned equipment and would realize less benefit from the SAC
reduction associated with redeployment of that returned lease
equipment.
Several
years ago, we began deploying satellite receivers capable of exploiting 8PSK
modulation technology. Since that technology is now standard in all
of our new satellite receivers, our cost to migrate programming channels to that
technology in the future will be substantially lower than if it were necessary
to replace all existing consumer equipment. As we continue to
implement 8PSK technology, bandwidth efficiency will improve, significantly
increasing the number of programming channels we can transmit over our existing
satellites as an alternative or supplement to the acquisition of additional
spectrum or the construction of additional satellites. New channels
we add to our service using only that technology may allow us to further reduce
conversion costs and create additional revenue opportunities. We have
also implemented MPEG-4 technology in all satellite receivers for new customers
who subscribe to our HD programming packages and are converting all existing HD
satellite receivers to the same technology. This technology should
result in further bandwidth efficiencies over time. We have not yet
determined the extent to which we will convert the DISH Network DBS System to
these new technologies, or the period of time over which the conversions will
occur. Provided that EchoStar X continues to operate normally and
other planned satellites are successfully deployed, this increased satellite
capacity and our 8PSK transition will afford us greater flexibility in delaying
and reducing the costs otherwise required to convert our subscriber base to
MPEG-4.
While we
may be able to generate increased revenue from such conversions, the deployment
of equipment including new technologies will increase the cost of our consumer
equipment, at least in the short-term. Our expensed and capitalized
subscriber acquisition and retention costs will increase to the extent we
subsidize those costs for new and existing subscribers. These
increases may be mitigated to the extent we successfully redeploy existing
receivers and implement other equipment cost reduction strategies.
In an
effort to reduce subscriber turnover, we offer existing subscribers a variety of
options for upgraded and add on equipment. We generally lease
receivers and subsidize installation of receiver systems under these subscriber
retention programs. As discussed above, we will have to upgrade or
replace subscriber equipment periodically as technology changes. As a
consequence, our retention costs, which are included in “Subscriber-related
expenses,” and our capital expenditures related to our equipment lease program
for existing subscribers, will increase, at least in the short-term, to the
extent we subsidize the costs of those upgrades and replacements. Our
capital expenditures related to subscriber retention programs could also
increase in the future to the extent we increase penetration of our equipment
lease program for existing subscribers, if we introduce other more aggressive
promotions, if we offer existing subscribers more aggressive promotions for HD
receivers or receivers with other enhanced technologies, or for other
reasons.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Cash
necessary to fund retention programs and total subscriber acquisition costs are
expected to be satisfied from existing cash and marketable investment securities
balances and cash generated from operations to the extent available. We
may, however, decide to raise additional capital in the future to meet these
requirements. There can be no assurance that additional financing
will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, if needed in the
future.
Obligations
and Future Capital Requirements
Contractual
obligations and off-balance sheet arrangements. In general, we
do not engage in off-balance sheet financing activities. Future
maturities of our outstanding debt and contractual obligations as of December
31, 2007 are summarized as follows:
Contractual
obligations and off-balance sheet arrangements - Historical
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Long-term
debt obligations
|
|
$ |
5,525,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,500,000 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
1,025,000 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
3,000,000 |
|
Satellite-related
obligations
|
|
|
2,125,234 |
|
|
|
721,053 |
|
|
|
309,957 |
|
|
|
142,291 |
|
|
|
110,272 |
|
|
|
78,557 |
|
|
|
763,104 |
|
Capital
lease obligations
|
|
|
563,547 |
|
|
|
46,415 |
|
|
|
51,248 |
|
|
|
56,517 |
|
|
|
62,262 |
|
|
|
68,527 |
|
|
|
278,578 |
|
Operating
lease obligations
|
|
|
72,758 |
|
|
|
27,504 |
|
|
|
19,491 |
|
|
|
13,912 |
|
|
|
6,624 |
|
|
|
2,416 |
|
|
|
2,811 |
|
Purchase
obligations
|
|
|
1,524,899 |
|
|
|
1,405,978 |
|
|
|
55,921 |
|
|
|
40,290 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
710 |
|
Mortgages
and other notes payable
|
|
|
37,157 |
|
|
|
4,039 |
|
|
|
4,764 |
|
|
|
3,148 |
|
|
|
2,955 |
|
|
|
3,174 |
|
|
|
19,077 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
9,848,595 |
|
|
$ |
3,704,989 |
|
|
$ |
441,381 |
|
|
$ |
256,158 |
|
|
$ |
1,218,113 |
|
|
$ |
163,674 |
|
|
$ |
4,064,280 |
|
Contractual
obligations and off-balance sheet arrangements – adjustments related to
Spin-off
As of the
effective date of the Spin-off, DISH Network contributed to EchoStar contracts
for satellites under construction and other long term obligations related to our
fixed satellite service assets. DISH Network will no longer have a direct
obligation for these commitments. In addition, as of the effective date of
the Spin-off, DISH Network entered into agreements with EchoStar for facilities
rental, uplink, satellite leases, and other services. Commitments related
to these contracts are detailed in the table below.
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Satellite-related
obligations
|
|
$ |
(964,121 |
) |
|
$ |
(363,684 |
) |
|
$ |
(185,613 |
) |
|
$ |
(90,247 |
) |
|
$ |
(58,228 |
) |
|
$ |
(52,517 |
) |
|
$ |
(213,832 |
) |
Capital
lease obligations
|
|
|
(370,241 |
) |
|
|
(38,575 |
) |
|
|
(42,803 |
) |
|
|
(47,420 |
) |
|
|
(52,463 |
) |
|
|
(57,971 |
) |
|
|
(131,009 |
) |
Operating
lease obligations |
|
|
(8,406 |
) |
|
|
(3,599 |
) |
|
|
(2,819 |
) |
|
|
(1,590 |
) |
|
|
(370 |
) |
|
|
(24 |
) |
|
|
(4 |
) |
Purchase
obligations
|
|
|
539,336 |
|
|
|
302,557 |
|
|
|
236,822 |
|
|
|
(43 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Mortgages
and other notes payable
|
|
|
(12,178 |
) |
|
|
(2,685 |
) |
|
|
(1,861 |
) |
|
|
(1,090 |
) |
|
|
(748 |
) |
|
|
(808 |
) |
|
|
(4,986 |
) |
Total
|
|
$ |
(815,610 |
) |
|
$ |
(105,986 |
) |
|
$ |
3,726 |
|
|
$ |
(140,390 |
) |
|
$ |
(111,809 |
) |
|
$ |
(111,320 |
) |
|
$ |
(349,831 |
) |
Interest
on Long-Term Debt
We have
semi-annual cash interest requirements for our outstanding long-term debt
securities (see Note 5 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in
Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details), as
follows:
|
|
|
Annual
|
|
|
Semi-Annual
|
|
Debt
Service
|
|
|
Payment
Dates
|
|
Requirements
|
|
3 %
Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2010
|
June
30 and December 31
|
|
$ |
15,000,000 |
|
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
57,500,000 |
|
6
3/8% Senior Notes due 2011
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
63,750,000 |
|
3 %
Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2011
|
June
30 and December 31
|
|
$ |
750,000 |
|
6
5/8% Senior Notes due 2014
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
66,250,000 |
|
7
1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
|
February
1 and August 1
|
|
$ |
106,875,000 |
|
7%
Senior Notes due 2013
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
35,000,000 |
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
We also
have periodic cash interest requirements for our outstanding capital lease
obligations, mortgages and other notes payable. Future cash interest
requirements for all of our outstanding long-term debt as of December 31, 2007
are summarized as follows:
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Long-term
debt
|
|
$ |
1,935,747 |
|
|
$ |
345,125 |
|
|
$ |
287,625 |
|
|
$ |
280,947 |
|
|
$ |
272,362 |
|
|
$ |
208,125 |
|
|
$ |
541,563 |
|
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable
|
|
|
263,349 |
|
|
|
47,338 |
|
|
|
43,022 |
|
|
|
38,253 |
|
|
|
33,038 |
|
|
|
27,292 |
|
|
|
74,406 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
2,199,096 |
|
|
$ |
392,463 |
|
|
$ |
330,647 |
|
|
$ |
319,200 |
|
|
$ |
305,400 |
|
|
$ |
235,417 |
|
|
$ |
615,969 |
|
Contractual
obligations and off-balance sheet arrangements – adjustments related to
Spin-off
As of the
effective date of the Spin-off, we contributed certain long-term debt to
EchoStar. As such, we will no longer have an obligation for the
associated cash interest payments as detailed in the table
below.
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable
|
|
$ |
(130,967 |
) |
|
$ |
(31,497 |
) |
|
$ |
(27,893 |
) |
|
$ |
(23,920 |
) |
|
$ |
(19,556 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,725 |
) |
|
$ |
(13,376 |
) |
Total
|
|
$ |
(130,967 |
) |
|
$ |
(31,497 |
) |
|
$ |
(27,893 |
) |
|
$ |
(23,920 |
) |
|
$ |
(19,556 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,725 |
) |
|
$ |
(13,376 |
) |
Satellite-Related
Obligations
Satellites under
Construction. We have entered into contracts to construct new
satellites which are contractually scheduled to be completed within the next
three years, see “Item 1 – Business – Our Satellites.” Future
commitments related to these satellites are included in the table above under
“Satellite-related obligations” except where noted below.
|
·
|
During
2004, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XI which
is expected to be launched mid-year
2008.
|
|
·
|
During
2007, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XIV, an
SSL DBS satellite, which is expected to be completed during
2009.
|
In
addition to our satellite discussed below under Capital Lease Obligations, we
have also entered into a satellite service agreement to lease capacity on
another satellite, see “Item 1 – Business – Our Satellites.” Future
commitments related to this satellite are included in the table above under
“Satellite-related obligations.”
|
·
|
A
Canadian DBS satellite, Ciel 2, which is currently expected to be launched
in late 2008 and commence commercial operation at the 129 degree orbital
location. Our initial ten-year term lease for at least 50%
capacity on the satellite will be accounted for as a capital
lease.
|
In
certain circumstances the dates on which we are obligated to make these payments
could be delayed. These amounts will increase to the extent we
procure insurance for our satellites or contract for the construction, launch or
lease of additional satellites. Further, as of December 31, 2007, we
had not procured launches for these satellites. Our obligations will
increase as we procure launches for these satellites.
Capital
Lease Obligations
Anik F3. Anik F3,
an FSS satellite, was launched and commenced commercial operation during April
2007. We have leased all of the 32 Ku-band transponders on Anik F3
for a period of 15 years.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
In
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 13, “Accounting
for Leases” (“SFAS 13”), we have accounted for the satellite component of these
agreements as a capital lease (see Note 5 in the Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form
10-K). The commitment related to the present value of the net future
minimum lease payments for the satellite component of the agreement is included
under Capital Lease
Obligations in the table above. The commitment related to
future minimum payments designated for the lease of the orbital slots and other
executory costs is included under Satellite-Related Obligations
in the table above. The commitment related to the amount representing
interest is included under Interest on Long-Term Debt in
the table above.
Purchase
Obligations
Our 2008
purchase obligations primarily consist of binding purchase orders for receiver
systems and related equipment, and for products and services related to the
operation of our DISH Network. Our purchase obligations also include
certain guaranteed fixed contractual commitments to purchase programming
content. Our purchase obligations can fluctuate significantly from
period to period due to, among other things, management’s control of inventory
levels, and can materially impact our future operating asset and liability
balances, and our future working capital requirements.
Programming
Contracts
In the
normal course of business, we have entered into numerous contracts to purchase
programming content where our payment obligations are fully contingent on the
number of subscribers to whom we provide the respective
content. These programming commitments are not included in the table
above. The terms of our contracts typically range from one to ten
years with annual rate increases. Our programming expenses will
continue to increase to the extent we are successful growing our subscriber
base. Programming expenses are included in “Subscriber-related
expenses” in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and
comprehensive income (loss).
Satellite
insurance. We currently have no commercial insurance coverage
on the satellites we own. We do not use commercial insurance to
mitigate the potential financial impact of in-orbit failures because we believe
that the premium costs are uneconomic relative to the risk of satellite
failure. We believe we generally have in-orbit satellite capacity
sufficient to recover, in a relatively short time frame, transmission of most of
our critical programming in the event one of our in-orbit satellites
fails. We could not, however, recover certain local markets,
international and other niche programming. Further, programming
continuity cannot be assured in the event of multiple satellite
losses.
Future capital
requirements. We expect that our future working capital,
capital expenditure and debt service requirements will be satisfied primarily
from existing cash and investment balances and cash generated from
operations. Our ability to generate positive future operating and net
cash flows is dependent upon, among other things, our ability to retain existing
DISH Network subscribers. There can be no assurance we will be
successful in executing our business plan. The amount of capital
required to fund our future working capital and capital expenditure needs will
vary, depending on, among other things, the rate at which we acquire new
subscribers and the cost of subscriber acquisition and retention, including
capitalized costs associated with our new and existing subscriber equipment
lease programs. The amount of capital required will also depend on
the levels of investment necessary to support possible strategic initiatives
including our plans to expand our national and local HD offering. Our
capital expenditures will vary depending on the number of satellites leased or
under construction at any point in time. Our working capital and
capital expenditure requirements could increase materially in the event of,
among other things, increased competition for subscription television customers,
significant satellite failures, or general economic downturn. These
factors could require that we raise additional capital in the
future. There can be no assurance that we could raise all required
capital or that required capital would be available on acceptable
terms.
From time
to time we evaluate opportunities for strategic investments or acquisitions that
may complement our current services and products, enhance our technical
capabilities, improve or sustain our competitive position, or otherwise offer
growth opportunities. We may make investments in or partner with
others to expand our business into mobile and portable video, data and voice
services. Future material investments or acquisitions may require
that we obtain additional capital, assume third party debt or other long-term
obligations. Also, the plan to repurchase our Class A common stock
extends through December 31, 2008, which could require that we raise additional
capital. The maximum dollar value of shares that may still be
purchased under the plan is $1.0 billion. There can be no assurance
that we could raise all required capital or that required capital would be
available on acceptable terms.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Current
dislocations in the credit markets, which have significantly impacted the
availability and pricing of financing, particularly in the high yield debt and
leveraged credit markets, may significantly constrain our ability to obtain
financing to support our growth initiatives. These developments in
the credit markets may have a significant effect on our cost of financing and
our liquidity position and may, as a result, cause us to defer or abandon
profitable business strategies that we would otherwise pursue if financing were
available on acceptable terms.
Credit
Ratings
Our
current credit ratings are Ba3 and BB- on our long-term senior notes as rated by
Moody’s Investor Service (“Moody’s”) and Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”) Rating
Service, respectively. Debt ratings by the various rating agencies
reflect each agency’s opinion of the ability of issuers to repay debt
obligations as they come due.
With
respect to Moody’s, the Ba3 rating for our senior debt indicates that the
obligations are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to
substantial credit risk. For S&P’s, the BB- rating indicates the
issuer is less vulnerable to nonpayment of interest and principal obligations
than other speculative issues. However, the issuer faces major
ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its
financial commitment on the obligation.
Critical
Accounting Estimates
The
preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP
requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect
amounts reported therein. Management bases its estimates, judgments
and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that are
believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Due to the
inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in
future periods may be affected by changes in those estimates. The
following represent what we believe are the critical accounting policies that
may involve a high degree of estimation, judgment and complexity. For
a summary of our significant accounting policies, including those discussed
below, see Note 2 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item
15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
|
·
|
Capitalized
satellite receivers. Since we
retain ownership of certain equipment provided pursuant to our subscriber
equipment lease programs, we capitalize and depreciate equipment costs
that would otherwise be expensed at the time of sale. Such
capitalized costs are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the
equipment, which is based on, among other things, management’s judgment of
the risk of technological obsolescence. Because of the inherent
difficulty of making this estimate, the estimated useful life of
capitalized equipment may change based on, among other things, historical
experience and changes in technology as well as our response to
competitive conditions.
|
|
·
|
Accounting
for investments in private and publicly-traded securities. We hold
debt and equity interests in companies, some of which are publicly traded
and have highly volatile prices. We record an investment
impairment charge when we believe an investment has experienced a decline
in value that is judged to be other than temporary. We monitor
our investments for impairment by considering current factors including
economic environment, market conditions and the operational performance
and other specific factors relating to the business underlying the
investment. Future adverse changes in these factors could
result in losses or an inability to recover the carrying value of the
investments that may not be reflected in an investment’s current carrying
value, thereby possibly requiring an impairment charge in the
future.
|
|
·
|
Acquisition
of investments in non-marketable investment
securities. We calculate the fair value of our interest
in non-marketable investment securities either at consideration given, or
for non-cash acquisitions, based on the results of valuation analyses
utilizing a discounted cash flow or DCF model. The DCF
methodology involves the use of various estimates relating to future cash
flow projections and discount rates for which significant judgments are
required.
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
|
·
|
Valuation
of long-lived assets. We evaluate the carrying value of
long-lived assets to be held and used, other than goodwill and intangible
assets with indefinite lives, when events and circumstances warrant such a
review. We evaluate our satellite fleet for recoverability as
one asset group, see Note 2 in the Notes to the Consolidated
Financial Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form
10-K. The carrying value of a long-lived asset or asset group
is considered impaired when the anticipated undiscounted cash flow from
such asset or asset group is less than its carrying value. In
that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying
value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset or asset
group. Fair value is determined primarily using the estimated
cash flows associated with the asset or asset group under review,
discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk
involved. Losses on long-lived assets to be disposed of by sale
are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced
for estimated selling costs. Changes in estimates of future
cash flows could result in a write-down of the asset in a future
period.
|
|
·
|
Valuation
of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives. We
evaluate the carrying value of goodwill and intangible assets with
indefinite lives annually, and also when events and circumstances
warrant. We use estimates of fair value to determine the amount
of impairment, if any, of recorded goodwill and intangible assets with
indefinite lives. Fair value is determined primarily using the
estimated future cash flows, discounted at a rate commensurate with the
risk involved. Changes in our estimates of future cash flows
could result in a write-down of goodwill and intangible assets with
indefinite lives in a future period, which could be material to our
consolidated results of operations and financial
position.
|
|
·
|
Allowance
for doubtful accounts. Management
estimates the amount of required allowances for the potential
non-collectibility of accounts receivable based upon past collection
experience and consideration of other relevant
factors. However, past experience may not be indicative of
future collections and therefore additional charges could be incurred in
the future to reflect differences between estimated and actual
collections.
|
|
·
|
Inventory
reserve. Management estimates the amount of reserve
required for potential obsolete inventory based upon past experience, the
introduction of new technology and consideration of other relevant
factors. However, past experience may not be indicative of
future reserve requirements and therefore additional charges could be
incurred in the future to reflect differences between estimated and actual
reserve requirements.
|
|
·
|
Stock-
based compensation. We account for stock–based
compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions of
SFAS 123R. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which
requires the input of subjective assumptions. These assumptions
include, among other things, estimating the length of time employees will
retain their vested stock options before exercising them (expected term);
the estimated volatility of our common stock price over the expected term
(volatility), and the number of options that will ultimately not complete
their vesting requirements (forfeitures), see Note 2 in the Notes to the
Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form
10-K. Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the
estimate of fair value of stock-based
compensation.
|
|
·
|
Income
taxes. Our income tax policy is to record the estimated
future tax effects of temporary differences between the tax bases of
assets and liabilities and amounts reported in the accompanying
consolidated balance sheets, as well as operating loss and tax credit
carryforwards. We follow the guidelines set forth in Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”
(“SFAS 109”) regarding the recoverability of any tax assets recorded on
the balance sheet and provide any necessary valuation allowances as
required. Determining necessary valuation allowances requires
us to make assessments about the timing of future events, including the
probability of expected future taxable income and available tax planning
opportunities. In accordance with SFAS 109, we periodically
evaluate our need for a valuation allowance based on both historical
evidence, including trends, and future expectations in each reporting
period. Future performance could have a significant effect on
the realization of tax benefits, or reversals of valuation allowances, as
reported in our results of
operations.
|
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
|
·
|
Contingent
liabilities. A
significant amount of management judgment is required in determining when,
or if, an accrual should be recorded for a contingency and the amount of
such accrual. Estimates generally are developed in consultation
with outside counsel and are based on an analysis of potential
outcomes. Due to the uncertainty of determining the likelihood
of a future event occurring and the potential financial statement impact
of such an event, it is possible that upon further development or
resolution of a contingency matter, a charge could be recorded in a future
period that would be material to our consolidated results of operations
and financial position.
|
New
Accounting Pronouncements
Revised
Business Combinations
In
December 2007, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141R (revised 2007), “Business
Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”). SFAS 141R replaces SFAS 141 and
establishes principles and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and
measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, including
goodwill, the liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the
acquiree. SFAS 141R also establishes disclosure requirements to
enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the nature and financial
effects of the business combination. This statement is effective for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. We are currently
evaluating the impact the adoption of SFAS 141R will have on our financial
position and results of operations.
Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements
In
December 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS
160”). SFAS 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards for
ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent, the
amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the
noncontrolling interest, changes in a parent’s ownership interest and the
valuation of retained noncontrolling equity investments when a subsidiary is
deconsolidated. SFAS 160 also establishes reporting requirements that
provide sufficient disclosures that clearly identify and distinguish between the
interests of the parent and the interests of the noncontrolling
owners. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2008. We are currently evaluating the impact the
adoption of SFAS 160 will have on our financial position and results of
operations.
Fair
Value Measurements
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”) which defines fair value,
establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. This pronouncement applies to other accounting
standards that require or permit fair value
measurements. Accordingly, this statement does not require any new
fair value measurement. We are required to adopt this statement as of
January 1, 2008. We do not expect the adoption of SFAS 157 to have a
material impact on our financial position or our results of
operations.
The
Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”
(“SFAS 159”), which permits entities to choose to measure financial instruments
and certain other items at fair value. We are required to adopt this
statement as of January 1, 2008. We do not expect the adoption of
SFAS 159 to have a material impact on our financial position or our results of
operations.
Seasonality
Our
revenues vary throughout the year. As is typical in the subscription
television service industry, the first half of the year generally produces fewer
new subscribers than the second half of the year. Our operating
results in any period may be affected by the incurrence of advertising and
promotion expenses that do not necessarily produce commensurate revenues until
the impact of such advertising and promotion is realized in future
periods.
Item
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS -
Continued
|
Inflation
Inflation
has not materially affected our operations during the past three
years. We believe that our ability to increase the prices charged for
our products and services in future periods will depend primarily on competitive
pressures. We do not have any material backlog of our
products.
Item
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market
Risks Associated With Financial Instruments
As of
December 31, 2007, our restricted and unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and
marketable investment securities had a fair value of $2.961
billion. Of that amount, a total of $2.384 billion was invested
in: (a) cash; (b) debt instruments of the U.S. Government and its
agencies; (c) commercial paper and notes with an overall average maturity of
less than one year and rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at
least two nationally recognized statistical rating organizations; and (d)
instruments with similar risk characteristics to the commercial paper described
above. The primary purpose of these investing activities has been to
preserve principal until the cash is required to, among other things, fund
operations, make strategic investments and expand the
business. Consequently, the size of this portfolio fluctuates
significantly as cash is received and used in our business. In
connection with the Spin-off, we contributed $1.0 billion of our cash and cash
equivalents to EchoStar on January 1, 2008.
Our
restricted and unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and marketable investment
securities had an average annual return for the year ended December 31, 2007 of
5.7%. A hypothetical 10% decrease in interest rates would result in a
decrease of approximately $14 million in annual interest income. The
value of certain of the investments in this portfolio can be impacted by, among
other things, the risk of adverse changes in securities and economic markets, as
well as the risks related to the performance of the companies whose commercial
paper and other instruments we hold. However, the high quality of
these investments (as assessed by independent rating agencies) reduces these
risks. The value of these investments can also be impacted by
interest rate fluctuations.
At
December 31, 2007, all of the $2.384 billion was invested in fixed or variable
rate instruments or money market type accounts. While an increase in
interest rates would ordinarily adversely impact the fair value of fixed and
variable rate investments, we normally hold these investments to
maturity. Consequently, neither interest rate fluctuations nor other
market risks typically result in significant realized gains or losses to this
portfolio. A decrease in interest rates has the effect of reducing
our future annual interest income from this portfolio, since funds would be
re-invested at lower rates as the instruments mature.
Included
in our marketable investment securities portfolio balance is debt and equity of
public companies we hold for strategic and financial purposes. As of
December 31, 2007, we held strategic and financial debt and equity investments
of public companies with a fair value of $577 million. These
investments are highly speculative and are concentrated in a small number of
companies. During the same period, our strategic investments
experienced volatility, which is likely to continue. The fair value
of our strategic and financial debt and equity investments can be significantly
impacted by the risk of adverse changes in securities markets, as well as risks
related to the performance of the companies whose securities we have invested
in, risks associated with specific industries, and other
factors. These investments are subject to significant fluctuations in
fair value due to the volatility of the securities markets and of the underlying
businesses. A hypothetical 10% adverse change in the price of our
public strategic debt and equity investments would result in approximately a $58
million decrease in the fair value of that portfolio. The fair value
of our strategic debt investments are currently not materially impacted by
interest rate fluctuations due to the nature of these investments.
We
currently classify all marketable investment securities as
available-for-sale. We adjust the carrying value of our
available-for-sale securities to fair value and report the related temporary
unrealized gains and losses as a separate component of “Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)” within “Total stockholders’ equity (deficit),” net
of related deferred income tax. Declines in the fair value of a
marketable investment security which are estimated to be “other than temporary”
are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss), thus establishing a new cost basis for such
investment. We evaluate our marketable investment securities
portfolio on a quarterly basis to determine whether declines in the fair value
of these securities are other than temporary. This quarterly
evaluation consists of reviewing, among other things, the fair value of our
marketable investment securities compared to the carrying amount, the historical
volatility of the price of each security and any market and company specific
factors related to each security. Generally, absent specific factors
to the contrary, declines in the fair value of investments below cost basis for
a continuous period of less than six months are considered to be
temporary. Declines in the fair value of investments for a continuous
period of six to nine months are evaluated on a case by case basis to determine
whether any company or market-specific factors exist which would indicate that
such declines are other than temporary. Declines in the fair value of
investments below cost basis for a continuous period greater than nine months
are considered other than temporary and are recorded as charges to earnings,
absent specific factors to the contrary.
Item
7A.
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK –
Continued
|
As of
December 31, 2007, we had unrealized gains net of related tax effect of $30
million as a part of “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within
“Total stockholders’ equity (deficit).” During the year ended
December 31, 2007, we did not record any charge to earnings for other than
temporary declines in the fair value of our marketable investment
securities. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2007, we
recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss) realized and unrealized net gains on marketable investment
securities of $22 million. During the year ended December 31,
2007, our strategic investments have experienced and continue to experience
volatility. If the fair value of our strategic marketable investment
securities portfolio does not remain above cost basis or if we become aware of
any market or company specific factors that indicate that the carrying value of
certain of our securities is impaired, we may be required to record charges to
earnings in future periods equal to the amount of the decline in fair
value.
We also
have several strategic investments in certain equity securities which are
included in “Other noncurrent assets, net” on our Consolidated Balance
Sheets. Our other investment securities consist of the
following:
|
|
As
of
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
Other
Investment Securities
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Cost
method
|
|
$ |
108,355 |
|
Equity
method
|
|
|
68,127 |
|
Fair
value method
|
|
|
11,404 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
187,886 |
|
Generally,
we account for our unconsolidated equity investments under either the equity
method or cost method of accounting. Because these equity securities
are generally not publicly traded, it is not practical to regularly estimate the
fair value of the investments; however, these investments are subject to an
evaluation for other than temporary impairment on a quarterly
basis. This quarterly evaluation consists of reviewing, among other
things, company business plans and current financial statements, if available,
for factors that may indicate an impairment of our investment. Such
factors may include, but are not limited to, cash flow concerns, material
litigation, violations of debt covenants and changes in business
strategy. The fair value of these equity investments is not estimated
unless there are identified changes in circumstances that may indicate an
impairment exists and these changes are likely to have a significant adverse
effect on the fair value of the investment.
We also
have a strategic investment in non-public preferred stock, public common stock
and convertible debt of a foreign public company. The debt which is
convertible into the issuer’s publicly traded common shares is accounted for
under the fair value method with changes in fair value reported each period as
unrealized gains or losses in “Other” income or expense in our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). We estimate
the fair value of the convertible debt using certain assumptions and judgments
in applying a discounted cash flow analysis and the Black-Scholes option pricing
model including the fair market value of the underlying common stock price as of
that date. During 2006, we converted a portion of the convertible
debt to public common shares and determined that we have the ability to
significantly influence the operating decisions of the
issuer. Consequently, we account for the common share component of
this investment under the equity method of accounting. As a result of
our change to equity method accounting, we evaluate the common share component
of this investment on a quarterly basis to determine whether there has been a
decline in the value that is other than temporary. Because the shares
are publicly traded, this quarterly evaluation considers the fair market value
of the common shares in addition to the other factors described above for equity
and cost method investments.
Item
7A. UANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK – Continued
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, we recognized unrealized net losses on our
other investment security of $11 million accounted for under the fair value
method of accounting. In addition, during the year ended December 31,
2007, we recorded aggregate charges to earnings for other than temporary
declines in the fair value of certain of our other investment securities of $56
million, and established a new cost basis for these securities. Any
“Cumulative translation adjustment” associated with these investments will
remain in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within “Total
stockholders’ equity (deficit)” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets until the
investments are sold or otherwise liquidated; at which time, they will be
released into our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss).
Our
ability to realize value from our strategic investments in companies that are
not publicly traded is dependent on the success of their business and their
ability to obtain sufficient capital to execute their business
plans. Because private markets are not as liquid as public markets,
there is also increased risk that we will not be able to sell these investments,
or that when we desire to sell them we will not be able to obtain fair value for
them.
As of
December 31, 2007, we had fixed-rate debt, mortgages and other notes payable of
$5.562 billion on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We estimated the
fair value of this debt to be approximately $5.589 billion using quoted market
prices for our publicly traded debt, which constitutes approximately 90% of our
debt, and an analysis based on certain assumptions discussed below for our
private debt. In completing our analysis for our private debt, we
evaluate market conditions, related securities, various public and private
offerings, and other publicly available information. In performing
this analysis, we make various assumptions regarding credit spreads, volatility,
and the impact of these factors on the value of the notes. The fair
value of our debt is affected by fluctuations in interest rates. A
hypothetical 10% decrease in assumed interest rates would increase the fair
value of our debt by approximately $149 million. To the extent
interest rates increase, our costs of financing would increase at such time as
we are required to refinance our debt. As of December 31, 2007, a
hypothetical 10% increase in assumed interest rates would increase our annual
interest expense by approximately $35 million.
In
general, we do not use derivative financial instruments for hedging or
speculative purposes, but we may do so in the future.
Item
8.
|
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
DATA
|
Our
Consolidated Financial Statements are included in this report beginning on page
F-1.
Item
9.
|
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING
AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
|
Not
applicable.
Under the
supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of
our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this
report. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
There has
been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in
Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) during our most recent
fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting
is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles.
Our
internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures
that:
|
(i)
|
pertain
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and
fairly reflect our transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
|
|
(ii)
|
provide
reasonable assurance that our transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of our financial statements in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and
expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our
management and our directors; and
|
|
(iii)
|
provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of our assets that could
have a material effect on our financial
statements.
|
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation
of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may
become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our
management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control
over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our
internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31,
2007.
The
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December
31, 2007 has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public
accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included
herein.
Item
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board
of Directors and Stockholders
DISH
Network Corporation:
We have
audited DISH Network Corporation’s (formerly EchoStar Communications
Corporation) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007,
based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
DISH Network Corporation's management is responsible for maintaining effective
internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over
financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and
testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal
control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such
other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe
that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A
company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal
control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1)
pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company;
(2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial
statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation
of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may
become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our
opinion, DISH Network Corporation (formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation)
maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal
Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
We also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of DISH Network
Corporation (formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation) as of December 31,
2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of operations,
stockholders’ equity and comprehensive income, and cash flows for each of the
years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2007, and our report dated
February 26, 2008 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated
financial statements.
KPMG
LLP
Denver,
Colorado
February
26, 2008
PART
III
Item
10.
|
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE
GOVERANCE
|
The
information required by this Item with respect to the identity and business
experience of our directors will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for the
2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the caption “Election of Directors,”
which information is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The
information required by this Item with respect to the identity and business
experience of our executive officers is set forth on page 18 of this report
under the caption “Executive Officers.”
The
information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for
the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the caption “Executive
Compensation and Other Information,” which information is hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
Item
12.
|
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
|
The
information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for
the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the captions “Election of
Directors,” “Equity Security Ownership” and “Equity Compensation Plan
Information,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
Item
13.
|
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE
|
The
information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for
the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the caption “Certain Relationships
and Related Transactions,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
Item
14.
|
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND
SERVICES
|
The
information required by this Item will be set forth in our Proxy Statement for
the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders under the caption “Principal Accountant
Fees and Services,” which information is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
PART
IV
Item
15.
|
EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT
SCHEDULES
|
(a)
|
The
following documents are filed as part of this report:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
Financial
Statements
|
Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Report
of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
F-2
|
|
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets at December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
F-3
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years
ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
|
F-4
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years
ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005
|
F-6
|
|
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
F-7
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
Financial
Statement Schedules
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
None. All
schedules have been included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or
Notes thereto.
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
Exhibits
|
|
3.1(a)*
|
|
Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation of DISH Network (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 3.1(a) on the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH
Network for the quarter ended June 30, 2003, Commission File No. 0-26176)
as amended by the Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of
Incorporation of DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Annex 1 on the
Definitive Information Statement on Schedule 14C filed on December 31,
2007, Commission File No. 0-26176).
|
|
|
|
3.1(b)*
|
|
Amended
and Restated Bylaws of DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
3.1(b) on the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the
quarter ended June 30, 2003, Commission File No.
0-26176).
|
|
|
|
3.2(a)*
|
|
Articles
of Incorporation of EDBS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4(a) to
the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of EDBS, Registration No.
333-31929).
|
|
|
|
3.2(b)*
|
|
Bylaws
of EDBS (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4(b) to the Registration
Statement on Form S-4 of EDBS, Registration No.
333-31929).
|
|
|
|
4.1*
|
|
Registration
Rights Agreement by and between DISH Network and Charles W. Ergen
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to the Registration Statement on
Form S-1 of DISH Network, Registration No. 33-91276).
|
|
|
|
4.2*
|
|
Indenture,
relating to the 5 3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes Due 2008, dated as
of May 31, 2001 between DISH Network and U.S. Bank Trust National
Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended June
30, 2001, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.3*
|
|
Indenture,
relating to EDBS 5 3/4% Senior Notes due 2008, dated as of October 2,
2003, between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, Commission
File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.4*
|
|
Indenture,
relating to EDBS 6 3/8% Senior Notes due 2011, dated as of October 2,
2003, between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended September 30, 2003, Commission
File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.5*
|
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the
quarter ended September 30, 2003, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.6*
|
|
First
Supplemental Indenture, relating to the 5 3/4% Senior Notes Due 2008,
dated as of December 31, 2003 between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National
Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.13 to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended December 31,
2003, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.7*
|
|
First
Supplemental Indenture, relating to the 6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2011,
dated as of December 31, 2003 between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National
Association, as Trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.14 to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended December 31,
2003, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
4.8*
|
|
Indenture,
relating to the 7 1/8% Senior Notes Due 2016, dated as of February 2, 2006
between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form
8-K of DISH Network filed February 3, 2006, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
4.9*
|
|
Indenture,
relating to the 7% Senior Notes Due 2013, dated as of October 18, 2006
between EDBS and U.S. Bank Trust National Association, as Trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form
8-K of DISH Network filed October 18, 2006, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.1*
|
|
Form
of Satellite Launch Insurance Declarations (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.10 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Dish Ltd.,
Registration No. 33-81234).
|
|
|
|
10.2*
|
|
EchoStar
1995 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to
the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of DISH Network, Registration No.
33-91276).**
|
|
|
|
10.3*
|
|
Amended
and Restated DISH Network 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit A to DISH Network’s Definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A dated August 24, 2005).**
|
|
|
|
10.4*
|
|
1995
Non-employee Director Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 of DISH Network,
Registration No. 333-05575).**
|
|
|
|
10.5*
|
|
Amended
and Restated 2001 Non-employee Director Stock Option Plan (incorporated by
reference to Appendix A to DISH Network’s Definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A dated April 7, 2006).**
|
|
|
|
10.6*
|
|
2002
Class B CEO Stock Option Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to
DISH Network’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated April 9,
2002).**
|
|
|
|
10.7*
|
|
License
and OEM Manufacturing Agreement, dated July 1, 2002, between EchoStar
Satellite Corporation, EchoStar Technologies Corporation and Thomson
multimedia, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
September 30, 2002, Commission File No. 0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.8*
|
|
Amendment
No. 19 to License and OEM Manufacturing Agreement, dated July 1, 2002,
between EchoStar Satellite Corporation, EchoStar Technologies Corporation
and Thomson multimedia, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.57
to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended
December 31, 2002, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.9*
|
|
Satellite
Service Agreement, dated as of March 21, 2003, between SES Americom, Inc.,
EchoStar Satellite Corporation and DISH Network (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for
the quarter ended March 31, 2003, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.10*
|
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Satellite Service Agreement dated March 31, 2003 between SES
Americom Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
September 30, 2003, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.11*
|
|
Satellite
Service Agreement dated as of August 13, 2003 between SES Americom Inc.
and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
September 30, 2003, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.12*
|
|
Satellite
Service Agreement, dated February 19, 2004, between SES Americom, Inc. and
DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended March 31, 2004,
Commission File No.0-26176).
|
10.13*
|
|
Amendment
No. 1 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated March 10, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
March 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.14*
|
|
Amendment
No. 3 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated February 19, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
March 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.15*
|
|
Whole
RF Channel Service Agreement, dated February 4, 2004, between Telesat
Canada and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended March
31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.16*
|
|
Letter
Amendment to Whole RF Channel Service Agreement, dated March 25, 2004,
between Telesat Canada and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the
quarter ended March 31, 2004, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.17*
|
|
Amendment
No. 2 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated April 30, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
June 30, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.18*
|
|
Second
Amendment to Whole RF Channel Service Agreement, dated May 5, 2004,
between Telesat Canada and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the
quarter ended June 30, 2004, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.19*
|
|
Third
Amendment to Whole RF Channel Service Agreement, dated October 12, 2004,
between Telesat Canada and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.22 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the
year ended December 31, 2004, Commission File
No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.20*
|
|
Amendment
No. 4 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated October 21, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.23 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended
December 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.21*
|
|
Amendment
No. 3 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated November 19, 2004 between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.24 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended
December 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.22*
|
|
Amendment
No. 5 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated November 19, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.25 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended
December 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.23*
|
|
Amendment
No. 6 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated December 20, 2004, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.26 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of DISH Network for the year ended
December 31, 2004, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.24*
|
|
Description
of the 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan dated January 26, 2005 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH
Network for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, Commission File
No.0-26176).**
|
10.25*
|
|
Description
of the 2005 Cash Incentive Plan dated January 22, 2005 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH
Network for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, Commission File
No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.26*
|
|
Settlement
Agreement and Release effective February 25, 2005 between EchoStar
Satellite L.L.C., EchoStar DBS Corporation and the insurance carriers for
the EchoStar IV satellite (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to
the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
March 31, 2005, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.27*
|
|
Amendment
No. 4 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated April 6, 2005, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
June 30, 2005, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.28*
|
|
Amendment
No. 5 to Satellite Service Agreement, dated June 20, 2005, between SES
Americom, Inc. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
June 30, 2005, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.29*
|
|
Incentive
Stock Option Agreement (Form A) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network filed July 7, 2005,
Commission File No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.30*
|
|
Incentive
Stock Option Agreement (Form B) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network filed July 7, 2005,
Commission File No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.31*
|
|
Restricted
Stock Unit Agreement (Form A) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network filed July 7, 2005,
Commission File No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.32*
|
|
Restricted
Stock Unit Agreement (Form B) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network filed July 7, 2005,
Commission File No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.33*
|
|
Incentive
Stock Option Agreement (1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH
Network filed July 7, 2005, Commission File
No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.34*
|
|
Nonemployee
Director Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.6
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH Network filed July 7, 2005,
Commission File No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.35*
|
|
Nonqualifying
Stock Option Agreement (2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.7 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH
Network filed July 7, 2005, Commission File
No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.36*
|
|
Restricted
Stock Unit Agreement (2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.8 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of DISH
Network filed July 7, 2005, Commission File
No.0-26176).**
|
|
|
|
10.37*
|
|
Description
of the 2006 Cash Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of DISH Network for the quarter ended
March 31, 2006, Commission File No.0-26176).
|
|
|
|
10.38*
|
|
Separation
Agreement between EchoStar and DISH Network (incorporated by reference
from Exhibit 2.1 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
|
|
|
10.39*
|
|
Transition
Services Agreement between EchoStar and DISH Network (incorporated by
reference from Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
|
|
|
10.40*
|
|
Tax
Sharing Agreement between EchoStar and DISH Network (incorporated by
reference from Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
10.41*
|
|
Employee
Matters Agreement between EchoStar and DISH Network (incorporated by
reference from Exhibit 10.3 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
|
|
|
10.42*
|
|
Intellectual
Property Matters Agreement between EchoStar, EchoStar Acquisition L.L.C.,
Echosphere L.L.C., EchoStar DBS Corporation, EIC Spain SL, EchoStar
Technologies L.L.C. and DISH Network (incorporated by reference from
Exhibit 10.4 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
|
|
|
10.43*
|
|
Management
Services Agreement between EchoStar and DISH Network (incorporated by
reference from Exhibit 10.5 to the Form 10 (File No. 001-33807) of
EchoStar).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subsidiaries
of DISH Network Corporation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consent
of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Powers
of Attorney authorizing signature of James DeFranco,
Cantey Ergen, Steven R. Goodbarn, Gary Howard,
David K. Moskowitz, Tom A. Ortolf and
Carl E. Vogel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Section
302 Certification by Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Section
302 Certification by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Section
906 Certification by Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Section
906 Certification by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer.
|
_____________
Filed
herewith.
* Incorporated
by reference.
** Constitutes
a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
DISH
NETWORK CORPORATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Bernard L. Han
|
|
|
|
Bernard L Han
|
|
|
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
Date: March
3, 2008
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
|
Page
|
Consolidated
Financial Statements:
|
|
|
Report
of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
|
F–2
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets at December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
|
F–3
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years
ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
|
|
F–4
|
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the years
ended December 31, 2005, 2006 and 2007
|
|
F–5
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005
|
|
F–6
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
|
F–7
|
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The Board
of Directors and Stockholders
DISH
Network Corporation:
We have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of DISH Network Corporation
and subsidiaries (formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation) as of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of
operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ equity
(deficit), and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2007. These consolidated financial statements are
the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express
an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our
audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis
for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of DISH Network Corporation and
subsidiaries (formerly EchoStar Communications Corporation) as of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the results of their operations and their
cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended
December 31, 2007, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles.
As
discussed in note 2 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements,
effective January 1, 2007, the Company adopted Financial Accounting
Standards Board (FASB) Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes. As discussed in note 2 to the accompanying
consolidated financial statements, during the fourth quarter of 2006, the
Company adopted Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin
(SAB) No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior
Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in the Current Year Financial
Statements. In accordance with the transition provisions of
SAB No. 108, the Company recorded a cumulative increase, net of tax, to
accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2006. As discussed in
note 3 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, effective
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 123(R), Share-Based
Payment.
We also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), DISH Network Corporation’s (formerly EchoStar
Communications Corporation) internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal Control –
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated February 26, 2008 expressed an
unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting.
KPMG
LLP
Denver,
Colorado
February
26, 2008
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
|
$ |
1,180,818 |
|
|
$ |
1,923,105 |
|
Marketable
investment securities
|
|
|
1,607,378 |
|
|
|
1,109,465 |
|
Trade
accounts receivable, net of allowance for uncollectible accounts of
$14,019 and $15,006, respectively
|
|
|
699,101 |
|
|
|
665,149 |
|
Inventories,
net
|
|
|
306,915 |
|
|
|
237,507 |
|
Current
deferred tax assets (Note 6)
|
|
|
342,813 |
|
|
|
548,766 |
|
Other
current assets
|
|
|
108,113 |
|
|
|
115,549 |
|
Total
current assets
|
|
|
4,245,138 |
|
|
|
4,599,541 |
|
Restricted
cash and marketable investment securities
|
|
|
172,520 |
|
|
|
172,941 |
|
Property
and equipment, net (Note 4)
|
|
|
4,058,189 |
|
|
|
3,765,596 |
|
FCC
authorizations
|
|
|
845,564 |
|
|
|
748,101 |
|
Intangible
assets, net (Note 2)
|
|
|
218,875 |
|
|
|
194,503 |
|
Goodwill
(Note 2)
|
|
|
256,917 |
|
|
|
3,360 |
|
Other
noncurrent assets, net (Note 2)
|
|
|
289,326 |
|
|
|
284,654 |
|
Total
assets
|
|
$ |
10,086,529 |
|
|
$ |
9,768,696 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade
accounts payable
|
|
$ |
314,825 |
|
|
$ |
283,471 |
|
Deferred
revenue and other
|
|
|
857,846 |
|
|
|
819,899 |
|
Accrued
programming
|
|
|
914,074 |
|
|
|
913,687 |
|
Other
accrued expenses
|
|
|
587,942 |
|
|
|
535,953 |
|
Current
portion of capital lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable
(Note 5)
|
|
|
50,454 |
|
|
|
38,464 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 (Note 5)
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
5
3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2008 (Note 5)
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
|
4,225,141 |
|
|
|
3,591,474 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long-term
obligations, net of current portion:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
6
3/8% Senior Notes due 2011
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
6
5/8% Senior Notes due 2014
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
7
1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
7%
Senior Notes due 2013
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable, net of current
portion (Note 5)
|
|
|
550,250 |
|
|
|
403,857 |
|
Deferred
tax liabilities
|
|
|
386,493 |
|
|
|
192,617 |
|
Long-term
deferred revenue, distribution and carriage payments and other long-term
liabilities
|
|
|
259,656 |
|
|
|
275,131 |
|
Total
long-term obligations, net of current portion
|
|
|
5,221,399 |
|
|
|
6,396,605 |
|
Total
liabilities
|
|
|
9,446,540 |
|
|
|
9,988,079 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments
and Contingencies (Note 9)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders'
Equity (Deficit):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class
A common stock, $.01 par value, 1,600,000,000 shares authorized,
255,138,160 and 252,481,907 shares issued, 210,125,360 and 207,469,107
shares outstanding, respectively
|
|
|
2,551 |
|
|
|
2,525 |
|
Class
B common stock, $.01 par value, 800,000,000 shares authorized, 238,435,208
shares issued and outstanding
|
|
|
2,384 |
|
|
|
2,384 |
|
Class
C common stock, $.01 par value, 800,000,000 shares authorized, none issued
and outstanding
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
|
2,033,865 |
|
|
|
1,927,897 |
|
Accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss)
|
|
|
46,698 |
|
|
|
49,874 |
|
Accumulated
earnings (deficit)
|
|
|
(84,456 |
) |
|
|
(841,010 |
) |
Treasury
stock, at cost
|
|
|
(1,361,053 |
) |
|
|
(1,361,053 |
) |
Total
stockholders' equity (deficit)
|
|
|
639,989 |
|
|
|
(219,383 |
) |
Total
liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit)
|
|
$ |
10,086,529 |
|
|
$ |
9,768,696 |
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(Dollars in thousands, except per share
amounts)
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
revenue
|
|
$ |
10,690,976 |
|
|
$ |
9,422,274 |
|
|
$ |
8,027,664 |
|
Equipment
sales
|
|
|
362,185 |
|
|
|
362,098 |
|
|
|
367,968 |
|
Other
|
|
|
37,214 |
|
|
|
34,114 |
|
|
|
51,543 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
11,090,375 |
|
|
|
9,818,486 |
|
|
|
8,447,175 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs
and Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subscriber-related
expenses (exclusive of depreciation shown below - Note 4)
|
|
|
5,496,579 |
|
|
|
4,807,872 |
|
|
|
4,095,986 |
|
Satellite
and transmission expenses (exclusive of depreciation shown below - Note
4)
|
|
|
180,687 |
|
|
|
147,450 |
|
|
|
134,545 |
|
Cost
of sales - equipment
|
|
|
270,389 |
|
|
|
282,420 |
|
|
|
271,697 |
|
Cost
of sales - other
|
|
|
11,333 |
|
|
|
7,260 |
|
|
|
23,339 |
|
Subscriber
acquisition costs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of sales - subscriber promotion subsidies (exclusive of depreciation shown
below - Note 4)
|
|
|
123,730 |
|
|
|
134,112 |
|
|
|
124,455 |
|
Other
subscriber promotion subsidies
|
|
|
1,219,943 |
|
|
|
1,246,836 |
|
|
|
1,180,516 |
|
Subscriber
acquisition advertising
|
|
|
226,742 |
|
|
|
215,355 |
|
|
|
187,610 |
|
Total
subscriber acquisition costs
|
|
|
1,570,415 |
|
|
|
1,596,303 |
|
|
|
1,492,581 |
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
624,251 |
|
|
|
551,547 |
|
|
|
456,206 |
|
Litigation
expense (Note 9)
|
|
|
33,907 |
|
|
|
93,969 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Depreciation
and amortization (Note 4)
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,516,971 |
|
|
|
8,601,115 |
|
|
|
7,279,927 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
1,573,404 |
|
|
|
1,217,371 |
|
|
|
1,167,248 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Income (Expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
137,872 |
|
|
|
126,401 |
|
|
|
43,518 |
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(405,319 |
) |
|
|
(458,150 |
) |
|
|
(373,844 |
) |
Gain
on insurance settlement
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
134,000 |
|
Other
|
|
|
(55,804 |
) |
|
|
37,393 |
|
|
|
36,169 |
|
Total
other income (expense)
|
|
|
(323,251 |
) |
|
|
(294,356 |
) |
|
|
(160,157 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
(loss) before income taxes
|
|
|
1,250,153 |
|
|
|
923,015 |
|
|
|
1,007,091 |
|
Income
tax (provision) benefit, net (Note 6)
|
|
|
(494,099 |
) |
|
|
(314,743 |
) |
|
|
507,449 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Foreign
currency translation adjustments
|
|
|
8,793 |
|
|
|
7,355 |
|
|
|
(927 |
) |
Unrealized
holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities
|
|
|
(12,655 |
) |
|
|
61,928 |
|
|
|
(10,327 |
) |
Recognition
of previously unrealized (gains) losses on available-for-sale securities
included in net income (loss)
|
|
|
(4,944 |
) |
|
|
(34 |
) |
|
|
(36,346 |
) |
Deferred
income tax (expense) benefit attributable to unrealized holding gains
(losses) on available-for-sale securities
|
|
|
5,630 |
|
|
|
(23,405 |
) |
|
|
(1,788 |
) |
Comprehensive
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
752,878 |
|
|
$ |
654,116 |
|
|
$ |
1,465,152 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator
for basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
net income (loss) available to common stockholders
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
Diluted
net income (loss) available to common stockholders (Note
2)
|
|
$ |
765,571 |
|
|
$ |
618,106 |
|
|
$ |
1,560,688 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator
for basic net income (loss) per share - weighted-average common shares
outstanding
|
|
|
447,302 |
|
|
|
444,743 |
|
|
|
452,118 |
|
Denominator
for diluted net income (loss) per share - weighted-average common shares
outstanding
|
|
|
456,834 |
|
|
|
452,685 |
|
|
|
484,131 |
|
Net
income (loss) per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1.69 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
Diluted
net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1.68 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.22 |
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Dollars in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deficit
and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class
A and B Common Stock
|
|
|
Paid-In
|
|
|
Comprehensive
|
|
|
Treasury
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issued
|
|
|
Treasury
|
|
|
Outstanding
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Capital
|
|
|
Income
(Loss)
|
|
|
Stock
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Balance,
December 31, 2004
|
|
|
487,464 |
|
|
|
(31,794 |
) |
|
|
455,670 |
|
|
$ |
4,874 |
|
|
$ |
1,764,973 |
|
|
$ |
(2,848,059 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,000,000 |
) |
|
$ |
(2,078,212 |
) |
Issuance
of Class A common stock:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercise
of stock options
|
|
|
927 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
927 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
7,631 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
7,641 |
|
Employee
benefits
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
393 |
|
|
|
393 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(81 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
13,136 |
|
|
|
13,055 |
|
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan
|
|
|
97 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
97 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2,397 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,398 |
|
Class
A common stock repurchases, at cost
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(13,183 |
) |
|
|
(13,183 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(362,512 |
) |
|
|
(362,512 |
) |
Deferred
stock-based compensation recognized
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
302 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
302 |
|
Change
in unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities,
net
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(46,673 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(46,673 |
) |
Foreign
currency translation
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(927 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(927 |
) |
Reversal
of valuation allowance associated with stock-based compensation tax
benefits
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
85,471 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
85,471 |
|
Deferred
income tax (expense) benefit attributable to unrealized holding gains
(losses) on available-for-sale securities
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(1,788 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(1,788 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
81 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
81 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,514,540 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,514,540 |
|
Balance,
December 31, 2005
|
|
|
488,488 |
|
|
|
(44,584 |
) |
|
|
443,904 |
|
|
$ |
4,885 |
|
|
$ |
1,860,774 |
|
|
$ |
(1,382,907 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,349,376 |
) |
|
$ |
(866,624 |
) |
SAB
108 adjustments, net of tax of $37.4 million
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(62,345 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(62,345 |
) |
Issuance
of Class A common stock:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercise
of stock options
|
|
|
1,520 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,520 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
21,475 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
21,490 |
|
Employee
benefits
|
|
|
820 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
820 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
22,094 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
22,102 |
|
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan
|
|
|
89 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
89 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2,466 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,467 |
|
Class
A common stock repurchases, at cost
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(429 |
) |
|
|
(429 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(11,677 |
) |
|
|
(11,677 |
) |
Stock-based
compensation, net of tax
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
20,430 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
20,430 |
|
Change
in unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities,
net
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
61,894 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
61,894 |
|
Foreign
currency translation
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
7,355 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
7,355 |
|
Deferred
income tax (expense) benefit attributable to unrealized holding gains
(losses) on available-for-sale securities
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(23,405 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(23,405 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
658 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
658 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
608,272 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
608,272 |
|
Balance,
December 31, 2006
|
|
|
490,917 |
|
|
|
(45,013 |
) |
|
|
445,904 |
|
|
$ |
4,909 |
|
|
$ |
1,927,897 |
|
|
$ |
(791,136 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,361,053 |
) |
|
$ |
(219,383 |
) |
Issuance
of Class A common stock:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercise
of stock options
|
|
|
2,111 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,111 |
|
|
|
21 |
|
|
|
51,790 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
51,811 |
|
Employee
benefits
|
|
|
466 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
466 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
17,669 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
17,674 |
|
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2,877 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,878 |
|
Stock-based
compensation, net of tax
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
33,631 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
33,631 |
|
Change
in unrealized holding gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities,
net
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(11,253 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(11,253 |
) |
Foreign
currency translation
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,447 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,447 |
|
Deferred
income tax (expense) benefit attributable to unrealized holding gains
(losses) on available-for-sale securities
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
5,630 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
5,630 |
|
Other
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
500 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
500 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
756,054 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
756,054 |
|
Balance,
December 31, 2007
|
|
|
493,574 |
|
|
|
(45,013 |
) |
|
|
448,561 |
|
|
$ |
4,936 |
|
|
$ |
2,033,864 |
|
|
$ |
(37,758 |
) |
|
$ |
(1,361,053 |
) |
|
$ |
639,989 |
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in
thousands)
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
Cash
Flows From Operating Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating
activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
Equity
in losses (earnings) of affiliates
|
|
|
5,866 |
|
|
|
4,749 |
|
|
|
(1,579 |
) |
Realized
and unrealized losses (gains) on investments
|
|
|
45,620 |
|
|
|
(53,543 |
) |
|
|
(42,813 |
) |
Gain
on insurance settlement
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(134,000 |
) |
Non-cash,
stock-based compensation recognized
|
|
|
23,016 |
|
|
|
17,645 |
|
|
|
302 |
|
Deferred
tax expense (benefit) (Note 6)
|
|
|
398,931 |
|
|
|
259,396 |
|
|
|
(539,885 |
) |
Other,
net
|
|
|
7,529 |
|
|
|
5,693 |
|
|
|
10,387 |
|
Change
in noncurrent assets
|
|
|
2,657 |
|
|
|
54,462 |
|
|
|
21,756 |
|
Change
in long-term deferred revenue, distribution and carriage payments and
other long-term liabilities.
|
|
|
(15,475 |
) |
|
|
26,018 |
|
|
|
(49,112 |
) |
Changes
in current assets and current liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade
accounts receivable
|
|
|
(25,764 |
) |
|
|
(190,218 |
) |
|
|
(5,653 |
) |
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
|
|
(987 |
) |
|
|
3,483 |
|
|
|
1,981 |
|
Inventories
|
|
|
(88,364 |
) |
|
|
16,743 |
|
|
|
71,988 |
|
Other
current assets
|
|
|
13,784 |
|
|
|
5,700 |
|
|
|
(20,052 |
) |
Trade
accounts payable
|
|
|
32,019 |
|
|
|
47,182 |
|
|
|
(7,426 |
) |
Deferred
revenue and other
|
|
|
25,473 |
|
|
|
54,082 |
|
|
|
(2,961 |
) |
Accrued
programming and other accrued expenses
|
|
|
106,952 |
|
|
|
305,284 |
|
|
|
151,028 |
|
Net
cash flows from operating activities
|
|
|
2,616,721 |
|
|
|
2,279,242 |
|
|
|
1,774,074 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Flows From Investing Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases
of marketable investment securities
|
|
|
(3,103,809 |
) |
|
|
(2,046,882 |
) |
|
|
(676,478 |
) |
Sales
and maturities of marketable investment securities
|
|
|
2,616,142 |
|
|
|
1,474,662 |
|
|
|
552,521 |
|
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
|
|
(1,444,522 |
) |
|
|
(1,396,318 |
) |
|
|
(1,506,394 |
) |
Proceeds
from insurance settlement
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
240,000 |
|
Change
in restricted cash and marketable investment securities
|
|
|
2,267 |
|
|
|
(1,243 |
) |
|
|
(16,728 |
) |
FCC
auction deposits
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,555 |
|
FCC
authorizations
|
|
|
(97,463 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(8,961 |
) |
Purchase
of technology-based intangibles
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(25,500 |
) |
Investment
in Sling Media, net of in-process research and development and cash
acquired (Note 2)
|
|
|
(319,928 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Purchase
of strategic investments included in noncurrent assets and
other
|
|
|
(71,903 |
) |
|
|
(27,572 |
) |
|
|
(19,822 |
) |
Proceeds
from sale of strategic investment included in noncurrent
assets
|
|
|
33,474 |
|
|
|
9,682 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Other
|
|
|
2,750 |
|
|
|
(6,282 |
) |
|
|
(535 |
) |
Net
cash flows from investing activities
|
|
|
(2,382,992 |
) |
|
|
(1,993,953 |
) |
|
|
(1,460,342 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Flows From Financing Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds
from issuance of 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Proceeds
from issuance of 7% Senior Notes due 2013
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Redemption
of 5 3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2008
|
|
|
(999,985 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Redemption
of Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2008
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(500,000 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Redemption
and repurchases of 9 1/8% Senior Notes due 2009,
respectively
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(441,964 |
) |
|
|
(4,189 |
) |
Class
A common stock repurchases (Note 7)
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(11,677 |
) |
|
|
(362,512 |
) |
Deferred
debt issuance costs
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(14,210 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Repayment
of capital lease obligations, mortgages and other notes
payable
|
|
|
(43,723 |
) |
|
|
(41,015 |
) |
|
|
(45,961 |
) |
Net
proceeds from Class A common stock options exercised and Class A common
stock issued under Employee Stock Purchase Plan
|
|
|
54,674 |
|
|
|
23,957 |
|
|
|
10,039 |
|
Excess
tax benefits recognized on stock option exercises
|
|
|
13,018 |
|
|
|
7,056 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Net
cash flows from financing activities
|
|
|
(976,016 |
) |
|
|
1,022,147 |
|
|
|
(402,623 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
(742,287 |
) |
|
|
1,307,436 |
|
|
|
(88,891 |
) |
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning of period
|
|
|
1,923,105 |
|
|
|
615,669 |
|
|
|
704,560 |
|
Cash
and cash equivalents, end of period
|
|
$ |
1,180,818 |
|
|
$ |
1,923,105 |
|
|
$ |
615,669 |
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
DISH NETWORK CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
1. Organization
and Business Activities
Principal
Business
DISH
Network Corporation, formerly known as EchoStar Communications Corporation, is a
holding company. As of December 31, 2007, its subsidiaries (which
together with DISH Network Corporation are referred to as “DISH Network,” the
“Company,” “we,” “us” and/or “our”) operated two interrelated business
units:
|
·
|
The DISH Network –
which provides a direct broadcast satellite (“DBS”) subscription
television service in the United States;
and
|
|
·
|
EchoStar Technologies
Corporation (“ETC”) – which designs and develops DBS receivers,
antennae and other digital equipment for the DISH Network. We
refer to this equipment collectively as “receiver systems.” ETC
also designs, develops and distributes similar equipment for international
customers.
|
We have
deployed substantial resources to develop the “DISH Network DBS
System.” The DISH Network DBS System consists of our Federal
Communications Commission (“FCC”) authorized DBS and Fixed Satellite Service
(“FSS”) spectrum, our owned and leased satellites, receiver systems, digital
broadcast operations centers, customer service facilities, in-home service and
call center operations and certain other assets utilized in our
operations. Our principal business strategy is to continue developing
our subscription television service in the United States to provide consumers
with a fully competitive alternative to others in the multi-channel video
programming distribution (“MVPD”) industry.
Spin-off
of Technology and Certain Infrastructure Assets
On
September 25, 2007, we announced our intention to separate our technology and
certain infrastructure assets into a separate publicly-traded
company. EchoStar Corporation (“EchoStar”), formerly known as
EchoStar Holding Corporation, was incorporated in Nevada on October 12, 2007 to
effect the separation. We completed the separation into two companies
(the “Spin-off”) on January 1, 2008. DISH Network and EchoStar now
operate independently, and neither entity has any ownership interest in the
other. The two entities consist of the following:
|
·
|
DISH
Network Corporation, which retains its subscription television business,
and
|
|
·
|
EchoStar
Corporation, which holds the digital set-top box business, certain
satellites, uplink and satellite transmission assets, real estate and
other assets and related liabilities formerly held by DISH
Network.
|
In
addition, as part of the Spin-off, DISH Network contributed approximately $1.0
billion of cash and cash equivalents to EchoStar.
Organization
and Legal Structure
The
following table summarizes our organizational structure and our principal
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2007:
|
|
Referred
to
|
|
|
Legal
Entity
|
|
Herein
As
|
|
Parent
|
DISH
Network Corporation
|
|
DISH
|
|
Publicly
owned
|
EchoStar
Orbital Corporation
|
|
EOC
|
|
DISH
|
EchoStar
Orbital L.L.C
|
|
EOC
II
|
|
EOC
|
EchoStar
DBS Corporation
|
|
EDBS
|
|
EOC
|
EchoStar
Satellite L.L.C
|
|
ESLLC
|
|
EDBS
|
EchoStar
Satellite Operating L.L.C
|
|
SATCO
|
|
ESLLC
|
Echosphere
L.L.C
|
|
Echosphere
|
|
EDBS
|
EchoStar
Technologies Corporation
|
|
ETC
|
|
EDBS
|
DISH
Network Service L.L.C
|
|
DNSLLC
|
|
EDBS
|
As of
December 31, 2007, all of our DBS FCC licenses and 11 of our in-orbit satellites
were owned by subsidiaries of EDBS. EchoStar XI and our Ka-band
satellites are held in EOC II, a sister company to EDBS. Our
satellite lease contracts are also held by a subsidiary of
EDBS. Substantially all of our operations are conducted by
subsidiaries of EDBS.
2. Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles
of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
We
consolidate all majority owned subsidiaries and investments in entities in which
we have controlling influence. Non-majority owned investments are
accounted for using the equity method when we have the ability to significantly
influence the operating decisions of the issuer. When we do not have
the ability to significantly influence the operating decisions of an issuer, the
cost method is used. For entities that are considered variable
interest entities we apply the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards
Board (“FASB”) Interpretation No. 46R, “Consolidation of Variable Interest
Entities – An Interpretation of ARB No. 51” (“FIN 46R”). All
significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in
consolidation. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to
conform to the current year presentation.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for each reporting
period. Estimates are used in accounting for, among other things,
allowances for uncollectible accounts, inventory allowances, self-insurance
obligations, deferred taxes and related valuation allowances, uncertain tax
positions, loss contingencies, fair values of financial instruments, fair value
of options granted under our stock-based compensation plans, fair value of
assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations, capital leases, asset
impairments, useful lives of property, equipment and intangible assets, retailer
commissions, programming expenses, subscriber lives and royalty
obligations. Actual results may differ from previously estimated
amounts, and such differences may be material to the Consolidated Financial
Statements. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and
the effects of revisions are reflected prospectively beginning in the period
they occur.
Foreign
Currency Translation
The
functional currency of the majority of our foreign subsidiaries is the U.S.
dollar because their sales and purchases are predominantly denominated in that
currency. However, for our subsidiaries where the functional currency
is the local currency, we translate assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars at
the period-end exchange rate and revenues and expenses based on the exchange
rates at the time such transactions arise, if known, or at the average rate for
the period. The difference is recorded to equity as a component of
other comprehensive income (loss). Financial assets and liabilities
denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are recorded at the
exchange rate at the time of the transaction and subsequent gains and losses
related to changes in the foreign currency are included in other miscellaneous
income and expense. Net transaction gains (losses) during 2007, 2006
and 2005 were not significant.
Statements
of Cash Flows Data
The
following presents our supplemental cash flow statement disclosure:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Cash
paid for interest
|
|
$ |
405,915 |
|
|
$ |
418,587 |
|
|
$ |
372,403 |
|
Capitalized
interest
|
|
|
18,088 |
|
|
|
20,091 |
|
|
|
7,597 |
|
Cash
received for interest
|
|
|
97,575 |
|
|
|
73,337 |
|
|
|
34,623 |
|
Cash
paid for income taxes
|
|
|
87,994 |
|
|
|
37,742 |
|
|
|
34,295 |
|
Employee
benefits paid in Class A common stock
|
|
|
17,674 |
|
|
|
22,102 |
|
|
|
13,055 |
|
Satellites
financed under capital lease obligations
|
|
|
198,219 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
191,950 |
|
Satellite
and other vendor financing
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
|
1,940 |
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
We
consider all liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days
or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents as of December 31,
2007 and 2006 consist of money market funds, government bonds, corporate notes
and commercial paper. The cost of these investments approximates
their fair value.
Marketable
and Non-Marketable Investment Securities and Restricted Cash
We
currently classify all marketable investment securities as
available-for-sale. We adjust the carrying value of our
available-for-sale securities to fair value and report the related temporary
unrealized gains and losses as a separate component of “Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)” within “Total stockholders’ equity (deficit),” net
of related deferred income tax. Declines in the fair value of a
marketable investment security which are estimated to be “other than temporary”
are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss), thus establishing a new cost basis for such
investment. We evaluate our marketable investment securities
portfolio on a quarterly basis to determine whether declines in the fair value
of these securities are other than temporary. This quarterly
evaluation consists of reviewing, among other things, the fair value of our
marketable investment securities compared to the carrying amount, the historical
volatility of the price of each security and any market and company specific
factors related to each security. Generally, absent specific factors
to the contrary, declines in the fair value of investments below cost basis for
a continuous period of less than six months are considered to be
temporary. Declines in the fair value of investments for a continuous
period of six to nine months are evaluated on a case by case basis to determine
whether any company or market-specific factors exist which would indicate that
such declines are other than temporary. Declines in the fair value of
investments below cost basis for a continuous period greater than
nine months are considered other than temporary and are recorded as charges to
earnings, absent specific factors to the contrary.
As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, we had unrealized gains net of related tax effect of
$30 million and $42 million, respectively, as a part of “Accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss)” within “Total stockholders’ equity
(deficit).” During the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, we did
not record any charge to earnings for other than temporary declines in the fair
value of our marketable investment securities. During the year ended
December 31, 2005, we recorded aggregate charges to earnings for other than
temporary declines in the fair value of certain of our marketable investment
securities of $25 million, and established a new cost basis for these
securities. In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2007,
2006 and 2005, we recognized realized and unrealized net gains (losses) on
marketable investment securities and conversion of bond instruments into common
stock of $22 million, $89 million and $34 million,
respectively.
The fair
value of our strategic marketable investment securities aggregated $577 million
and $321 million as of December 31, 2007 and 2006,
respectively. These investments are highly speculative and are
concentrated in a small number of companies. Additionally, during the
same period, our strategic investments, have experienced and continue to
experience volatility. If the fair value of our strategic marketable
investment securities portfolio does not remain above cost basis or if we become
aware of any market or company specific factors that indicate that the carrying
value of certain of our securities is impaired, we may be required to record
charges to earnings in future periods equal to the amount of the decline in fair
value.
The
following table reflects the length of time that the individual securities have
been in an unrealized loss position, aggregated by investment
category. The unrealized losses on our investments in corporate
securities represent investments in the marketable common stock of four
companies in the satellite communication service, internet information and
communications industries. We are not aware of any specific factors
which indicate the unrealized loss in these investments is due to anything other
than temporary market fluctuations. In addition, we have the ability
and intent to hold our investments in “Government bonds” until maturity when the
government is required to redeem them at their full face value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
of December 31, 2007
|
|
|
Primary
|
|
Maturity
|
|
|
Less
than Six Months
|
|
|
Six
to Nine Months
|
|
|
Nine
Months or More
|
|
Investment
|
|
Reason
for
|
|
in
|
|
|
Fair
|
|
|
Unrealized
|
|
|
Fair
|
|
|
Unrealized
|
|
|
Fair
|
|
|
Unrealized
|
|
Category
|
|
Unrealized
Loss
|
|
Months
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
Loss
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
Loss
|
|
|
Value
|
|
|
Loss
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
Corporate
bonds
|
|
Temporary
market fluctuations
|
|
|
1-13 |
|
|
$ |
361,347 |
|
|
$ |
(7,168 |
) |
|
$ |
163,230 |
|
|
$ |
(1,909 |
) |
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
Corporate
equity securities
|
|
Temporary
market fluctuations
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
186,352 |
|
|
|
(16,192 |
) |
|
|
2,124 |
|
|
|
(1,027 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
547,699 |
|
|
$ |
(23,360 |
) |
|
$ |
165,354 |
|
|
$ |
(2,936 |
) |
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
of December 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Government
bonds
|
Changes
in Interest rates
|
|
|
1-24 |
|
|
$ |
75,572 |
|
|
$ |
(227 |
) |
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
26,211 |
|
|
$ |
(12 |
) |
Corporate
equity securities...
|
Temporary
market fluctuations
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
5,702 |
|
|
|
(2,179 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
81,274 |
|
|
$ |
(2,406 |
) |
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
26,211 |
|
|
$ |
(12 |
) |
Other Investment
Securities. We also have several strategic investments in
certain equity securities which are included in “Other noncurrent assets, net”
on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our other investment securities
consist of the following:
|
|
As
of
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
Other
Investment Securities
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Cost
method
|
|
$ |
108,355 |
|
|
$ |
97,827 |
|
Equity
method
|
|
|
68,127 |
|
|
|
90,728 |
|
Fair
value method
|
|
|
11,404 |
|
|
|
22,518 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
187,886 |
|
|
$ |
211,073 |
|
Generally,
we account for our unconsolidated equity investments under either the equity
method or cost method of accounting. Because these equity securities
are generally not publicly traded, it is not practical to regularly estimate the
fair value of the investments; however, these investments are subject to an
evaluation for other than temporary impairment on a quarterly
basis. This quarterly evaluation consists of reviewing, among other
things, company business plans and current financial statements, if available,
for factors that may indicate an impairment of our investment. Such
factors may include, but are not limited to, cash flow concerns, material
litigation, violations of debt covenants and changes in business
strategy. The fair value of these equity investments is not estimated
unless there are identified changes in circumstances that may indicate an
impairment exists and these changes are likely to have a significant adverse
effect on the fair value of the investment.
We also
have a strategic investment in non-public preferred stock, public common stock
and convertible debt of a foreign public company. The debt which is
convertible into the issuer’s publicly traded common shares is accounted for
under the fair value method with changes in fair value reported each period as
unrealized gains or losses in “Other” income or expense in our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss). We estimate
the fair value of the convertible debt using certain assumptions and judgments
in applying a discounted cash flow analysis and the Black-Scholes option pricing
model including the fair market value of the underlying common stock price as of
that date. During 2006, we converted a portion of the convertible
debt to public common shares and determined that we have the ability to
significantly influence the operating decisions of the
issuer. Consequently, we account for the common share component of
this investment under the equity method of accounting. As a result of
our change to equity method accounting, we evaluate the common share component
of this investment on a quarterly basis to determine whether there has been a
decline in the value that is other than temporary. Because the shares
are publicly traded, this quarterly evaluation considers the fair market value
of the common shares in addition to the other factors described above for equity
and cost method investments. When impairments occur related to our
foreign investments, any “Cumulative translation adjustment” associated with
these investments will remain in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)”
within “Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets
until the investments are sold or otherwise liquidated; at which time, they will
be released into our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive
Income (Loss).
The
changes in the fair value and impairments of our other investment securities
consist of the following:
|
|
For
the Years Ended
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
Other
Investment Securities
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Unrealized
gains (losses), net
|
|
$ |
(11,114 |
) |
|
$ |
(14,885 |
) |
|
$ |
38,751 |
|
Impairments
|
|
|
(55,619 |
) |
|
|
(18,043 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
(66,733 |
) |
|
$ |
(32,928 |
) |
|
$ |
38,751 |
|
Our
ability to realize value from our strategic investments in companies that are
not publicly traded is dependent on the success of their business and their
ability to obtain sufficient capital to execute their business
plans. Because private markets are not as liquid as public markets,
there is also increased risk that we will not be able to sell these investments,
or that when we desire to sell them we will not be able to obtain fair value for
them.
Restricted Cash
and Marketable Investment Securities. As of December 31, 2007
and 2006, restricted cash and marketable investment securities included amounts
set aside as collateral for investments in marketable securities and our letters
of credit. Additionally, restricted cash and marketable investment
securities as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 included $101 million in escrow
related to our litigation with Tivo.
The major
components of marketable investment securities and restricted cash are as
follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted
Cash and Marketable
|
|
|
|
Marketable
Investment Securities
|
|
|
Investment
Securities
|
|
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Government
bonds
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
268,716 |
|
|
$ |
58,894 |
|
|
$ |
152,461 |
|
Corporate
notes and bonds
|
|
|
1,254,538 |
|
|
|
519,554 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Corporate
equity securities
|
|
|
352,840 |
|
|
|
321,195 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Restricted
cash
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
113,626 |
|
|
|
20,480 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
1,607,378 |
|
|
$ |
1,109,465 |
|
|
$ |
172,520 |
|
|
$ |
172,941 |
|
As of
December 31, 2007, marketable investment securities and restricted cash include
debt securities of $526 million with contractual maturities of one year or less
and $787 million with contractual maturities greater than one
year. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities as a
result of our ability to sell these securities prior to maturity.
Inventories
Inventories
are stated at the lower of cost or market value. Cost is determined
using the first-in, first-out method. Proprietary products are built
by contract manufacturers to our specifications. We depend on a few
manufacturers, and in some cases a single manufacturer, for the production of
our receivers and many components of our receiver
systems. Manufactured inventories include materials, labor,
freight-in, royalties and manufacturing overhead.
Inventories
consist of the following:
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Finished
goods - DBS
|
|
$ |
159,960 |
|
|
$ |
132,604 |
|
Raw
materials
|
|
|
66,058 |
|
|
|
50,039 |
|
Work-in-process
- service repair and refurbishment
|
|
|
67,542 |
|
|
|
51,870 |
|
Work-in-process
- new
|
|
|
13,417 |
|
|
|
14,203 |
|
Consignment
|
|
|
14,677 |
|
|
|
1,669 |
|
Subtotal
|
|
$ |
321,654 |
|
|
$ |
250,385 |
|
Inventory
allowance
|
|
|
(14,739 |
) |
|
|
(12,878 |
) |
Inventories,
net
|
|
$ |
306,915 |
|
|
$ |
237,507 |
|
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment are stated at cost. Cost includes capitalized interest
of $18 million, $20 million, and $8 million during the years ended December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. The costs of satellites under
construction, including certain amounts prepaid under our satellite service
agreements, are capitalized during the construction phase, assuming the eventual
successful launch and in-orbit operation of the satellite. If a
satellite were to fail during launch or while in-orbit, the resultant loss would
be charged to expense in the period such loss was incurred. The
amount of any such loss would be reduced to the extent of insurance proceeds
estimated to be received, if any. Depreciation is recorded on a
straight-line basis over lives ranging from one to forty
years. Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense when
incurred. Renewals and betterments are capitalized.
Long-Lived
Assets
We
account for impairments of long-lived assets in accordance with the provisions
of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144, “Accounting for the
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”). We review
our long-lived assets and identifiable intangible assets for impairment whenever
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset
may not be recoverable. Based on the guidance under SFAS 144, we
evaluate our satellite fleet for recoverability as one asset
group. For assets which are held and used in operations, the asset
would be impaired if the carrying value of the asset (or asset group) exceeded
its undiscounted future net cash flows. Once an impairment is
determined, the actual impairment is reported as the difference between the
carrying value and the fair value as estimated using discounted cash
flows. Assets which are to be disposed of are reported at the lower
of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. We consider
relevant cash flow, estimated future operating results, trends and other
available information in assessing whether the carrying value of assets are
recoverable.
Sling
Media Acquisition
On
October 19, 2007, we acquired all remaining outstanding shares (94%) of Sling
Media, Inc. ("Sling Media") for cash consideration of $342 million, including
direct transaction costs of $8 million. We also exchanged Sling Media
employee stock options for our options to purchase approximately 342,000 of our
common stock valued at approximately $16 million. Sling Media, a
leading innovator in the digital-lifestyle space, was acquired to allow us to
offer new products and services to our subscribers. This transaction
was accounted for as a purchase business combination in accordance with
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 141, “Business Combinations”
(“SFAS 141”).
The
purchase consideration was allocated based on the preliminary fair
values of identifiable tangible and intangible assets and liabilities as
follows (in thousands):
Tangible
assets
|
|
$ |
28,779 |
|
Prepaid
compensation costs
|
|
|
11,844 |
|
Other
noncurrent assets (a)
|
|
|
(9,541 |
) |
Acquisition
intangibles
|
|
|
61,800 |
|
In-process
research and development
|
|
|
22,200 |
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
256,917 |
|
Total
assets acquired
|
|
$ |
371,999 |
|
Current
liabilities
|
|
|
(19,233 |
) |
Long-term
liabilities (b)
|
|
|
(10,922 |
) |
Net
assets acquired
|
|
$ |
341,844 |
|
|
(a)
|
Represents
the elimination of our previously recorded 6% non-controlling interest in
Sling Media.
|
|
(b)
|
Includes $8.5
million deferred tax liability related to the acquisition
intangibles.
|
The total
$62 million of acquired intangible assets resulting from the Sling Media
transactions is comprised of technology-based intangibles and trademarks
totaling approximately $34 million with estimated weighted-average useful lives
of seven years, reseller relationships totaling approximately $24 million with
estimated weighted-average useful lives of three years and contract-based
intangibles totaling approximately $4 million with estimated weighted-average
useful lives of four years. The in-process research and development
costs of $22 million were expensed to general and administrative expense upon
acquisition in accordance with SFAS 141. The goodwill recorded as a result of
the acquisition is not deductible for income tax purposes.
The
business combination did not have a material impact on our results of operations
for the year ended December 31, 2007 and would not have materially impacted our
results of operations for these periods had the business combination occurred on
January 1, 2007. Further, the business combination would not have had
a material impact on our results of operations for the comparable period in 2006
had the business combination occurred on January 1, 2006.
Goodwill
and Other Intangible Assets
We
account for our goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with the provisions
of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, “Goodwill and Other
Intangible Assets” (“SFAS 142”), which requires goodwill and intangible assets
with indefinite useful lives not be amortized, but to be tested for impairment
annually or whenever indicators of impairments arise. Intangible
assets that have finite lives continue to be amortized over their estimated
useful lives. Our intangible assets consist of, among other things,
FCC licenses. Generally, we have determined that our FCC licenses
have indefinite useful lives due to the following:
|
·
|
FCC
spectrum is a non-depleting asset;
|
|
·
|
Existing
DBS licenses are integral to our business and will contribute to cash
flows indefinitely;
|
|
·
|
Replacement
satellite applications are generally authorized by the FCC subject to
certain conditions, without substantial cost under a stable regulatory,
legislative and legal environment;
|
|
·
|
Maintenance
expenditures in order to obtain future cash flows are not
significant;
|
|
·
|
DBS
licenses are not technologically dependent;
and
|
|
·
|
We
intend to use these assets indefinitely.
|
In
accordance with the guidance of EITF Issue No. 02-7, “Unit of Accounting for
Testing Impairment of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Asset” (“EITF 02-7”), we
combine all our indefinite life FCC licenses into a single unit of
accounting. The analysis encompasses future cash flows from
satellites transmitting from such licensed orbital locations, including revenue
attributable to programming offerings from such satellites, the direct operating
and subscriber acquisition costs related to such programming, and future capital
costs for replacement satellites. Projected revenue and cost amounts
included current and projected subscribers. In conducting our annual
impairment test in 2007, we determined that the estimated fair value of the FCC
licenses, calculated using the discounted cash flow analysis, exceeded their
carrying amount.
During
2007, we participated in an FCC auction for licenses in the 1.4 GHz band and
were the winning bidder for several licenses with total winning bids of $57
million. We transferred these licenses to EchoStar in the
Spin-off. Subsequent to the Spin-off, as described below, we entered
into a commercial agreement with TerreStar Corporation and TerreStar Networks
Inc. regarding these licenses.
As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, our identifiable intangibles subject to amortization
consisted of the following:
|
|
As
of
|
|
|
|
December
31, 2007
|
|
|
December
31, 2006
|
|
|
|
Intangible
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
Intangible
|
|
|
Accumulated
|
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
Assets
|
|
|
Amortization
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Contract
based
|
|
$ |
192,845 |
|
|
$ |
(60,754 |
) |
|
$ |
189,426 |
|
|
$ |
(45,924 |
) |
Customer
and reseller relationships
|
|
|
96,898 |
|
|
|
(70,433 |
) |
|
|
73,298 |
|
|
|
(50,142 |
) |
Technology-based
|
|
|
69,797 |
|
|
|
(9,478 |
) |
|
|
33,500 |
|
|
|
(5,655 |
) |
Total
|
|
$ |
359,540 |
|
|
$ |
(140,665 |
) |
|
$ |
296,224 |
|
|
$ |
(101,721 |
) |
Amortization
of these intangible assets, recorded on a straight line basis over an average
finite useful life primarily ranging from approximately three to twenty years,
was $40 million and $37 million for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006
respectively.
Estimated
future amortization of our identifiable intangible assets as of December 31,
2007 is as follows (in thousands):
For
the Years Ending December 31,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
$ |
37,037 |
|
2009
|
|
|
32,176 |
|
2010
|
|
|
30,209 |
|
2011
|
|
|
24,028 |
|
2012
|
|
|
23,182 |
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
72,243 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
218,875 |
|
Long-Term
Deferred Revenue, Distribution and Carriage Payments
Certain
programmers provide us up-front payments. Such amounts are deferred
and in accordance with EITF Issue No. 02-16, “Accounting by a Customer
(Including a Reseller) for Certain Consideration Received from a Vendor” (“EITF
02-16”) are recognized as reductions to “Subscriber-related expenses” on a
straight-line basis over the relevant remaining contract term (up to 10
years). The current and long-term portions of these deferred credits
are recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in “Deferred revenue and other”
and “Long-term deferred revenue, distribution and carriage payments and other
long-term liabilities,” respectively.
We
receive equity interests in content providers in consideration for or in
conjunction with affiliation agreements. We account for these equity
interests received in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 00-8,
“Accounting by a Grantee for an Equity Instrument to be Received in Conjunction
with Providing Goods or Services” (“EITF 00-8”). During the years
ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, we made cash payments and entered into
agreements in exchange for equity interests in certain entities.
During
2007 and 2006, we recorded approximately $8 million and $25 million,
respectively, in “Other noncurrent assets” related to the fair value of equity
interests that we received in exchange for entering into affiliation agreements
with content providers. These unconsolidated investments are
accounted for under the cost method of accounting. In accordance with
the guidance under EITF 02-16, we recorded a corresponding amount as a deferred
credit that is recognized as a reduction to “Subscriber-related expenses”
ratably as our actual costs are incurred under the related
agreements. These deferred credits are included as a component of
current “Deferred revenue and other” and “Long-term deferred revenue,
distribution and carriage payments and other long-term liabilities” in our
Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Sales
Taxes
In
accordance with the guidance of EITF Issue No. 06-3, “How Taxes Collected from
Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities Should Be Presented in the
Income Statement” (“EITF 06-3”), we account for sales taxes imposed on our goods
and services on a net basis in our “Consolidated Statements of Operations and
Comprehensive Income (Loss).” Since we primarily act as an agent for
the governmental authorities, the amount charged to the customer is collected
and remitted directly to the appropriate jurisdictional entity.
Income
Taxes
We
establish a provision for income taxes currently payable or receivable and for
income tax amounts deferred to future periods in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“SFAS
109”). SFAS 109 requires that deferred tax assets or liabilities be
recorded for the estimated future tax effects of differences that exist between
the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets
are offset by valuation allowances in accordance with SFAS 109, when we believe
it is more likely than not that such net deferred tax assets will not be
realized.
Accounting
for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
We
adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes – an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109” (“FIN
48”), on January 1, 2007. FIN 48 clarifies the accounting for
uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements
in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109,
“Accounting for Income Taxes,” and prescribes a recognition threshold and
measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax
position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. FIN 48 also
provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties,
accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.
In
addition to filing federal income tax returns, we and one or more of our
subsidiaries file income tax returns in all states that impose an income tax and
a small number of foreign jurisdictions where we have immaterial
operations. We are subject to U.S. federal, state and local income
tax examinations by tax authorities for the years beginning in 1996 due to the
carryover of previously incurred net operating losses. As of December
31, 2007, no taxing authority has proposed any significant adjustments to our
tax positions. We have no significant current tax examinations in
process.
As a
result of the implementation of FIN 48, we recognized a less than $1 million
credit to “Accumulated earnings (deficit).” A reconciliation of the
beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in
thousands):
Balance
as of January 1, 2007
|
|
$ |
10,445 |
|
Additions
based on tax positions related to the current year
|
|
|
6,875 |
|
Additions
for tax positions of prior years
|
|
|
2,840 |
|
Balance
as of December 31, 2007
|
|
$ |
20,160 |
|
We have
$63 million in unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the
effective tax rate. We do not expect that the unrecognized tax
benefit will change significantly within the next 12 months.
Accrued
interest on tax positions are recorded as a component of interest expense and
penalties in other income (expense). During the year ended December
31, 2007, we recorded approximately $2 million in interest and penalty expense
to earnings. Accrued interest and penalties was $3 million at
December 31, 2007.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
Fair
values for our publicly traded debt securities are based on quoted market
prices. The fair values of our private debt is estimated based on an
analysis in which we evaluate market conditions, related securities, various
public and private offerings, and other publicly available
information. In performing this analysis, we make various
assumptions, among other things, regarding credit spreads, and the impact of
these factors on the value of the notes.
The
following table summarizes the book and fair values of our debt facilities at
December 31, 2007 and 2006:
|
|
As
of December 31, 2007
|
|
|
As
of December 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
Book
Value
|
|
|
Fair
Value
|
|
|
Book
Value
|
|
|
Fair
Value
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010
|
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
$ |
489,270 |
|
|
$ |
500,000 |
|
|
$ |
472,400 |
|
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
997,500 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
993,750 |
|
6
3/8% Senior Notes due 2011
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
1,019,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
993,750 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
23,463 |
|
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
|
22,780 |
|
6
5/8% Senior Notes due 2014
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
995,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
971,250 |
|
7
1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
|
1,522,500 |
|
|
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
|
1,494,375 |
|
7 %
Senior Notes due 2013
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
505,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
497,500 |
|
Mortgages
and other notes payable
|
|
|
37,157 |
|
|
|
37,157 |
|
|
|
37,379 |
|
|
|
37,379 |
|
Subtotal
|
|
$ |
5,562,157 |
|
|
$ |
5,588,890 |
|
|
$ |
5,562,379 |
|
|
$ |
5,483,184 |
|
Capital
lease obligations (1)
|
|
|
563,547 |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
|
|
404,942 |
|
|
|
N/A |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
6,125,704 |
|
|
$ |
5,588,890 |
|
|
$ |
5,967,321 |
|
|
$ |
5,483,184 |
|
(1) Pursuant
to SFAS No. 107 “Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments,”
disclosures regarding fair value of capital leases is not required.
As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, the book value is equal to or approximates fair
value for cash and cash equivalents, marketable investment securities, trade
accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts, and current
liabilities due to their short-term nature.
Deferred
Debt Issuance Costs
Costs of
issuing debt are generally deferred and amortized to interest expense over the
terms of the respective notes (Note 5).
Revenue
Recognition
We
recognize revenue when an arrangement exists, prices are determinable,
collectibility is reasonably assured and the goods or services have been
delivered. Revenue from our subscription television services is
recognized when programming is broadcast to subscribers. Programming
payments received from subscribers in advance of the broadcast or service period
are recorded as “Deferred revenue” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets until
earned. For certain of our promotions relating to our receiver
systems, subscribers are charged an upfront fee. A portion of this
fee may be deferred and recognized over 48 to 60 months, depending on whether
the fee is received from existing or new subscribers. Revenue from
advertising sales is recognized when the related services are
performed.
Subscriber
fees for equipment rental, additional outlets and fees for receivers with
multiple tuners, high definition (“HD”) receivers, digital video recorders
(“DVRs”), and HD DVRs, our DishHOME Protection Plan and other services are
recognized as revenue, monthly as earned. Revenue from equipment
sales and equipment upgrades are recognized upon shipment to
customers.
Revenue
from equipment sales to AT&T pursuant to our original agreement with
AT&T is deferred and recognized over the estimated average co-branded
subscriber life. Revenue from installation and certain other services
performed at the request of AT&T is recognized upon completion of the
services. Further, development and implementation fees received from
AT&T will continue to be recognized over the estimated average subscriber
life of all subscribers acquired under both the original and revised agreements
with AT&T.
Accounting
for certain of our existing and new subscriber promotions which include
programming discounts and subscriber rebates falls under the scope of EITF Issue
No. 01-9, “Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a Customer
(Including a Reseller of the Vendor’s Capital Products)” (“EITF
01-9”). In accordance with EITF 01-9, programming revenues under
these promotions are recorded as earned at the discounted monthly rate charged
to the subscriber. See “Subscriber Promotions” below for discussion
regarding the accounting for costs under these promotions.
Subscriber-Related
Expenses
The cost
of television programming distribution rights is generally incurred on a per
subscriber basis and various upfront carriage payments are recognized when
the related programming is distributed to subscribers. The cost of
television programming rights to distribute live sporting events for a season or
tournament is charged to expense using the straight-line method over the course
of the season or tournament. “Subscriber-related expenses” in the
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
principally include programming expenses, costs incurred in connection with our
in-home service and call center operations, overhead costs associated with our
installation business, copyright royalties, billing costs, residual commissions
paid to distributors, direct marketers, retailers and telecommunications
partners, refurbishment and repair costs related to our receiver systems,
subscriber retention and other variable subscriber expenses. These
costs are recognized as the services are performed or as incurred.
“Subscriber-related
expenses” also include the cost of sales from equipment sales, and expenses
related to installation and other services from our original agreement with
AT&T. Cost of sales from equipment sales to AT&T are deferred
and recognized over the estimated average co-branded subscriber
life. Expenses from installation and certain other services performed
at the request of AT&T are recognized as the services are
performed. Under the revised AT&T agreement, we are including
costs from equipment and installations in “Subscriber acquisition costs” or, for
leased equipment, in capital expenditures, rather than in “Subscriber-related
expenses.” We are continuing to include in “Subscriber-related
expenses” the costs deferred from equipment sales made to
AT&T. These costs are being amortized over the estimated life of
the subscribers acquired under the original AT&T agreement.
Subscriber
Acquisition Promotions
DISH
Network subscribers have the choice of purchasing or leasing the satellite
receiver and other equipment necessary to receive our programming. We
generally subsidize installation and all or a portion of the cost of our
receiver systems in order to attract new DISH Network subscribers. As
a result of our promotions, most of our new subscribers choose to lease their
equipment.
Equipment Lease
Promotion. We retain title to receivers and certain other
equipment offered pursuant to our equipment lease promotions. As a
result, equipment leased to new and existing subscribers is capitalized and
depreciated over their estimated useful lives.
Subscriber
Acquisition Costs. Subscriber acquisition costs in
our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
consist of costs incurred to acquire new subscribers through third parties and
our direct customer acquisition distribution channel. Subscriber
acquisition costs include the following line items from our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss):
|
·
|
“Cost of sales – subscriber
promotion subsidies” includes the cost of our receiver systems sold
to retailers and other distributors of our equipment and receiver systems
sold directly by us to subscribers.
|
|
·
|
“Other subscriber promotion
subsidies” includes net costs related to promotional incentives and
costs related to installation.
|
|
·
|
“Subscriber acquisition
advertising” includes advertising and marketing expenses related to
the acquisition of new DISH Network subscribers. Advertising
costs are expensed as incurred.
|
Accounting
for dealer sales under our promotions falls within the scope of EITF
01-9. In accordance with that guidance, we characterize amounts paid
to our independent dealers as consideration for equipment installation services
and for equipment buydowns (commissions and rebates) as a reduction of
revenue. We expense payments for equipment installation services as
“Other subscriber promotion subsidies.” Our payments for equipment
buydowns represent a partial or complete return of the dealer’s purchase price
and are, therefore, netted against the proceeds received from the
dealer. We report the net cost from our various sales promotions
through our independent dealer network as a component of “Other subscriber
promotion subsidies.” No net proceeds from the sale of subscriber
related equipment pursuant to our subscriber acquisition promotions are
recognized as revenue.
Research
and Development Costs
Research
and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and
development costs totaled $79 million, $57 million and $46 million for the years
ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Basic
and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share
Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 128, “Earnings Per Share” (“SFAS 128”)
requires entities to present both basic earnings per share (“EPS”) and diluted
EPS. Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net
income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for
the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could
occur if stock options were exercised and convertible securities were converted
to common stock.
The
potential dilution from our subordinated notes convertible into common stock was
computed using the “if converted method.” Since we reported net
income attributable to common stockholders for the years ending December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005, the potential dilution from stock options exercisable into
common stock for these periods was computed using the treasury stock method
based on the average market value of our Class A common stock for the
period. The following table reflects the basic and diluted
weighted-average shares outstanding used to calculate basic and diluted earnings
per share. Earnings per share amounts for all periods are presented
below in accordance with the requirements of SFAS 128.
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
Numerator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Numerator
for basic net income (loss) per share - Net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
756,054 |
|
|
$ |
608,272 |
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
Interest
on dilutive subordinated convertible notes, net of related tax
effect
|
|
|
9,517 |
|
|
|
9,834 |
|
|
|
46,148 |
|
Numerator
for diluted net income (loss) per common share
|
|
$ |
765,571 |
|
|
$ |
618,106 |
|
|
$ |
1,560,688 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator
for basic net income (loss) per common share – weighted-average common
shares outstanding
|
|
|
447,302 |
|
|
|
444,743 |
|
|
|
452,118 |
|
Dilutive
impact of options outstanding
|
|
|
2,267 |
|
|
|
677 |
|
|
|
1,648 |
|
Dilutive
impact of subordinated notes convertible into common
shares
|
|
|
7,265 |
|
|
|
7,265 |
|
|
|
30,365 |
|
Denominator
for diluted net income (loss) per share – weighted-average diluted common
shares outstanding
|
|
|
456,834 |
|
|
|
452,685 |
|
|
|
484,131 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income (loss) per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1.69 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
Diluted
net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1.68 |
|
|
$ |
1.37 |
|
|
$ |
3.22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares
of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
3/4% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2008
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
23,100 |
|
|
|
23,100 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 (1)
|
|
|
6,866 |
|
|
|
6,866 |
|
|
|
6,866 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011 (2)
|
|
|
399 |
|
|
|
399 |
|
|
|
399 |
|
|
(1)
|
Effective
as of close of business on January 15, 2008, the conversion price was
adjusted to $60.25 per share (8,298,755 shares) as a result of the
Spin-off.
|
|
(2)
|
Effective
as of close of business on January 15, 2008, the conversion price was
adjusted to $51.88 per share (481,881 shares) as a result of the
Spin-off.
|
As of
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 there were options to purchase 1.3 million,
10.2 million and 10.4 million shares of Class A common stock outstanding,
respectively, not included in the above denominator as their effect is
antidilutive.
Vesting
of options and rights to acquire shares of our Class A common stock (“Restricted
Performance Units”) granted pursuant to our long term incentive plans is
contingent upon meeting certain long-term goals which have not yet been
achieved. As a consequence, the following are not included in the
diluted EPS calculation:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Performance
based options
|
|
|
10,112 |
|
|
|
11,007 |
|
|
|
11,199 |
|
Restricted
Performance Units
|
|
|
617 |
|
|
|
725 |
|
|
|
545 |
|
New
Accounting Pronouncements
Revised
Business Combinations
In
December 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
141R (revised 2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141R”). SFAS 141R
replaces SFAS 141 and establishes principles and requirements for how an
acquirer recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable
assets acquired, including goodwill, the liabilities assumed and any
non-controlling interest in the acquiree. SFAS 141R also establishes
disclosure requirements to enable users of the financial statements to evaluate
the nature and financial effects of the business combination. This
statement is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2008. We are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of SFAS
141R will have on our financial position and results of
operations.
Noncontrolling
Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements
In
December 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS
160”). SFAS 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards for
ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent, the
amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the
noncontrolling interest, changes in a parent’s ownership interest and the
valuation of retained noncontrolling equity investments when a subsidiary is
deconsolidated. SFAS 160 also establishes reporting requirements that
provide sufficient disclosures that clearly identify and distinguish between the
interests of the parent and the interests of the noncontrolling
owners. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2008. We are currently evaluating the impact the
adoption of SFAS 160 will have on our financial position and results of
operations.
Fair
Value Measurements
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS 157”) which defines fair value,
establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. This pronouncement applies to other accounting
standards that require or permit fair value
measurements. Accordingly, this statement does not require any new
fair value measurement. We are required to adopt this statement as of
January 1, 2008. We do not expect the adoption of SFAS 157 to
have a material impact on our financial position or our results of
operations.
The
Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”
(“SFAS 159”), which permits entities to choose to measure financial instruments
and certain other items at fair value. We are required to adopt this
statement as of January 1, 2008. We do not expect the adoption of
SFAS 159 to have a material impact on our financial position or our results of
operations.
3. Stock-Based
Compensation
In
December 2004, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
123R (As Amended), “Share-Based Payment” (“SFAS 123R”) which (i) revises
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, “Accounting and Disclosure
of Stock-Based Compensation,” (“SFAS 123”) to eliminate both the disclosure only
provisions of that statement and the alternative to follow the intrinsic value
method of accounting under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25,
“Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees” (“APB 25”) and related
interpretations, and (ii) requires the cost resulting from all share-based
payment transactions with employees be recognized in the results of operations
over the period during which an employee provides the requisite service in
exchange for the award and establishes fair value as the measurement basis of
the cost of such transactions. Effective January 1, 2006, we adopted
SFAS 123R under the modified prospective method.
Prior to
January 1, 2006, we applied the intrinsic value method of accounting under APB
25 and applied the disclosure only provisions of SFAS 123. Pro forma
information regarding net income and earnings per share was required by SFAS 123
and has been determined as if we had accounted for our stock-based compensation
plans using the fair value method prescribed by that statement. For
purposes of pro forma disclosures, the estimated fair value of the options was
amortized to expense over the options’ vesting period on a straight-line
basis. We accounted for forfeitures as they
occurred. Compensation previously recognized was reversed in the
event of forfeitures of unvested options. The following table
illustrates the effect on net income (loss) as if we had accounted for our
stock-based compensation plans using the fair value method under SFAS
123:
|
|
For
the Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Net
income (loss), as reported
|
|
$ |
1,514,540 |
|
Add: Stock-based
employee compensation expense included in reported net income (loss), net
of related tax effect
|
|
|
190 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deduct: Total
stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value
based method for all awards, net of related tax effect
|
|
|
(21,822 |
) |
Pro
forma net income (loss)
|
|
$ |
1,492,908 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
income (loss) per share, as reported
|
|
$ |
3.35 |
|
Diluted
income (loss) per share, as reported
|
|
$ |
3.22 |
|
Pro
forma basic income (loss) per share
|
|
$ |
3.30 |
|
Pro
forma diluted income (loss) per share
|
|
$ |
3.18 |
|
Stock
Incentive Plans
We
maintain stock incentive plans to attract and retain officers, directors and key
employees. Awards under these plans include both performance and
non-performance based equity incentives. As of December 31, 2007, we
had options to acquire 20.9 million shares of our Class A common stock and 1.7
million restricted stock awards outstanding under these plans. In
general, stock options granted through December 31, 2007 have included exercise
prices not less than the market value of our Class A common stock at the date of
grant and a maximum term of ten years. While historically our Board
of Directors has issued options that vest at the rate of 20% per year, some
option grants vest at a faster rate or immediately. As of December
31, 2007, we had 66.3 million shares of our Class A common stock available for
future grant under our stock incentive plans.
Our stock
option activity (including performance and non-performance based options) for
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was as follows:
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
Options
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Options
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Options
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
Total
options outstanding, beginning of period
|
|
|
22,741,833 |
|
|
$ |
25.67 |
|
|
|
25,086,883 |
|
|
$ |
24.43 |
|
|
|
17,734,216 |
|
|
$ |
21.06 |
|
Granted
|
|
|
1,890,870 |
|
|
|
40.50 |
|
|
|
2,135,500 |
|
|
|
32.41 |
|
|
|
10,361,250 |
|
|
|
29.17 |
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(2,079,909 |
) |
|
|
24.88 |
|
|
|
(1,519,550 |
) |
|
|
14.14 |
|
|
|
(916,328 |
) |
|
|
8.32 |
|
Forfeited
and cancelled
|
|
|
(1,614,391 |
) |
|
|
19.69 |
|
|
|
(2,961,000 |
) |
|
|
25.99 |
|
|
|
(2,092,255 |
) |
|
|
26.38 |
|
Total
options outstanding, end of period
|
|
|
20,938,403 |
|
|
|
27.17 |
|
|
|
22,741,833 |
|
|
|
25.67 |
|
|
|
25,086,883 |
|
|
|
24.43 |
|
Performance
based options outstanding, end of period *
|
|
|
10,111,750 |
|
|
|
20.28 |
|
|
|
11,006,750 |
|
|
|
18.87 |
|
|
|
11,199,250 |
|
|
|
17.72 |
|
Exercisable
at end of period
|
|
|
5,976,459 |
|
|
|
34.73 |
|
|
|
6,568,883 |
|
|
|
32.85 |
|
|
|
6,914,133 |
|
|
|
29.54 |
|
* These
options, which are included in the caption “Total options outstanding, end of
period,” are pursuant to two separate long-term, performance-based
stock incentive plans, discussed below. Vesting of these options is
contingent upon meeting certain long-term goals which management has determined
are not probable as of December 31, 2007.
We
realized $14 million, $11 million, and $6 million of tax benefits from share
options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. Based on the closing market price of our Class A common
stock for the year ended December 31, 2007, the aggregate intrinsic value for
the options outstanding was $258 million. Of that amount, options
with an aggregate intrinsic value of $44 million were exercisable at the end of
the period.
As of
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, the grant date fair value of restricted stock
awards (performance and non-performance based) outstanding was as
follows:
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
Restricted
Stock
Awards
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
|
|
Restricted
Stock
Awards
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
|
|
Restricted
Stock
Awards
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
|
|
Total
restricted stock awards outstanding, beginning of period
|
|
|
855,298 |
|
|
$ |
30.88 |
|
|
|
644,637 |
|
|
$ |
29.46 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
Granted
|
|
|
1,039,580 |
|
|
|
37.94 |
|
|
|
331,329 |
|
|
|
33.27 |
|
|
|
711,303 |
|
|
|
29.44 |
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(30,000 |
) |
|
|
31.16 |
|
|
|
(20,000 |
) |
|
|
30.16 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Forfeited
and cancelled
|
|
|
(147,800 |
) |
|
|
30.44 |
|
|
|
(100,668 |
) |
|
|
29.83 |
|
|
|
(66,666 |
) |
|
|
29.25 |
|
Total
restricted stock awards outstanding, end of period
|
|
|
1,717,078 |
|
|
|
35.18 |
|
|
|
855,298 |
|
|
|
30.88 |
|
|
|
644,637 |
|
|
|
29.46 |
|
Restricted
performance units outstanding, end of period *
|
|
|
617,078 |
|
|
|
31.69 |
|
|
|
725,298 |
|
|
|
30.80 |
|
|
|
544,637 |
|
|
|
29.33 |
|
*These
restricted performance units, which are included in the caption “Total
restricted stock awards outstanding, end of period,” are pursuant to a
long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan, discussed
below. Vesting of these restricted performance units is contingent
upon meeting a long-term goal which management has determined is not probable as
of December 31, 2007.
Exercise
prices for options outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2007 are as
follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options
Outstanding
|
|
|
Options
Exercisable
|
|
|
|
|
Number
Outstanding
as
of
December
31,
2007
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
|
Number
Exercisable
as
of
December
31,
2007
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
|
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
|
|
$ |
0.08 -
$ 6.00 |
|
|
|
4,460,076 |
|
|
|
1.55 |
|
|
|
5.77 |
|
|
|
204,893 |
|
|
|
2.40 |
|
|
$ |
5.15 |
|
$ |
6.01 - $
20.00 |
|
|
|
783,980 |
|
|
|
1.99 |
|
|
|
13.27 |
|
|
|
166,239 |
|
|
|
1.54 |
|
|
|
12.57 |
|
$ |
20.01 - $
29.00 |
|
|
|
1,837,307 |
|
|
|
6.55 |
|
|
|
27.63 |
|
|
|
1,593,407 |
|
|
|
6.70 |
|
|
|
27.55 |
|
$ |
29.01 - $
31.00 |
|
|
|
8,365,918 |
|
|
|
7.28 |
|
|
|
29.85 |
|
|
|
1,615,968 |
|
|
|
6.84 |
|
|
|
30.44 |
|
$ |
31.01 - $
40.00 |
|
|
|
3,121,248 |
|
|
|
7.65 |
|
|
|
33.95 |
|
|
|
1,296,852 |
|
|
|
6.62 |
|
|
|
33.79 |
|
$ |
40.01 - $
79.00 |
|
|
|
2,369,874 |
|
|
|
5.78 |
|
|
|
53.29 |
|
|
|
1,099,100 |
|
|
|
2.46 |
|
|
|
61.45 |
|
$ |
0.08 - $
79.00 |
|
|
|
20,938,403 |
|
|
|
5.68 |
|
|
|
27.17 |
|
|
|
5,976,459 |
|
|
|
5.65 |
|
|
|
34.73 |
|
Long-Term
Performance-Based Plans
In
February 1999, we adopted a long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan
(the “1999 LTIP”) within the terms of our 1995 Stock Incentive
Plan. The 1999 LTIP provided stock options to key employees which
vest over five years at the rate of 20% per year. Exercise of the
options is also contingent on the Company achieving an industry-related
subscriber goal prior to December 31, 2008.
In
January 2005, we adopted a long-term, performance-based stock incentive plan
(the “2005 LTIP”) within the terms of our 1999 Stock Incentive
Plan. The 2005 LTIP provides stock options and restricted performance
units, either alone or in combination, which vest over seven years at the rate
of 10% per year during the first four years, and at the rate of 20% per year
thereafter. Exercise of the options is also contingent on achieving a
Company specific subscriber goal within the ten-year term of each award issued
under the 2005 LTIP.
Contingent
compensation related to the 1999 LTIP and the 2005 LTIP will not be recorded in
our financial statements unless and until management concludes achievement of
the corresponding goal is probable. Given the competitive nature of
our business, small variations in subscriber churn, gross subscriber addition
rates and certain other factors can significantly impact subscriber
growth. Consequently, while we did not believe achievement of either
of the goals was probable as of December 31, 2007, that assessment could change
with respect to either goal at any time. In accordance with SFAS
123R, if all of the awards under each plan were vested and each goal had been
met, we would have recorded total non-cash, stock-based compensation expense of
$40 million and $91 million under the 1999 LTIP and the 2005 LTIP,
respectively. If the goals are met and there are unvested options at
that time, the vested amounts would be expensed immediately in our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), with the unvested
portion recognized ratably over the remaining vesting period. As of
December 31, 2007, if we had determined each goal was probable, we would have
expensed $37 million for the 1999 LTIP and $20 million for the 2005
LTIP.
Of the
20.9 million options outstanding under our stock incentive plans as of December
31, 2007, options to purchase 5.2 million shares and 4.9 million shares were
outstanding pursuant to the 1999 LTIP and the 2005 LTIP,
respectively. These options were granted with exercise prices at
least equal to the market value of the underlying shares on the dates they were
issued. The weighted-average exercise price of these options is
$10.62 under our 1999 LTIP and $30.49 under our 2005 LTIP. The fair
value of options granted during the year ended December 31, 2007 pursuant to the
2005 LTIP, estimated at the date of the grant using a Black-Scholes
option pricing model, was $19.52 per option share. Further, pursuant
to the 2005 LTIP, there were also 617,078 outstanding restricted performance
units as of December 31, 2007 with a weighted-average grant date fair value of
$31.69.
Stock-Based
Compensation
Total
non-cash, stock-based compensation expense, net of related tax effect, is shown
in the following table for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, and
was allocated to the same expense categories as the base compensation for key
employees who participate in our stock option plans:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Subscriber-related
|
|
$ |
584 |
|
|
$ |
549 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
Satellite
and transmission
|
|
|
390 |
|
|
|
320 |
|
|
|
- |
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
12,934 |
|
|
|
10,149 |
|
|
|
190 |
|
Total
non-cash, stock based compensation
|
|
$ |
13,908 |
|
|
$ |
11,018 |
|
|
$ |
190 |
|
As of
December 31, 2007, our total unrecognized compensation cost related to our
non-performance based unvested stock options was $44 million. This
cost is based on an assumed future forfeiture rate of approximately 6.5% per
year and will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately
three years. Share-based compensation expense is recognized based on
awards ultimately expected to vest and is reduced for estimated
forfeitures. SFAS 123R requires forfeitures to be estimated at the
time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual
forfeitures differ from those estimates. Changes in the estimated
forfeiture rate can have a significant effect on share-based compensation
expense since the effect of adjusting the rate is recognized in the period the
forfeiture estimate is changed.
The fair
value of each award for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was
estimated at the date of the grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model
with the following assumptions:
Stock
Options
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
Risk-free
interest rate
|
|
|
3.51%
- 5.19 |
% |
|
|
4.49%
- 5.22 |
% |
|
|
3.74%
- 4.50 |
% |
Volatility
factor
|
|
|
18.10 %
- 24.84 |
% |
|
|
24.71%
- 25.20 |
% |
|
|
20.75%
- 27.05 |
% |
Expected
term of options in years
|
|
|
2.50
- 10.00 |
|
|
|
6.04 -
10.00 |
|
|
|
4.38
- 10.00 |
|
Weighted-average
fair value of options granted
|
|
$ |
7.19
- $48.20 |
|
|
$ |
6.30
- $17.78 |
|
|
$ |
5.46
- $14.12 |
|
We do not
currently plan to pay additional dividends on our common stock, and therefore
the dividend yield percentage is set at zero for all periods. The
Black-Scholes option valuation model was developed for use in estimating the
fair value of traded options which have no vesting restrictions and are fully
transferable. Consequently, our estimate of fair value may differ
from other valuation models. Further, the Black-Scholes model requires the
input of highly subjective assumptions. Changes in the subjective input
assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate. Therefore, the
existing models do not provide as reliable of a single measure of the fair value
of stock-based compensation awards as a market-based model would.
We will
continue to evaluate the assumptions used to derive the estimated fair value of
options for our stock as new events or changes in circumstances become
known.
4. Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment consist of the following:
|
|
Depreciable
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Life
|
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
(In
Years)
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Equipment
leased to customers
|
|
2-5
|
|
|
$ |
2,773,085 |
|
|
$ |
2,374,121 |
|
EchoStar
I
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
201,607 |
|
|
|
201,607 |
|
EchoStar
II
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
228,694 |
|
|
|
228,694 |
|
EchoStar
III
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
234,083 |
|
|
|
234,083 |
|
EchoStar
IV - fully depreciated
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
78,511 |
|
|
|
78,511 |
|
EchoStar
V
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
203,511 |
|
|
|
205,996 |
|
EchoStar
VI
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
244,305 |
|
|
|
245,022 |
|
EchoStar
VII
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
177,000 |
|
|
|
177,000 |
|
EchoStar
VIII
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
175,801 |
|
|
|
175,801 |
|
EchoStar
IX
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
127,376 |
|
|
|
127,376 |
|
EchoStar
X
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
177,192 |
|
|
|
177,192 |
|
EchoStar
XII
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
190,051 |
|
|
|
190,051 |
|
Satellites
acquired under capital leases (Note 5)
|
|
10-15
|
|
|
|
775,050 |
|
|
|
551,628 |
|
Furniture,
fixtures, equipment and other
|
|
1-10
|
|
|
|
997,521 |
|
|
|
955,864 |
|
Buildings
and improvements
|
|
1-40
|
|
|
|
260,153 |
|
|
|
250,627 |
|
Land
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
33,182 |
|
|
|
30,195 |
|
Construction
in progress
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
772,661 |
|
|
|
433,843 |
|
Total
property and equipment
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
7,649,783 |
|
|
$ |
6,637,611 |
|
Accumulated
depreciation
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3,591,594 |
) |
|
|
(2,872,015 |
) |
Property
and equipment, net
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,058,189 |
|
|
$ |
3,765,596 |
|
Construction
in progress consists of the following:
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Progress
amounts for satellite construction, including certain amounts prepaid
under satellite service agreements and launch costs
|
|
$ |
685,758 |
|
|
$ |
380,774 |
|
Software
related projects
|
|
|
8,802 |
|
|
|
21,429 |
|
Uplinking
equipment
|
|
|
52,095 |
|
|
|
13,696 |
|
Other
|
|
|
26,006 |
|
|
|
17,944 |
|
Construction
in progress
|
|
$ |
772,661 |
|
|
$ |
433,843 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization expense consists of the following:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Equipment
leased to customers
|
|
$ |
854,533 |
|
|
$ |
686,125 |
|
|
$ |
437,587 |
|
Satellites
|
|
|
245,349 |
|
|
|
231,977 |
|
|
|
197,495 |
|
Furniture,
fixtures, equipment and other
|
|
|
179,854 |
|
|
|
152,204 |
|
|
|
126,125 |
|
Identifiable
intangible assets subject to amortization
|
|
|
39,893 |
|
|
|
36,787 |
|
|
|
39,035 |
|
Buildings
and improvements
|
|
|
9,781 |
|
|
|
7,201 |
|
|
|
5,331 |
|
Total
depreciation and amortization
|
|
$ |
1,329,410 |
|
|
$ |
1,114,294 |
|
|
$ |
805,573 |
|
Cost of
sales and operating expense categories included in our accompanying Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) do not include
depreciation expense related to satellites or equipment leased to
customers.
Our
Satellites
As of
December 31, 2007, we operated 14 satellites in geostationary orbit
approximately 22,300 miles above the equator. Of these 14 satellites,
11 were owned and three were leased. The leased satellites are
accounted for as capital leases pursuant to Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 13, “Accounting for Leases” (“SFAS 13”) and are depreciated over
the terms of the satellite service agreements. The satellite fleet is
a major component of our DISH Network DBS System. As reflected in the
table below, we transferred six owned and two leased satellites to EchoStar in
connection with the Spin-off. As part of the transactions entered
into between DISH Network and EchoStar in connection with the Spin-off, we also
entered into satellite capacity agreements with EchoStar to lease satellite
capacity on satellites owned by EchoStar and slots licensed by
EchoStar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Degree
|
|
Useful
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Launch
|
|
Orbital
|
|
Life/
|
|
Satellites
|
|
Transferred
(1)
|
|
Retained
|
|
Date
|
|
Location
|
|
Lease
Term
|
|
Owned:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStar
I
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
December
1995
|
|
148
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
II
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
September
1996
|
|
148
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
III (2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
October
1997
|
|
61.5
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
IV
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
May
1998
|
|
77
|
|
N/A
|
|
EchoStar
V
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
September
1999
|
|
129
|
|
9
|
|
EchoStar
VI (2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
July
2000
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
VII
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
February
2002
|
|
119
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
VIII (2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
August
2002
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
IX (2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
August
2003
|
|
121
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
X
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
February
2006
|
|
110
|
|
12
|
|
EchoStar
XII (2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
July
2003
|
|
61.5
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leased:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AMC-15
(2)
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
December
2004
|
|
105
|
|
10
|
|
AMC-16
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
January
2005
|
|
85
|
|
10
|
|
Anik
F3
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
April
2007
|
|
118.7
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Under
Construction:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStar
XI
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Mid-Year
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStar
XIV
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Late
2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
CMBStar
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Late
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
AMC-14
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
March
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ciel
2
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Late
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three
Ka/Ku band Satellites
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
2009
- 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
As
of January 1, 2008, these satellites were transferred to EchoStar in
connection with the Spin-off.
|
|
(2)
|
After
the Spin-off, DISH Network entered into satellite capacity agreements with
EchoStar to lease satellite capacity on these satellites now owned or
leased by EchoStar.
|
Satellite
Anomalies
While we
believe that overall our satellite fleet is generally in good condition, during
2007 and prior periods, certain satellites in our fleet have experienced
anomalies, some of which have had a significant adverse impact on their
commercial operation. We currently do not carry insurance for any of
our owned in-orbit satellites. We believe we generally have in-orbit
satellite capacity sufficient to recover, in a relatively short time frame,
transmission of most of our critical programming in the event one of our
in-orbit satellites were to fail. We could not, however, recover
certain local markets, international and other niche programming in the event of
such failure, with the extent of disruption dependent on the specific satellite
experiencing the failure. Further, programming continuity cannot be
assured in the event of multiple satellite losses. In addition, as part of the
Spin-off, we transferred EchoStar III, IV, VI, VIII, IX, XII, AMC-14, AMC-15,
AMC-16 and CMBStar to EchoStar.
Recent
developments with respect to certain of these satellites, including the
satellites that we contributed to EchoStar as part of the Spin-off and that we
currently lease, are discussed below.
EchoStar
I. EchoStar I can operate up to 16 transponders at 130 watts
per channel. Prior to 2007, the satellite experienced anomalies
resulting in the possible loss of two solar array strings. An
investigation of the anomalies is continuing. The anomalies have not
impacted commercial operation of the satellite to date. Even if
permanent loss of the two solar array strings is confirmed, the original minimum
12-year design life of the satellite is not expected to be impacted since the
satellite is equipped with a total of 104 solar array strings, only
approximately 98 of which are required to assure full power availability for the
design life of the satellite. However, there can be no assurance
future anomalies will not cause further losses which could impact the remaining
life or commercial operation of the satellite. See discussion of
evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
II. EchoStar II can operate up to 16 transponders at 130 watts
per channel. During February 2007, the satellite experienced an
anomaly which prevented its north solar array from
rotating. Functionality was restored through a backup
system. The useful life of the satellite has not been affected and
the anomaly is not expected to result in the loss of power to the
satellite. However, if the backup system fails, a partial loss of
power would result which could impact the useful life or commercial operation of
the satellite. See discussion of evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
III. EchoStar III was originally designed to operate a maximum
of 32 transponders at approximately 120 watts per channel, switchable to 16
transponders operating at over 230 watts per channel, and was equipped with a
total of 44 transponders to provide redundancy. As a result of past
traveling wave tube amplifier (“TWTA”) failures on EchoStar III, TWTA anomalies
caused 26 transponders to fail leaving a maximum of 18 transponders currently
available for use. Due to redundancy switching limitations and
specific channel authorizations, we can only operate on 15 of the 19 FCC
authorized frequencies allocated to EchoStar III at the 61.5 degree
location. While we do not expect a large number of additional TWTAs
to fail in any year, and the failures have not reduced the original minimum
12-year design life of the satellite, it is likely that additional TWTA failures
will occur from time to time in the future, and those failures will further
impact commercial operation of the satellite. See discussion of
evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
IV. EchoStar IV currently operates at the 77 degree orbital
location, which is licensed by the government of Mexico to a venture in which we
hold a minority interest. The satellite was originally designed to
operate a maximum of 32 transponders at approximately 120 watts per channel,
switchable to 16 transponders operating at over 230 watts per
channel. As a result of past TWTA failures, only six transponders are
currently available for use and the satellite has been fully
depreciated. There can be no assurance that further material
degradation, or total loss of use, of EchoStar IV will not occur in the
immediate future. See discussion of evaluation of impairment in
“Long-Lived Satellite
Assets” below.
EchoStar
V. EchoStar V was originally designed with a minimum 12-year
design life. Momentum wheel failures in prior years, together with
relocation of the satellite between orbital locations, resulted in increased
fuel consumption, as previously disclosed. These issues have not
impacted commercial operation of the satellite. However, as a result
of these anomalies and the relocation of the satellite, during 2005, we reduced
the remaining estimated useful life of this satellite. Prior to 2007,
EchoStar V also experienced anomalies resulting in the loss of seven solar array
strings. During 2007, the satellite lost three additional solar array
strings, one in June and two in October. The solar array anomalies
have not impacted commercial operation of the satellite to
date. Since EchoStar V will be fully depreciated in October 2008, the
solar array failures (which will result in a reduction in the number of
transponders to which power can be provided in later years), have not reduced
the remaining useful life of the satellite. However, there can be no
assurance that future anomalies will not cause further losses which could impact
commercial operation, or the remaining life, of the satellite. See
discussion of evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
VI. EchoStar VI, which is being used as an in-orbit spare, was
originally equipped with 108 solar array strings, approximately 102 of which are
required to assure full power availability for the original minimum 12-year
useful life of the satellite. Prior to 2007, EchoStar VI experienced
anomalies resulting in the loss of 17 solar array strings. During the
fourth quarter 2007, five additional solar array strings failed, reducing the
number of functional solar array strings to 86. While the useful life
of the satellite has not been affected, commercial operability has been
reduced. The satellite was designed to operate 32 transponders at
approximately 125 watts per channel, switchable to 16 transponders operating at
approximately 225 watts per channel. The power reduction resulting
from the solar array failures which currently limits us to operation of a
maximum of 26 transponders in standard power mode, or 13 transponders in high
power mode, is expected to decrease to 25 and 12, respectively, by September
2008. The number of transponders to which power can be provided is
expected to continue to decline in the future at the rate of approximately one
transponder every three years. See discussion of evaluation of
impairment in “Long-Lived
Satellite Assets” below.
EchoStar
VII. During 2006, EchoStar VII experienced an anomaly which
resulted in the loss of a receiver. Service was quickly restored
through a spare receiver. These receivers process signals sent from
our uplink center, for transmission back to earth by the
satellite. The design life of the satellite has not been affected and
the anomaly is not expected to result in the loss of other receivers on the
satellite. However, there can be no assurance future anomalies will
not cause further receiver losses which could impact the useful life or
commercial operation of the satellite. In the event the spare
receiver placed in operation following the 2006 anomaly also fails, there would
be no impact to the satellite’s ability to provide service to the continental
United States (“CONUS”) when operating in CONUS mode. However, we
would lose one-fifth of the spot beam capacity when operating in spot beam
mode. See discussion of evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
VIII. EchoStar VIII was designed to operate 32 transponders at
approximately 120 watts per channel, switchable to 16 transponders operating at
approximately 240 watts per channel. EchoStar VIII also includes
spot-beam technology. This satellite has experienced several
anomalies since launch, but none have reduced the 12-year estimated useful life
of the satellite. However, there can be no assurance that future
anomalies will not cause further losses which could materially impact its
commercial operation, or result in a total loss of the satellite. We
depend on leased capacity on EchoStar VIII to provide service to CONUS at least
until such time as our EchoStar XI satellite has commenced commercial operation,
which is currently expected mid-year 2008. In the event that EchoStar VIII
experienced a total or substantial failure, we could transmit many, but not all,
of those channels from other in-orbit satellites. See discussion of
evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
IX. EchoStar IX was designed to operate 32 FSS transponders
operating at approximately 110 watts per channel, along with transponders that
can provide services in the Ka-Band (a “Ka-band payload”). The
satellite also includes a C-band payload which is owned by a third
party. Prior to 2007, EchoStar IX experienced the loss of one of its
three momentum wheels, two of which are utilized during normal
operations. A spare wheel was switched in at the time and the loss
did not reduce the 12-year estimated useful life of the
satellite. During September 2007, the satellite experienced anomalies
resulting in the loss of three solar array strings. An investigation
of the anomalies is continuing. The anomalies have not impacted
commercial operation of the satellite to date. However, there can be
no assurance future anomalies will not cause further losses, which could impact
the remaining life or commercial operation of the satellite. See
discussion of evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
X. EchoStar X’s 49 spot beams use up to 42 active 140 watt
TWTAs to provide standard and HD local channels and other programming to markets
across the United States. During January 2008, the satellite
experienced an anomaly which resulted in the failure of one solar array circuit
out of a total of 24 solar array circuits, approximately 22 of which are
required to assure full power for the original minimum 12-year design life of
the satellite. The cause of the failure is still being
investigated. The design life of the satellite has not been
affected. However, there can be no assurance future anomalies will
not cause further losses, which could impact commercial operation of the
satellite or its useful life. In the event our EchoStar X satellite
experienced a significant failure, we would lose the ability to deliver local
network channels in many markets. While we would attempt to minimize
the number of lost markets through the use of spare satellites and programming
line up changes, some markets would be without local channels until a
replacement satellite with similar spot beam capability could be launched and
operational. See discussion of evaluation of impairment in “Long-Lived Satellite Assets”
below.
EchoStar
XII. EchoStar XII was designed to operate 13 transponders at
270 watts per channel, in CONUS mode, or 22 spot beams using a combination of
135 and 65 watt TWTAs. We currently operate the satellite in CONUS
mode. EchoStar XII has a total of 24 solar array circuits,
approximately 22 of which are required to assure full power for the original
minimum 12-year design life of the satellite. Since late 2004, eight
solar array circuits on EchoStar XII have experienced anomalous behavior
resulting in both temporary and permanent solar array circuit
failures. The cause of the failures is still being
investigated. The design life of the satellite has not been
affected. However, these temporary and permanent failures have
resulted in a reduction in power to the satellite which will preclude us from
using the full complement of transponders on EchoStar XII for the 12-year design
life of the satellite. The extent of this impact is being
investigated. There can be no assurance future anomalies will not
cause further losses, which could further impact commercial operation of the
satellite or its useful life. See discussion of evaluation of
impairment in “Long-Lived
Satellite Assets” below.
Long-Lived
Satellite Assets. We account for impairments of long-lived
satellite assets in accordance with the provisions of Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or
Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS 144”). SFAS 144 requires
a long-lived asset or asset group to be tested for recoverability whenever
events or changes in circumstance indicate that its carrying amount may not be
recoverable. Based on the guidance under SFAS 144, we evaluate our
satellite fleet for recoverability as one asset group. While certain
of the anomalies discussed above, and previously disclosed, may be considered to
represent a significant adverse change in the physical condition of an
individual satellite, based on the redundancy designed within each satellite and
considering the asset grouping, these anomalies (none of which caused a loss of
service to subscribers for an extended period) are not considered to be
significant events that would require evaluation for impairment recognition
pursuant to the guidance under SFAS 144. Unless and until a specific
satellite is abandoned or otherwise determined to have no service potential, the
net carrying amount related to the satellite would not be written
off.
5. Long-Term
Debt
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010
The 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note, which was sold to AT&T in a privately
negotiated transaction, matures July 21, 2010 and is convertible into 6,866,245
shares of our Class A common stock at the option of AT&T at $72.82 per
share, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Effective as
of close of business on January 15, 2008, the conversion price was adjusted to
$60.25 per share (8,298,755 shares) as a result of the
Spin-off. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3% and is payable
semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 30 and December 31 of each
year.
The 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 is:
|
·
|
a
general unsecured obligation;
|
|
·
|
ranked
junior in right of payment with all of our existing and future senior
debt;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equal in right of payment to our existing convertible subordinated debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked
equal in right of payment to all other existing and future indebtedness
whenever the instrument expressly provides that such indebtedness ranks
equal with the 3% Convertible Subordinated Note due
2010.
|
The
indenture related to the 3% Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 contains
certain restrictive covenants that do not impose material limitations on
us.
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of the holder’s 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010 at a purchase price equal to 100% of the
aggregate principal amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest
thereon, to the date of repurchase. Commencing July 21, 2008, we may
redeem, and AT&T may require us to purchase, all or a portion of the note
without premium.
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
The 5
3/4% Senior Notes mature October 1, 2008. Interest accrues at an
annual rate of 5 3/4% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on April
1 and October 1 of each year.
The 5
3/4% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a
redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount plus a “make-whole”
premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest.
The 5
3/4% Senior Notes are:
|
·
|
general
unsecured senior obligations of
EDBS;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equally in right of payment with all of EDBS’ and the guarantors’ existing
and future unsecured senior debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked effectively junior to our
and the guarantors’ current and future secured senior indebtedness up to
the value of the collateral securing such
indebtedness.
|
The
indenture related to the 5 3/4% Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants
that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of EDBS and its
restricted subsidiaries to:
|
·
|
incur
additional indebtedness or enter into sale and leaseback
transactions;
|
|
·
|
pay
dividends or make distribution on EDBS’ capital stock or repurchase EDBS’
capital stock;
|
|
·
|
make
certain investments;
|
|
·
|
enter
into transactions with affiliates;
|
|
·
|
merge
or consolidate with another company;
and
|
|
·
|
transfer
and sell assets.
|
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of a holder’s 5 3/4%
Senior Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount
thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of
repurchase.
6
3/8% Senior Notes due 2011
The 6
3/8% Senior Notes mature October 1, 2011. Interest accrues at an
annual rate of 6 3/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on April
1 and October 1 of each year.
The 6
3/8% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a
redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount plus a “make-whole”
premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest.
The 6
3/8% Senior Notes are:
|
·
|
general
unsecured senior obligations of
EDBS;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equally in right of payment with all of EDBS’ and the guarantors’ existing
and future unsecured senior debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked effectively junior to our
and the guarantors’ current and future secured senior indebtedness up to
the value of the collateral securing such
indebtedness.
|
The
indenture related to the 6 3/8% Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants
that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of EDBS and its
restricted subsidiaries to:
|
·
|
incur
additional indebtedness or enter into sale and leaseback
transactions;
|
|
·
|
pay
dividends or make distribution on EDBS’ capital stock or repurchase EDBS’
capital stock;
|
|
·
|
make
certain investments;
|
|
·
|
enter
into transactions with affiliates;
|
|
·
|
merge
or consolidate with another company;
and
|
|
·
|
transfer
and sell assets.
|
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of a holder’s 6 3/8%
Senior Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount
thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of
repurchase.
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011
The 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note, which was sold to CenturyTel Service Group, LLC
(“CTL”) in a privately negotiated transaction, matures August 25, 2011 and is
convertible into 398,724 shares of our Class A common stock at the option of CTL
at $62.70 per share, subject to adjustment in certain
circumstances. Effective as of close of business on January 15, 2008,
the conversion price was adjusted to $51.88 per share (481,881 shares) as a
result of the Spin-off. Interest accrues at an annual rate of 3% and
is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on June 30 and December 31 of each
year.
The 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011 is:
|
·
|
a
general unsecured obligation;
|
|
·
|
ranked
junior in right of payment with all of our existing and future senior
debt;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equal in right of payment to our existing convertible subordinated debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked
equal in right of payment to all other existing and future indebtedness
whenever the instrument expressly provides that such indebtedness ranks
equal with the 3% Convertible Subordinated Note due
2011.
|
The
indenture related to the 3% Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011 contains
certain restrictive covenants that do not impose material limitations on
us.
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of the holder’s 3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011 at a purchase price equal to 100% of the
aggregate principal amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest
thereon, to the date of repurchase. Commencing August 25, 2009, we
may redeem, and CTL may require us to purchase, all or a portion of the note
without premium.
6
5/8% Senior Notes due 2014
The 6
5/8% Senior Notes mature October 1, 2014. Interest accrues at an
annual rate of 6 5/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on April
1 and October 1 of each year.
The 6
5/8% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a
redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount plus a “make-whole”
premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest.
The 6
5/8% Senior Notes are:
|
·
|
general
unsecured senior obligations of
EDBS;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equally in right of payment with all of EDBS’ and the guarantors’ existing
and future unsecured senior debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked
effectively junior to our and the guarantors’ current and future secured
senior indebtedness up to the value of the collateral securing such
indebtedness.
|
The
indenture related to the 6 5/8% Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants
that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of EDBS and its
restricted subsidiaries to:
|
·
|
incur
additional indebtedness or enter into sale and leaseback
transactions;
|
|
·
|
pay
dividends or make distribution on EDBS’ capital stock or repurchase EDBS’
capital stock;
|
|
·
|
make
certain investments;
|
|
·
|
enter
into transactions with affiliates;
|
|
·
|
merge
or consolidate with another company;
and
|
|
·
|
transfer
and sell assets.
|
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of a holder’s 6 5/8%
Senior Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount
thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of
repurchase.
7
1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
On
February 2, 2006, we sold $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of our
ten-year, 7 1/8% Senior Notes due February 1, 2016. Interest accrues
at an annual rate of 7 1/8% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on
February 1 and August 1 of each year, commencing on August 1, 2006.
The 7
1/8% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a
redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole”
premium, as defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest. Prior to February 1, 2009, we may also redeem up to 35% of
each of the 7 1/8% Senior Notes at specified premiums with the net cash proceeds
from certain equity offerings or capital contributions.
The 7
1/8% Senior Notes are:
|
·
|
general
unsecured senior obligations of
EDBS;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equally in right of payment with all of EDBS’ and the guarantors’ existing
and future unsecured senior debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked effectively junior to our
and the guarantors’ current and future secured senior indebtedness up to
the value of the collateral securing such
indebtedness.
|
The
indenture related to the 7 1/8% Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants
that, among other things, impose limitations on the ability of EDBS and its
restricted subsidiaries to:
|
·
|
pay
dividends or make distribution on EDBS’ capital stock or repurchase EDBS’
capital stock;
|
|
·
|
make
certain investments;
|
|
·
|
create
liens or enter into sale and leaseback
transactions;
|
|
·
|
enter
into transactions with affiliates;
|
|
·
|
merge
or consolidate with another company;
and
|
|
·
|
transfer
and sell assets.
|
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of a holder’s 7 1/8%
Senior Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount
thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of
repurchase.
7%
Senior Notes due 2013
On
October 18, 2006, we sold $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of our
seven-year, 7% Senior Notes due October 1, 2013. Interest accrues at
an annual rate of 7% and is payable semi-annually in cash, in arrears on April 1
and October 1 of each year, commencing on April 1, 2007. The proceeds
from the sale of the notes replaced the cash on hand that was used to redeem our
outstanding Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2008 on October 1, 2006.
The 7%
Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time at a redemption
price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus a “make-whole” premium, as
defined in the related indenture, together with accrued and unpaid
interest. Prior to October 1, 2009, we may also redeem up to 35% of
each of the 7% Senior Notes at specified premiums with the net cash proceeds
from certain equity offerings or capital contributions.
The 7%
Senior Notes are:
|
·
|
general
unsecured senior obligations of
EDBS;
|
|
·
|
ranked
equally in right of payment with all of EDBS’ and the guarantors’ existing
and future unsecured senior debt;
and
|
|
·
|
ranked
effectively junior to our and the guarantors’ current and future secured
senior indebtedness up to the value of the collateral securing such
indebtedness.
|
The
indenture related to the 7% Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants that,
among other things, impose limitations on the ability of EDBS and its restricted
subsidiaries to:
|
·
|
pay
dividends or make distribution on EDBS’ capital stock or repurchase EDBS’
capital stock;
|
|
·
|
make
certain investments;
|
|
·
|
create
liens or enter into sale and leaseback
transactions;
|
|
·
|
enter
into transactions with affiliates;
|
|
·
|
merge
or consolidate with another company;
and
|
|
·
|
transfer
and sell assets.
|
In the
event of a change of control, as defined in the related indenture, we would be
required to make an offer to repurchase all or any part of a holder’s 7% Senior
Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount
thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to the date of
repurchase.
Interest
on Long-Term Debt
|
|
|
Annual
|
|
|
Semi-Annual
|
|
Debt
Service
|
|
|
Payment
Dates
|
|
Requirements
|
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2010
|
June
30 and December 31
|
|
$ |
15,000,000 |
|
5
3/4% Senior Notes due 2008
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
57,500,000 |
|
6
3/8% Senior Notes due 2011
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
63,750,000 |
|
3%
Convertible Subordinated Note due 2011
|
June
30 and December 31
|
|
$ |
750,000 |
|
6
5/8% Senior Notes due 2014
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
66,250,000 |
|
7
1/8% Senior Notes due 2016
|
February
1 and August 1
|
|
$ |
106,875,000 |
|
7 %
Senior Notes due 2013
|
April
1 and October 1
|
|
$ |
35,000,000 |
|
Our
ability to meet our debt service requirements will depend on, among other
factors, the successful execution of our business strategy, which is subject to
uncertainties and contingencies beyond our control.
Capital
Lease Obligations, Mortgages and Other Notes Payable
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable consist of the
following:
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Satellites
financed under capital lease obligations
|
|
$ |
563,547 |
|
|
$ |
404,942 |
|
8%
note payable for EchoStar VII satellite vendor financing, payable over 13
years from launch
|
|
|
10,906 |
|
|
|
11,856 |
|
8%
note payable for EchoStar IX satellite vendor financing, payable over 14
years from launch
|
|
|
8,139 |
|
|
|
8,659 |
|
6%
note payable for EchoStar X satellite vendor financing, payable over 15
years from launch
|
|
|
13,248 |
|
|
|
13,955 |
|
Mortgages
and other unsecured notes payable due in installments through 2017with
interest rates ranging from approximately 2% to 21%
|
|
|
4,864 |
|
|
|
2,909 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
600,704 |
|
|
$ |
442,321 |
|
Less
current portion
|
|
|
(50,454 |
) |
|
|
(38,464 |
) |
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable, net of current
portion
|
|
$ |
550,250 |
|
|
$ |
403,857 |
|
Capital
Lease Obligations
As of
December 31, 2007, we leased four in-orbit satellites, discussed below, three of
which are accounted for as capital leases pursuant to SFAS 13 and are
depreciated over the terms of the satellite service agreements. Our AMC-15 and
AMC-16 satellites were transfered to Echostar in connection with the
Spin-off.
AMC-15. We made
monthly payments to SES Americom to lease all of the capacity on AMC 15, an FSS
satellite, which commenced commercial operation during January
2005. The ten-year satellite service agreement for this
satellite was renewable by us on a year to year basis following the initial
term, and provided us with certain rights to replacement
satellites.
AMC-16. We also
made monthly payments to SES Americom to lease all of the capacity on AMC 16, an
FSS satellite, which commenced commercial operation during February
2005. The ten-year satellite service agreement for this
satellite was renewable by us on a year to year basis following the initial
term, and provided us with certain rights to replacement
satellites.
Anik F3. Anik F3,
an FSS satellite, was launched and commenced commercial operation during April
2007. We have leased all of the 32 Ku-band transponders capacity on
Anik F3 for a period of 15 years. In accordance with SFAS 13, we have
accounted for this agreement as a capital lease asset by recording $223 million
as the estimated fair value of the satellite and recording a capital lease
obligation in the amount of $198 million.
As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, we had $775 million and $552 million capitalized for
the estimated fair value of satellites acquired under capital leases included in
“Property and equipment, net,” with related accumulated depreciation of $175
million and $108 million, respectively. In our Consolidated
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss), we recognized $66
million, $55 million and $53 million in depreciation expense on satellites
acquired under capital lease agreements during the years ended December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Future
minimum lease payments under these capital lease obligations, together with the
present value of the net minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2007 are as
follows:
For
the Year Ending December 31,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
$ |
134,351 |
|
2009
|
|
|
134,351 |
|
2010
|
|
|
134,351 |
|
2011
|
|
|
134,351 |
|
2012
|
|
|
134,351 |
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
616,025 |
|
Total
minimum lease payments
|
|
|
1,287,780 |
|
Less: Amount
representing lease of the orbital location and estimated executory costs
(primarily insurance and maintenance) including profit thereon, included
in total minimum lease payments
|
|
|
(475,576 |
) |
Net
minimum lease payments
|
|
|
812,204 |
|
Less: Amount
representing interest
|
|
|
(248,657 |
) |
Present
value of net minimum lease payments
|
|
|
563,547 |
|
Less: Current
portion
|
|
|
(46,415 |
) |
Long-term
portion of capital lease obligations
|
|
$ |
517,132 |
|
Future
maturities of our outstanding long-term debt, including the current portion, are
summarized as follows:
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Long-term
debt obligations
|
|
$ |
5,525,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,500,000 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
1,025,000 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
3,000,000 |
|
Capital
lease obligations, mortgages and other notes payable
|
|
|
600,704 |
|
|
|
50,454 |
|
|
|
56,012 |
|
|
|
59,665 |
|
|
|
65,217 |
|
|
|
71,701 |
|
|
|
297,655 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
6,125,704 |
|
|
$ |
1,550,454 |
|
|
$ |
56,012 |
|
|
$ |
59,665 |
|
|
$ |
1,090,217 |
|
|
$ |
71,701 |
|
|
$ |
3,297,655 |
|
6. Income
Taxes
As of
December 31, 2007, we had net operating loss carryforwards (“NOL’s”) for federal
income tax purposes of $362 million and tax benefits related to credit
carryforwards of $70 million. We have recorded in 2007, tax benefits
for state NOL carryforwards of $11 million. The NOL’s begin to expire
in the year 2020 and credit carryforwards will begin to expire in the year
2010.
Our
income tax policy is to record the estimated future tax effects of temporary
differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and amounts reported
in our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as well as probable operating loss, tax
credit and other carryforwards. We follow the guidelines set forth in
SFAS 109 regarding the recoverability of any tax assets recorded on the balance
sheet and provide any necessary valuation allowances as required. In
accordance with SFAS 109, we periodically evaluate our need for a valuation
allowance. Determining necessary valuation allowances requires us to
make assessments about historical financial information as well as the timing of
future events, including the probability of expected future taxable income and
available tax planning opportunities. During the second quarter of
2005, we concluded the recoverability of certain of our deferred tax assets was
more likely than not and accordingly reversed the portion of the valuation
allowance which was no longer required.
As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Federal NOL includes amounts related to tax
deductions for exercised options that have been allocated directly to
contributed capital for exercised stock options totaling $90 million and $192
million, respectively.
Stock
option compensation expenses for which an estimated deferred tax benefit was
previously recorded exceeded the actual tax deductions allowed during 2007 and
2006. Tax charges associated with the reversal of the prior tax
benefit have been reported in “Additional paid-in capital” in accordance with
APB 25 and SFAS 123R. During 2007, 2006 and 2005, charges of $11
million, $7 million and $10 million, respectively, were made to additional
paid-in capital.
The
components of the (provision for) benefit from income taxes are as
follows:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Current
(provision) benefit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Federal
|
|
$ |
(27,312 |
) |
|
$ |
(23,027 |
) |
|
$ |
(15,864 |
) |
State
|
|
|
(66,844 |
) |
|
|
(29,502 |
) |
|
|
(14,958 |
) |
Foreign
|
|
|
(1,012 |
) |
|
|
(2,818 |
) |
|
|
(1,614 |
) |
|
|
|
(95,168 |
) |
|
|
(55,347 |
) |
|
|
(32,436 |
) |
Deferred
(provision) benefit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Federal
|
|
|
(378,514 |
) |
|
|
(304,896 |
) |
|
|
(363,457 |
) |
State
|
|
|
(23,902 |
) |
|
|
38,467 |
|
|
|
(11,692 |
) |
Foreign
|
|
|
(360 |
) |
|
|
(291 |
) |
|
|
247 |
|
Decrease
(increase) in valuation allowance
|
|
|
3,845 |
|
|
|
7,324 |
|
|
|
914,787 |
|
|
|
|
(398,931 |
) |
|
|
(259,396 |
) |
|
|
539,885 |
|
Total
benefit (provision)
|
|
$ |
(494,099 |
) |
|
$ |
(314,743 |
) |
|
$ |
507,449 |
|
The
actual tax provisions for 2007, 2006 and 2005 reconcile to the amounts computed
by applying the statutory Federal tax rate to income before taxes as
follows:
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
%
of pre-tax (income)/loss
|
|
Statutory
rate
|
|
|
(35.0 |
) |
|
|
(35.0 |
) |
|
|
(35.0 |
) |
State
income taxes, net of Federal benefit
|
|
|
(4.3 |
) |
|
|
0.7 |
|
|
|
(1.7 |
) |
Foreign
taxes and income not U.S. taxable
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
Stock
option compensation
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
(0.5 |
) |
Deferred
tax asset adjustment for filed returns
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
(0.6 |
) |
|
|
(2.8 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
(0.2 |
) |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
Decrease
(increase) in valuation allowance
|
|
|
0.3 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
90.8 |
|
Total
benefit (provision) for income taxes
|
|
|
(39.5 |
) |
|
|
(34.1 |
) |
|
|
50.4 |
|
The year
ended December 31, 2007 includes a deferred tax liability of $16 million related
to the conversion of one of our subsidiaries to a limited liability company from
a corporation in connection with the Spin-off.
The year
ended December 31, 2006 includes a credit of $14 million related to the
recognition of state net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) for prior
periods. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2006, includes a
credit of $8 million related to amended state filings. The income tax
benefit for the year ended December 31, 2005 included credits of $593 million
and $322 million to our provision for income taxes resulting from the reversal
and current year activity, respectively, of our recorded valuation
allowance.
The
temporary differences, which give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities as
of December 31, 2007 and 2006, are as follows:
|
|
As
of December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Deferred
tax assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOL,
credit and other carryforwards
|
|
$ |
196,465 |
|
|
$ |
594,742 |
|
Unrealized
losses on investments
|
|
|
68,602 |
|
|
|
47,593 |
|
Accrued
expenses
|
|
|
68,602 |
|
|
|
96,716 |
|
Stock
compensation
|
|
|
10,429 |
|
|
|
8,128 |
|
Deferred
revenue
|
|
|
79,189 |
|
|
|
67,329 |
|
FIN
48 amounts |
|
|
5,876 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Other
|
|
|
13,079 |
|
|
|
12,408 |
|
Total
deferred tax assets
|
|
|
442,242 |
|
|
|
826,916 |
|
Valuation
allowance
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(4,034 |
) |
Deferred
tax asset after valuation allowance
|
|
|
442,242 |
|
|
|
822,882 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred
tax liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
method investments
|
|
|
(13,119 |
) |
|
|
(14,363 |
) |
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
(439,687 |
) |
|
|
(432,072 |
) |
State
taxes net of federal effect
|
|
|
(14,060 |
) |
|
|
6,111 |
|
Other
|
|
|
(19,056 |
) |
|
|
(26,409 |
) |
Total
deferred tax liabilities
|
|
|
(485,922 |
) |
|
|
(466,733 |
) |
Net
deferred tax asset (liability)
|
|
$ |
(43,680 |
) |
|
$ |
356,149 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
portion of net deferred tax asset (liability)
|
|
$ |
342,813 |
|
|
$ |
548,766 |
|
Noncurrent
portion of net deferred tax asset (liability)
|
|
|
(386,493 |
) |
|
|
(192,617 |
) |
Total
net deferred tax asset (liability)
|
|
$ |
43,680 |
|
|
$ |
356,149 |
|
The December 31, 2006 deferred tax
assets and liabilities have been reclassified to conform to the current year
presentation.
7. Stockholders’
Equity (Deficit)
Common
Stock
The Class
A, Class B and Class C common stock are equivalent except for voting
rights. Holders of Class A and Class C common stock are entitled to
one vote per share and holders of Class B common stock are entitled to 10 votes
per share. Each share of Class B and Class C common stock is
convertible, at the option of the holder, into one share of Class A common
stock. Upon a change in control of ECC, each holder of outstanding
shares of Class C common stock is entitled to 10 votes for each share of Class C
common stock held. Our principal stockholder owns the majority of all
outstanding Class B common stock and, together with all other stockholders, owns
outstanding Class A common stock. There are no shares of Class C
common stock outstanding.
Common
Stock Repurchase Programs
During
2004, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an aggregate of up to
$1.0 billion of our Class A common stock. Prior to 2007, we purchased
a total of 13.6 million shares for $374 million under this
plan. During November 2007, our Board of Directors authorized an
increase in the maximum dollar value of shares that may be repurchased under the
plan, such that we are currently authorized to repurchase up to an aggregate of
$1.0 billion of our outstanding shares through and including December 31,
2008. We did not repurchase any of our Class A common stock pursuant
to our repurchase program discussed above during the period from January 1, 2007
through December 31, 2007. Our share repurchase program does not
require us to acquire any specific number or amount of securities and may be
terminated at any time.
8. Employee
Benefit Plans
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan
During
1997, the Board of Directors and stockholders approved an employee stock
purchase plan (the “ESPP”), effective beginning October 1,
1997. During 2006, this plan was amended for the purpose of
registering an additional 1,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and was
approved by the stockholders at our Annual Meeting held on May 11, 2006 by the
requisite vote of stockholders. Under the ESPP, we are now authorized
to issue a total of 1,800,000 shares of Class A common
stock. Substantially all full-time employees who have been employed
by us for at least one calendar quarter are eligible to participate in the
ESPP. Employee stock purchases are made through payroll
deductions. Under the terms of the ESPP, employees may not deduct an
amount which would permit such employee to purchase our capital stock under all
of our stock purchase plans at a rate which would exceed $25,000 in fair value
of capital stock in any one year. The purchase price of the stock is
85% of the closing price of the Class A common stock on the last business day of
each calendar quarter in which such shares of Class A common stock are deemed
sold to an employee under the ESPP. During 2007, 2006 and 2005
employees purchased approximately 80,000, 89,000, and 97,000 shares of Class A
common stock through the ESPP, respectively.
401(k)
Employee Savings Plan
We
sponsor a 401(k) Employee Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for eligible
employees. Voluntary employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan may be
matched 50% by us, subject to a maximum annual contribution of $1,000 per
employee. During the first quarter of 2008, this amount increased to
$1,500. Forfeitures of unvested participant balances which are
retained by the 401(k) Plan may be used to fund matching and discretionary
contributions. Expense recognized related to matching 401(k)
contributions, net of forfeitures, totaled $2 million, $2 million and less than
$1 million during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively.
We also
may make an annual discretionary contribution to the plan with approval by our
Board of Directors, subject to the maximum deductible limit provided by the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. These contributions may be
made in cash or in our stock. Discretionary stock contributions, net
of forfeitures, were $20 million, $18 million and $15 million relating to the
401(k) Plan years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively.
9. Commitments
and Contingencies
Commitments
Future
maturities of our contractual obligations are summarized as
follows:
|
|
Payments
due by period
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Satellite-related
obligations
|
|
$ |
2,125,234 |
|
|
$ |
721,053 |
|
|
$ |
309,957 |
|
|
$ |
142,291 |
|
|
$ |
110,272 |
|
|
$ |
78,557 |
|
|
$ |
763,104 |
|
Operating
lease obligations
|
|
|
72,758 |
|
|
|
27,504 |
|
|
|
19,491 |
|
|
|
13,912 |
|
|
|
6,624 |
|
|
|
2,416 |
|
|
|
2,811 |
|
Purchase
obligations
|
|
|
1,524,899 |
|
|
|
1,405,978 |
|
|
|
55,921 |
|
|
|
40,290 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
11,000 |
|
|
|
710 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
3,722,891 |
|
|
$ |
2,154,535 |
|
|
$ |
385,369 |
|
|
$ |
196,493 |
|
|
$ |
127,896 |
|
|
$ |
91,973 |
|
|
$ |
766,625 |
|
In
certain circumstances the dates on which we are obligated to make these payments
could be delayed. These amounts will increase to the extent we
procure insurance for our satellites or contract for the construction, launch or
lease of additional satellites.
Satellite-Related
Obligations
Satellites under
Construction. As of December 31, 2007, we had entered into the
following contracts to construct new satellites which are contractually
scheduled to be completed within the next three years. Future
commitments related to these satellites are included in the table above under
“Satellite-related obligations” except where noted below. As indicated below,
certain of these contracts were transferred to EchoStar in connection with the
Spin-off.
|
·
|
During
2004, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XI which
is expected to be launched mid-year
2008.
|
|
·
|
The
CMBStar satellite is an S-band satellite intended to be used in EchoStar’s
mobile video project in China and is scheduled to be completed during the
second half of 2008. If the required regulatory approvals are
obtained and contractual conditions are satisfied, the transponder
capacity of that satellite will be leased to a Hong Kong joint venture,
which in turn will sublease a portion of the transponder capacity to an
affiliate of a Chinese regulatory entity. The CMBStar Contract was
transferred to EchoStar in the
Spin-off.
|
|
·
|
Three
additional Ka and/or Ku-band satellites are contractually scheduled to be
completed between 2009 and 2011. These contracts were also transferred to
EchoStar in the Spin-off.
|
|
·
|
During
2007, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XIV, an
SSL DBS satellite, which is expected to be completed during
2009.
|
Leased
Satellites. In addition to our leases of the AMC-15, AMC-16
and Anik F3 satellites (Note 5), as of December 31, 2007 we had also entered
into satellite service agreements to lease capacity on the following
satellites. Future commitments related to these satellites are included in
the table above under “Satellite-related obligations.”
|
·
|
An
SES Americom DBS satellite (“AMC-14”) which is currently expected to
launch in March 2008 and to commence commercial operation
at the 61.5 degree orbital location. The initial ten-year
lease for all of the capacity on the satellite, which was transferred to
EchoStar in connection with the Spin-off, will be accounted for as a
capital lease. We expect to enter into an initial ten-year lease with
EchoStar for all of the capacity of AMC-14. Future commitments related to
this satellite are not included in the table above under
"Satellite-related
obligations."
|
|
·
|
A
Canadian DBS satellite (“Ciel 2”) is currently expected to be launched in
late 2008 and commence commercial operation at the 129 degree orbital
location. We will lease at least 50% of the capacity of this
satellite for an initial ten-year term. The lease will be
accounted for as a capital lease.
|
Purchase
Obligations
Our 2008
purchase obligations primarily consist of binding purchase orders for our
receiver systems and related equipment, and for products and services related to
the operation of our DISH Network. Our purchase obligations also
include certain guaranteed fixed contractual commitments to purchase programming
content.
Programming
Contracts
In the
normal course of business, we have also entered into numerous contracts to
purchase programming content whereby our payment obligations are fully
contingent on the number of subscribers to which we provide the respective
content. These programming commitments are not included in the table
above. The terms of our contracts typically range from one to ten
years. Our programming expenses will continue to increase to the
extent we are successful growing our subscriber base. Programming
expenses are included in “Subscriber-related expenses” in the accompanying
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(Loss).
Rent
Expense
Total
rent expense for operating leases approximated $75 million, $69 million and $68
million in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Patents
and Intellectual Property
Many
entities, including some of our competitors, now have and may in the future
obtain patents and other intellectual property rights that cover or affect
products or services directly or indirectly related to those that we
offer. We may not be aware of all patents and other intellectual
property rights that our products may potentially infringe. Damages
in patent infringement cases can include a tripling of actual damages in certain
cases. Further, we cannot estimate the extent to which we may be
required in the future to obtain licenses with respect to patents held by others
and the availability and cost of any such licenses. Various parties
have asserted patent and other intellectual property rights with respect to
components within our direct broadcast satellite system. We cannot be
certain that these persons do not own the rights they claim, that our products
do not infringe on these rights, that we would be able to obtain licenses from
these persons on commercially reasonable terms or, if we were unable to obtain
such licenses, that we would be able to redesign our products to avoid
infringement.
Contingencies
Acacia
During
2004, Acacia Media Technologies (“Acacia”) filed a lawsuit against us in the
United States District Court for the Northern District of
California. The suit also named DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, Cox and a
number of smaller cable companies as defendants. Acacia is an
intellectual property holding company which seeks to license the patent
portfolio that it has acquired. The suit alleges infringement of
United States Patent Nos. 5,132,992 (the ‘992 patent), 5,253,275 (the ‘275
patent), 5,550,863 (the ‘863 patent), 6,002,720 (the ‘720 patent) and 6,144,702
(the ‘702 patent). The ‘992, ‘863, ‘720 and ‘702 patents have been asserted
against us.
The
patents relate to various systems and methods related to the transmission of
digital data. The ‘992 and ‘702 patents have also been asserted
against several Internet content providers in the United States District Court
for the Central District of California. During 2004 and 2005, the
Court issued Markman rulings which found that the ‘992 and ‘702 patents were not
as broad as Acacia had contended, and that certain terms in the ‘702 patent were
indefinite. In April 2006, DISH Network and other defendants asked
the Court to rule that the claims of the ‘702 patent are invalid and not
infringed. That motion is pending. In June and September
2006, the Court held Markman hearings on the ‘992, ‘863 and ‘720 patents, and
issued a ruling during December 2006.
Acacia’s
various patent infringement cases have been consolidated for pre-trial purposes
in the United States District Court for the Northern District of
California. We intend to vigorously defend this case. In
the event that a Court ultimately determines that we infringe any of the
patents, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may include treble
damages and/or an injunction that could require us to materially modify certain
user-friendly features that we currently offer to consumers. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine
the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Broadcast
Innovation, L.L.C.
In 2001,
Broadcast Innovation, L.L.C. (“Broadcast Innovation”) filed a lawsuit against
us, DirecTV, Thomson Consumer Electronics and others in Federal District Court
in Denver, Colorado. The suit alleges infringement of United States
Patent Nos. 6,076,094 (the ‘094 patent) and 4,992,066 (the ‘066
patent). The ‘094 patent relates to certain methods and devices for
transmitting and receiving data along with specific formatting information for
the data. The ‘066 patent relates to certain methods and devices for
providing the scrambling circuitry for a pay television system on removable
cards. We examined these patents and believe that they are not
infringed by any of our products or services. Subsequently, DirecTV
and Thomson settled with Broadcast Innovation leaving us as the only
defendant.
During
2004, the judge issued an order finding the ‘066 patent invalid. Also
in 2004, the Court ruled the ‘094 patent invalid in a parallel case filed by
Broadcast Innovation against Charter and Comcast. In 2005, the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned the ‘094 patent
finding of invalidity and remanded the case back to the District
Court. During June 2006, Charter filed a reexamination request with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Court has stayed
the case pending reexamination. Our case remains stayed pending
resolution of the Charter case.
We intend
to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a Court ultimately
determines that we infringe any of the patents, we may be subject to substantial
damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain user-friendly features that we currently
offer to consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty
the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Channel
Bundling Class Action
On
September 21, 2007, a purported class of cable and satellite subscribers filed
an antitrust action against us in the United States District Court for the
Central District of California. The suit also names as defendants DirecTV,
Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Time Warner, Inc., Time Warner Cable, NBC
Universal, Viacom, Fox Entertainment Group, and Walt Disney
Company. The suit alleges, among other things, that the defendants
engaged in a conspiracy to provide customers with access only to bundled channel
offerings as opposed to giving customers the ability to purchase channels on an
“a la carte” basis. We filed a motion to dismiss, which the court has
not yet ruled upon. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of
the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Distant
Network Litigation
During
October 2006, a District Court in Florida entered a permanent nationwide
injunction prohibiting us from offering distant network channels to consumers
effective December 1, 2006. Distant networks are ABC, NBC, CBS and
Fox network channels which originate outside the community where the consumer
who wants to view them, lives. We have turned off all of our distant
network channels and are no longer in the distant network
business. Termination of these channels resulted in, among other
things, a small reduction in average monthly revenue per subscriber and free
cash flow, and a temporary increase in subscriber churn. The
plaintiffs in that litigation allege that we are in violation of the Court’s
injunction and have appealed a District Court decision finding that we are not
in violation. We intend to vigorously defend this case. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the appeal or
determine the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Enron
Commercial Paper Investment
During
October 2001, we received approximately $40 million from the sale of Enron
commercial paper to a third party broker. That commercial paper was
ultimately purchased by Enron. During November 2003, an action was
commenced in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New
York against approximately 100 defendants, including us, who invested in Enron’s
commercial paper. The complaint alleges that Enron’s October 2001
purchase of its commercial paper was a fraudulent conveyance and voidable
preference under bankruptcy laws. We dispute these
allegations. We typically invest in commercial paper and notes which
are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least two
nationally recognized statistical rating organizations. At the time
of our investment in Enron commercial paper, it was considered to be high
quality and low risk. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of
the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Finisar
Corporation
Finisar
Corporation (“Finisar”) obtained a $100 million verdict in the United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against DirecTV for patent
infringement. Finisar alleged that DirecTV’s electronic program guide
and other elements of its system infringe United States Patent No. 5,404,505
(the ‘505 patent).
In July
2006, we, together with NagraStar LLC, filed a Complaint for Declaratory
Judgment in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
against Finisar that asks the Court to declare that they and we do not infringe,
and have not infringed, any valid claim of the ‘505 patent. Trial is
not currently scheduled. The District Court has stayed our action
until the Federal Circuit has resolved DirecTV’s appeal.
We intend
to vigorously prosecute this case. In the event that a Court
ultimately determines that we infringe this patent, we may be subject to
substantial damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that
could require us to modify our system architecture. We cannot predict
with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of
any potential liability or damages.
Forgent
During
2005, Forgent Networks, Inc. (“Forgent”) filed a lawsuit against us in the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The
suit also named DirecTV, Charter, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cable One and Cox
as defendants. The suit alleged infringement of United States Patent
No. 6,285,746 (the ‘746 patent). The ‘746 patent discloses, among
other things, a video teleconferencing system which utilizes digital telephone
lines. Prior to trial, all of the other defendants settled with
Forgent. Forgent sought over $200 million in damages from DISH
Network. On May 21, 2007, the jury unanimously ruled in favor of DISH
Network, finding the ‘746 patent invalid. Forgent filed a motion for
a new trial, which the District Court denied. Forgent did not
appeal, so the District Court’s finding of invalidity is now final.
Global
Communications
On April
19, 2007, Global Communications, Inc. (“Global”) filed a patent infringement
action against us in the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Texas. The suit alleges infringement of United States Patent No.
6,947,702 (the ‘702 patent). This patent, which involves satellite
reception, was issued in September 2005. On October 24, 2007, the
United States Patent and Trademark Office granted our request for reexamination
of the ‘702 patent and issued an Office Action finding that all of the claims of
the ‘702 patent were invalid. Based on the PTO’s decision, we have
asked the District Court to stay the litigation until the reexamination
proceeding is concluded. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. In the event that a Court ultimately determines that we
infringe the ‘702 patent, we may be subject to substantial damages, which may
include treble damages and/or an injunction that could require us to materially
modify certain user-friendly features that we currently offer to
consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome
of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Katz
Communications
On June
21, 2007, Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. (“Katz”) filed a patent
infringement action against us in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of California. The suit alleges infringement of 19
patents owned by Katz. The patents relate to interactive voice
response, or IVR, technology. We intend to vigorously defend this
case. In the event that a Court ultimately determines that we
infringe any of the asserted patents, we may be subject to substantial damages,
which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could require us to
materially modify certain user-friendly features that we currently offer to
consumers. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome
of the suit or determine the extent of any potential liability or
damages.
Retailer
Class Actions
During
2000, lawsuits were filed by retailers in Colorado state and federal court
attempting to certify nationwide classes on behalf of certain of our
retailers. The plaintiffs are requesting the Courts declare certain
provisions of, and changes to, alleged agreements between us and the retailers
invalid and unenforceable, and to award damages for lost incentives and
payments, charge backs, and other compensation. We are vigorously
defending against the suits and have asserted a variety of
counterclaims. The federal court action has been stayed during the
pendency of the state court action. We filed a motion for summary
judgment on all counts and against all plaintiffs. The plaintiffs
filed a motion for additional time to conduct discovery to enable them to
respond to our motion. The Court granted limited discovery which
ended during 2004. The plaintiffs claimed we did not provide adequate
disclosure during the discovery process. The Court agreed, and
recently denied our motion for summary judgment as a result. The
final impact of the Court’s ruling cannot be fully assessed at this
time. Trial has been set for August 2008. We intend to
vigorously defend this case. We cannot predict with any degree of
certainty the outcome of the suit or determine the extent of any potential
liability or damages.
Superguide
During
2000, Superguide Corp. (“Superguide”) filed suit against us, DirecTV, Thomson
and others in the United States District Court for the Western District of North
Carolina, Asheville Division, alleging infringement of United States Patent Nos.
5,038,211 (the ‘211 patent), 5,293,357 (the ‘357 patent) and 4,751,578 (the ‘578
patent) which relate to certain electronic program guide functions, including
the use of electronic program guides to control VCRs. Superguide
sought injunctive and declaratory relief and damages in an unspecified
amount.
On
summary judgment, the District Court ruled that none of the asserted patents
were infringed by us. These rulings were appealed to the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. During 2004, the
Federal Circuit affirmed in part and reversed in part the District Court’s
findings and remanded the case back to the District Court for further
proceedings. In 2005, Superguide indicated that it would no longer
pursue infringement allegations with respect to the ‘211 and ‘357 patents and
those patents have now been dismissed from the suit. The District
Court subsequently entered judgment of non-infringement in favor of all
defendants as to the ‘211 and ‘357 patents and ordered briefing on Thomson’s
license defense as to the ‘578 patent. During December 2006, the
District Court found that there were disputed issues of fact regarding Thomson’s
license defense, and ordered a trial solely addressed to that
issue. That trial took place in March 2007. In July 2007,
the District Court ruled in favor of Superguide. As a result,
Superguide will be able to proceed with its infringement action against us,
DirecTV and Thomson.
We intend
to vigorously defend this case. In the event that a Court ultimately
determines that we infringe the ‘578 patent, we may be subject to substantial
damages, which may include treble damages and/or an injunction that could
require us to materially modify certain user-friendly electronic programming
guide and related features that we currently offer to consumers. We
cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of the suit or determine
the extent of any potential liability or damages.
Tivo
Inc.
On
January 31, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed in
part and reversed in part the April 2006 jury verdict concluding that certain of
our digital video recorders, or DVRs, infringed a patent held by
Tivo. In its decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed the jury’s
verdict of infringement on Tivo’s “software claims,” upheld the award of damages
from the district court, and ordered that the stay of the district court’s
injunction against us, which was issued pending appeal, will dissolve when the
appeal becomes final. The Federal Circuit, however, found that we did
not literally infringe Tivo’s “hardware claims,” and remanded such claims back
to the district court for further proceedings. We are appealing the
Federal Circuit’s ruling.
In
addition, we have developed and deployed ‘next-generation’ DVR software to our
customers’ DVRs. This improved software is fully operational and has
been automatically downloaded to current customers (the
“Design-Around”). We have formal legal opinions from outside counsel
that conclude that our Design-Around does not infringe, literally or under the
doctrine of equivalents, either the hardware or software claims of Tivo’s
patent.
In
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 5, “Accounting
for Contingencies” (“SFAS 5”), we recorded a total reserve of $128 million in
“Litigation expense” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets to reflect the jury
verdict, supplemental damages and pre-judgment interest awarded by the Texas
court. This amount also includes the estimated cost of any software
infringement prior to the Design-Around, plus interest subsequent to the jury
verdict.
If the
Federal Circuit’s decision is upheld and Tivo decides to challenge the
Design-Around, we will mount a vigorous defense. If we are not able
to successfully defend against claims that the Design-Around infringes Tivo’s
patent, we could be prohibited from distributing DVRs, or be required to modify
or eliminate certain user-friendly DVR features that we currently offer to
consumers. In that event we would be at a significant disadvantage to
our competitors who could offer this functionality and, while we would attempt
to provide that functionality through other manufacturers, the adverse affect on
our business could be material. We could also have to pay substantial
additional damages.
Trans
Video
In August
2006, Trans Video Electronic, Ltd. (“Trans Video”) filed a patent infringement
action against us in the United States District Court for the Northern District
of California. The suit alleges infringement of United States Patent
Nos. 5,903,621 (the ‘621 patent) and 5,991,801 (the ‘801 patent). The
patents relate to various methods related to the transmission of digital data by
satellite. On May 14, 2007, we reached a settlement with Trans Video
which did not have a material impact on our results of operations.
Other
In
addition to the above actions, we are subject to various other legal proceedings
and claims which arise in the ordinary course of business. In our
opinion, the amount of ultimate liability with respect to any of these actions
is unlikely to materially affect our financial position, results of operations
or liquidity.
10. Segment
Reporting
Financial
Data by Business Unit
Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 131, “Disclosures About Segments of an
Enterprise and Related Information” (“SFAS 131”) establishes standards for
reporting information about operating segments in annual financial statements of
public business enterprises and requires that those enterprises report selected
information about operating segments in interim financial reports issued to
stockholders. Operating segments are components of an enterprise
about which separate financial information is available and regularly evaluated
by the chief operating decision maker(s) of an enterprise. Total
assets by segment have not been specified because the information is not used by
the chief operating decision-maker. Under this definition we
currently operate as two business units. The All Other category
consists of revenue, expenses and net income (loss) from other operating
segments for which the disclosure requirements of SFAS 131 do not
apply.
|
|
|
|
|
EchoStar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DISH
|
|
|
Technologies
|
|
|
All
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
|
|
|
|
Network
|
|
|
Corporation
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
Eliminations
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Year
Ended December 31, 2007
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Total
revenue
|
|
$ |
10,808,753 |
|
|
$ |
177,774 |
|
|
$ |
141,100 |
|
|
$ |
(37,252 |
) |
|
$ |
11,090,375 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,215,626 |
|
|
|
8,238 |
|
|
|
105,546 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,329,410 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
9,198,397 |
|
|
|
232,382 |
|
|
|
123,972 |
|
|
|
(37,780 |
) |
|
|
9,516,971 |
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
134,136 |
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
3,696 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
137,872 |
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(404,628 |
) |
|
|
(43 |
) |
|
|
(648 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(405,319 |
) |
Other
|
|
|
(39,732 |
) |
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
(15,567 |
) |
|
|
(528 |
) |
|
|
(55,804 |
) |
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
|
(545,047 |
) |
|
|
31,565 |
|
|
|
19,383 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(494,099 |
) |
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
755,085 |
|
|
|
(23,023 |
) |
|
|
23,992 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
756,054 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
Ended December 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue
|
|
$ |
9,514,347 |
|
|
$ |
186,984 |
|
|
$ |
146,190 |
|
|
$ |
(29,035 |
) |
|
$ |
9,818,486 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
1,038,744 |
|
|
|
4,546 |
|
|
|
71,004 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,114,294 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
8,326,513 |
|
|
|
219,299 |
|
|
|
84,338 |
|
|
|
(29,035 |
) |
|
|
8,601,115 |
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
123,995 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
2,402 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
126,401 |
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(457,149 |
) |
|
|
(74 |
) |
|
|
(927 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(458,150 |
) |
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
|
(310,408 |
) |
|
|
22,887 |
|
|
|
(27,222 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(314,743 |
) |
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
581,342 |
|
|
|
(9,498 |
) |
|
|
36,428 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
608,272 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
Ended December 31, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue
|
|
$ |
8,172,592 |
|
|
$ |
174,195 |
|
|
$ |
113,899 |
|
|
$ |
(13,511 |
) |
|
$ |
8,447,175 |
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
744,624 |
|
|
|
4,597 |
|
|
|
56,352 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
805,573 |
|
Total
costs and expenses
|
|
|
7,039,054 |
|
|
|
190,479 |
|
|
|
63,905 |
|
|
|
(13,511 |
) |
|
|
7,279,927 |
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
42,316 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,202 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
43,518 |
|
Interest
expense, net of amounts capitalized
|
|
|
(372,752 |
) |
|
|
(105 |
) |
|
|
(987 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
(373,844 |
) |
Income
tax benefit (provision), net
|
|
|
514,048 |
|
|
|
(2,712 |
) |
|
|
(3,887 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
507,449 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
1,487,467 |
|
|
|
(19,097 |
) |
|
|
46,170 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
1,514,540 |
|
Geographic
Information and Transactions with Major Customers
|
|
United
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
States
|
|
|
International
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Long-lived
assets, including FCC authorizations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
$ |
5,182,587 |
|
|
$ |
196,958 |
|
|
$ |
5,379,545 |
|
2006
|
|
$ |
4,651,079 |
|
|
$ |
60,481 |
|
|
$ |
4,711,560 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
$ |
10,982,419 |
|
|
$ |
107,956 |
|
|
$ |
11,090,375 |
|
2006
|
|
$ |
9,739,699 |
|
|
$ |
78,787 |
|
|
$ |
9,818,486 |
|
2005
|
|
$ |
8,389,760 |
|
|
$ |
57,415 |
|
|
$ |
8,447,175 |
|
Revenues
are attributed to geographic regions based upon the location from where the sale
originated. United States revenue includes transactions with both
United States and customers abroad. International revenue includes
transactions with customers in Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle
East. Revenues from these customers are included within the All Other
operating segment.
Transactions
with Major Customer
During
the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, United States revenue in the
table above included export sales to one international customer. The
following table summarizes sales to each customer and its percentage of total
revenue.
|
|
For
the Years Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue:
|
|
|
|
Bell
ExpressVu
|
|
|
165,410 |
|
|
|
186,577 |
|
|
|
178,427 |
|
Other
|
|
|
10,924,965 |
|
|
|
9,631,909 |
|
|
|
8,268,748 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
$ |
11,090,375 |
|
|
$ |
9,818,486 |
|
|
$ |
8,447,175 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Percentage
of total revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bell
ExpressVu
|
|
|
1.5 |
% |
|
|
1.9 |
% |
|
|
2.1 |
% |
Revenue
from this customer is included within the EchoStar Technologies Corporation
operating segment.
11. Valuation
and Qualifying Accounts
Our
valuation and qualifying accounts as of December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 are as
follows:
|
|
Balance
at
Beginning
of
Year
|
|
|
Charged
to Costs and Expenses
|
|
|
Deductions
|
|
|
Balance
at
End
of
Year
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands)
|
|
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
the years ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
31, 2007
|
|
$ |
15,006 |
|
|
$ |
101,256 |
|
|
$ |
(102,243 |
) |
|
$ |
14,019 |
|
December
31, 2006
|
|
$ |
11,523 |
|
|
$ |
68,911 |
|
|
$ |
(65,428 |
) |
|
$ |
15,006 |
|
December
31, 2005
|
|
$ |
9,542 |
|
|
$ |
57,351 |
|
|
$ |
(55,370 |
) |
|
$ |
11,523 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserve
for inventory
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For
the years ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
31, 2007
|
|
$ |
12,878 |
|
|
$ |
2,642 |
|
|
$ |
(781 |
) |
|
$ |
14,739 |
|
December
31, 2006
|
|
$ |
10,185 |
|
|
$ |
10,123 |
|
|
$ |
(7,430 |
) |
|
$ |
12,878 |
|
December
31, 2005
|
|
$ |
10,389 |
|
|
$ |
3,980 |
|
|
$ |
(4,184 |
) |
|
$ |
10,185 |
|
12.
Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
Our
quarterly results of operations are summarized as follows:
|
|
For
the Three Months Ended
|
|
|
|
March
31
|
|
|
June
30
|
|
|
September
30
|
|
|
December
31
|
|
|
|
(In
thousands, except per share data)
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue
|
|
$ |
2,644,985 |
|
|
$ |
2,760,008 |
|
|
$ |
2,794,327 |
|
|
$ |
2,891,055 |
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
340,198 |
|
|
|
441,654 |
|
|
|
396,514 |
|
|
|
395,038 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
157,140 |
|
|
|
224,199 |
|
|
|
199,680 |
|
|
|
175,035 |
|
Basic
income per share
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
|
$ |
0.50 |
|
|
$ |
0.45 |
|
|
$ |
0.39 |
|
Diluted
income per share
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
|
$ |
0.50 |
|
|
$ |
0.44 |
|
|
$ |
0.39 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2006:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue (1)
|
|
$ |
2,299,391 |
|
|
$ |
2,466,155 |
|
|
$ |
2,475,291 |
|
|
$ |
2,577,649 |
|
Operating
income (loss)
|
|
|
274,196 |
|
|
|
349,641 |
|
|
|
281,810 |
|
|
|
311,724 |
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
147,281 |
|
|
|
168,779 |
|
|
|
139,616 |
|
|
|
152,596 |
|
Basic
income per share
|
|
$ |
0.33 |
|
|
$ |
0.38 |
|
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
Diluted
income per share
|
|
$ |
0.33 |
|
|
$ |
0.38 |
|
|
$ |
0.31 |
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
13. Related
Party Transactions
Prior to
the Spin-off, we owned 50% of NagraStar L.L.C. (“NagraStar”), a joint venture
that is our exclusive provider of encryption and related security systems
intended to assure that only paying customers have access to our
programming. Although we were not required to consolidate NagraStar,
we did have the ability to significantly influence its operating policies;
therefore, we accounted for our investment in NagraStar under the equity method
of accounting for all periods presented. During the years ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, we purchased security access devices from
NagraStar of $55 million, $56 million and $121 million,
respectively. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, amounts payable to
NagraStar totaled $3 million and $3 million,
respectively. Additionally, as of December 31, 2007, we were
committed to purchase $22 million of security access devices from
NagraStar.
On
January 1, 2008, we completed the Spin-off of our technology and certain
infrastructure assets into a separate publicly-traded company. DISH
Network and EchoStar now operate as separate publicly-traded companies, and
neither entity has any ownership interest in the other. Following the
Spin-off, Mr. Ergen controls approximately 80.0% of the voting power of DISH
Network and us.
The FCC
announced on January 14, 2008 that we were qualified to participate in the FCC
auction of the 700 MHz band. The 700 MHz spectrum is being returned
by television broadcasters as they move to digital from analog signals in early
2009. The spectrum has significant commercial value because 700 MHz
signals can travel long distances and penetrate thick walls. Under
the FCC’s anti-collusion and anonymous bidding rules for this auction, we are
not permitted to disclose publicly our interest level or activity level in the
auction, if any, at this time. Based on published reports, however,
we believe that any successful bidders will be required to expend significant
amounts to secure and commercialize these licenses. In particular if
we were to participate and be successful in this auction we could be required to
raise additional capital in order to secure and commercialize these licenses,
which may not be available to us on attractive terms in the current credit
market environment. Moreover, there can be no assurance that
successful bidders will be able to achieve a return on their investments in the
700MHz spectrum or to raise all the capital required to develop these
licenses.