DISH Launches Second Phase of its Election-Year ITV Application

DISH Launches Second Phase of its Election-Year ITV Application

Earlier this year, US satellite TV provider, DISH (formerly EchoStar),
launched the second phase of its election-year interactive TV
application, DISH Decision 2008. The first phase, dubbed "You Decide
2008" and based on technology from BIAP, presented DISH
subscribers with a series of questions designed to help match their
opinions with various candidates' positions. The second phase, which
was jointly developed with OpenTV, is designed to help them narrow
the 2008 presidential field by providing them with "unbiased"
information on the candidates' positions on key national issues.

To use the application, viewers first press the "DISH Interactive"
button on their remotes in order to access the DISH platform's ITV
portal, DishHOME. When they select "News," a prompt screen
appears, where they see an option for "Dish Decision 2008." After they
select it, the names of the Democratic, Independent and Republican
presidential field appear, and, once they select a candidate's name, they
are taken to an information screen that presents brief positions on such
issues as the environment, the "war on terror," taxes and immigration.

In addition, DISH subscribers can participate in daily, weekly and
monthly polls, using their remote, the Web or an SMS service
(provided by Cellpoint Mobile). The combined results are tabulated and
fed back to the various platforms via OpenTV's Participate platform.
"We are excited to launch DISH Decision 2008 and we are proud to
offer interactive applications that provide DISH Network customers
with information about the upcoming presidential elections ahead of the
February primaries,'' DISH EVP, Michael Kelly, said in a prepared
statement. "This is another example of DISH Network's leadership as
an ITV provider through our unique and compelling interactive
applications.''