EchoStar Communications [DISH] netted approximately 400,000 new subscribers during the fourth quarter to boost its subscriber total to 8.18 million at the end of 2002. EchoStar (Littleton, Colo.) also reported revenues for the quarter of $1.32 billion, up 15 percent from the $1.15 billion amassed during the October-December period in 2001.

EchoStar’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization totaled $193 million, an improvement of $22 million compared to $171 million for the corresponding period in 2001. But the company reported a net loss of $716 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $43 million during the same period a year earlier. The deterioration mostly was due to a charge of $690 million to terminate its proposed merger with Hughes Electronics [GMH].