Market Currents

• Friday, September 4, 2009

• 13:53 PM Dish Network (DISH +7.4%) and sister company EchoStar (SATS -0.1%) are ordered to pay nearly $200M to TiVo (TIVO +8.4%) for contempt of an order to stop providing an infringing DVR service, though TiVo had sought $974.5M. Comment!

• Wednesday, August 26, 2009

• 17:13 PM TiVo (TIVO) files a suit charging AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) with infringing three of its patents and seeking a permanent injunction to force the two companies to shut off their DVRs. The action is similar to one taken against Dish Network (DISH) and its sister company EchoStar (SATS), in what is becoming a protracted legal fight over time-shifting television. Comment!

• Friday, February 13, 2009

• 12:26 PM No one is a bigger tightwad than Charlie Ergen, CEO of Echostar (SATS) and DISH Network (DISH). So why the sudden hunger for Sirius XM Radio (SIRI)? Ergen may need Sirius as badly as the near-bankrupt radio company needs him. Comment!

• Wednesday, February 11, 2009

• 09:23 AM Sirius XM Radio (SIRI) -34% premarket after reports it has hired bankruptcy advisors. Sources say satellite mogul Charles Ergen wants to inject hundreds of millions into the company in exchange for control, but SIRI appears uninterested. It needs to raise $175M by Feb. 17 to repay bonds held by EchoStar (SATS). Comment!