EchoStar dishes it out

When residents of Boulder, Colo., voted recently not to renew Tele-Communications Inc.'s cable TV franchise, direct broadcast satellite carrier EchoStar Communications saw a marketing opportunity too good to pass up.

EchoStar is offering a free DISH network satellite television system-with a retail price tag of $600-to every TCI Boulder customer that can produce a current cable bill.

The offer, which extends through Dec. 1, requires subscribers to buy a one-year subscription to EchoStar's Top 50 CD programming package at a cost of $300. A second system is available for $299 with the purchase of a one-year subscription to the programming package.

TCI plans to re-enter the market as soon as possible, a company spokeswoman said. The vote means that the cable operator must now renegotiate its franchise with Boulder's city council.

"In a competitive environment, this sort of action shouldn't be surprising," she said of EchoStar's campaign. "But we're committed to continuing to offer quality service in the area, including local channels and a local presence in the community, which is something that our competitor does not have.