Satellite-TV provider Dish Network Corp had something of a mixed luck during the fourth quarter - while the company reported a 24 percent increase in its profits and a 1 percent rise in sales, it also mentioned a loss of over 100,000 subscribers! However, Dish's sister concern, EchoStar Corp. reported a widened net loss largely because of write-downs and acquisition charges.

Figuratively speaking, the fourth-quarter profits for Dish leaped from $175 million a year earlier to $217 million; with the sales increasing from $2.89 billion to $2.92 billion. At the same time, the 13.68 million subscribers that Dish was left with, marked a 1 percent drop from the 13.78 million subscribers it had in 2007-end.

In comparison to its bigger rival, DirecTV Group Inc, the focus of the Englewood, Colorado-based Dish is on the low-end consumers, a group which is economically shrinking amid the deepening economic downturn.

Meanwhile, EchoStar, in spite of a 37 percent increase in revenue to $496, still reported a $690 million net loss of $690 million, owing to write-downs and acquisition charges to the tune of $654 million.

In an endeavor to extend further into the satellite arena, the satellite tycoon Charles Ergen - who manages both Dish Network and EchoStar - made a play to lend a hand to satellite-radio operator Sirius in avoiding bankruptcy, in return for control of the company!