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1999 Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association Show READ ALL ABOUT IT! PAGE 5 EchoStar Extends Primestar Bounty Program Retailers should expect EchoStar Communications to keeping running a Primestar-related promotion for the foreseeable future, EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen said. “As long as there’s Primestar customers out there, whether its a month or another year, we’re going to give [customers] an incentive to switch over,” he said. EchoStar told retailers last week it was extending its Primestar Great Rewards bounty program until Aug. 31. The program offers Primestar subscribers a free EchoStar reception system and six free months of programming, valued at $19.99 per month, if they switch to EchoStar instead of DirecTv. DirecTv, which purchased Primestar’s medium-power DBS business earlier this year, said last week it converted approximately 20,000 former Primestar by DirecTv subscribers to the DirecTv service in June. GI Rep: Dealers Should Highlight New Market for C-band Satellite retailers are missing out on a potentially lucrative portion of the satellite TV market if they do not try to sell new C-band systems, Joe Cornwall, the senior sales representative for General Instrument’s 4D-TV unit, said during an educational workshop yesterday. The C-band market has changed considerably in recent years, he noted. Rather than focusing on rural areas as they have in the past, retailers instead should target affluent consumers who are eager to purchase the best electronics equipment available. “We need to shift our focus from where we were to where our future is,” Cornwall said. Although retailers often shy away from selling C-band systems because of their higher price tag compared to DBS systems, consumers can be persuaded to buy them if they are aware of the benefits they could enjoy, such as backhauls and wild feeds. TURN THE PAGE OTHER ISSUES TO LOOK FOR: Tuesday, July 20, 1999 Wednesday, July 21, 1999   Please direct questions about this site to general.mail@satbiznews.com q 1998 Satellite Business News Inc. All rights reserved.