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EchoStar, Rainbow Win DBS License Auction

By Staff Writer | July 21, 2004

      The Federal Communications Commission earlier this week said Rainbow DBS Company LLC and EchoStar Communications Corp. [DISH] won three direct broadcast satellite (DBS) licenses in an auction completed July 14. In a public notice dated July 19 but released after Satellite Today into went to production, the commission said Rainbow won two licenses to operate DBS services at 175 degrees West longitude and 166 degrees West longitude, paying $3.2 million for each orbital slot. EchoStar won a license to operate at 157 degrees West longitude, and that cost the company $5.8 million.