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Financial life is looking good for <A HREF="http://www.echostar.com">EchoStar Communications Corporation</A>. The Littleton, CO-based direct broadcast satellite operator reported second-quarter profits of $45.8 million, with revenue up 21%, to $1.17 billion. EchoStar's subscribership increased by 295,000 during the quarter, and the company is predicting that it could add more than 1.2 million new subscribers to its DISH network in 2002, with a total approaching eight million by year's end. EchoStar reported the results August 15.

The cable industry isn't a happy one these days. Charter Communications, the fourth-largest cable provider in the US, is under investigation by federal prosecutors for possible accounting irregularities. Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Charter was on the receiving end of a grand jury subpoena delivered Thursday, August 15 by the US Attorney's office in St. Louis, MO, Charter's home city. The cable service has more than 6.8 million customers in 40 states.

Consumer interest in digital video recorders appears to be slowing, according to an August 13 report from <I>Screen Digest</I> magazine.

Tired of stumbling around in pitch-blackness? Want to watch movies in a well-lit room? Runco's "CX" series of plasma screens lets you do just that. The 42", 50", and 61" models of the company's PlasmaWall displays offer incredible brightness and extraordinary contrast.