- - - DISH Recruits Another MDU Partner - - -

EchoStar signed a deal with Castle Cable Services, a private cable provider since 1993.

Under the deal, announced at the 1999 Private and Wireless Show in Denver, Castle Cable will offer EchoStar's DISH Network service to residents of apartments and other multi-family residential complexes. The agreement will allow EchoStar to expand further into the multiple dwelling unit (MDU) market, and could put the service into 20,000 apartment units serviced by Castle Cable.

Castle Cable's customers will have the opportunity to receive DISH Network programming in addition to Castle Cable's on-property channels. Castle Cable will receive customer orders, provide billing services and distribute DISH Network receivers.

EchoStar also has a deal in place with Optel, a private cable and competitive residential phone service provider that offers DISH Network to MDU residents.

- - - Itasca Abandons Dish Rebate - - -

Officials with Itasca, Ill., withdrew their proposal to offer residents rebates if they switch to satellite TV.

Apparently, local cable operator AT&T raised objections to the deal and the use of public funds.

Instead of the rebate, the town will hold a television fair on Saturday, Sept. 18. AT&T will host a booth alongside DirecTV and EchoStar.

- - - SkyFORUM Gets Campo As Speaker - - -

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association and SkyTRENDS announced that Richard Campo, chairman and CEO of Camden Property Trust, will address SkyFORUM attendees on multiple dwelling unit (MDU) issues.

Campo will speak at 9:40 a.m. as part of the 12th semi-annual SkyFORUM satellite/financial symposium, set for Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Campo has served as chairman and CEO of Camden Property Trust, a real estate company engaged in the ownership, development, acquisition, marketing, management and disposition of multi-family apartment communities, since May 1993. He was co-founder of Camden's predecessor companies in 1982.

Campo has been involved in development, management, acquisition and disposition of real estate properties valued in excess of $5 billion, and owns interests in and operates 149 properties from Florida to California.

For more information or to register, contact Rachel Zink at 703-549-6990 ext. 363 or send e-mail to rzink@sbca.org.

- - - Fox-AT&T Ink Retransmission Deal - - -

Fox Entertainment and AT&T Broadband & Internet Services announced a long-term retransmission consent agreement that will allow the cable operator to deliver digital signals for the broadcast network.

Under the deal, AT&T will provide more than 10 million subscribers with the digital signals of their local Fox owned-and-operated television stations, among other considerations. Fox has 22 major market stations, covering more than 40 percent of U.S. television homes.

Additionally, the parties agreed to work together to provide Fox's high-resolution programming to AT&T BIS customers through both traditional TV sets as well as digital TV sets.

- - - ON TV: - - -

• David Bowie Hosts Showtime Trilogy -
  David Bowie will host and star in one story of Showtime's new trilogy "The Hunger," adapted from the 1983 vampire flick Bowie starred in with Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. The series debuts at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Friday, Sept. 10. The trilogy will also feature appearances by Eric Roberts, Giovanni Ribisi and Kate Vernon.

• Health Network to Be Distributed Over AT&T BIS -
  The Health Network announced an agreement this week with AT&T Broadband & Internet Services in which the network will be launched on a majority of AT&T BIS cable systems. As part of this agreement, AT&T BIS also renewed and extended its contract with FOX Regional Sports Networks.

• SkyView Gets Greek Channel -
  SkyView World Media, a provider of foreign-language ethnic media services, will be adding a new Greek channel to its programming lineup. MEGA, which will launch Sept. 20, is the leading entertainment channel in Greece. It offers a variety of serials, talk shows, movies and sports.