JosephClayton
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Dish Network rumored to have bought Clearwire's $400 million debt in secret transaction
We're not in the habit of entering the dry world of corporate debt notes, but Sprint's latest financial release might disguise a juicy bit of news. There's a rumor in the business press that Dish Network might have bought around $400 million of Clearwire's debt -- helping relieve the pressure on Sprint, which has been keeping its subsidiary alive on handouts. Unsurprisingly, no-one's commenting on the rumors, although Dish CEO Joseph Clayton did say he was open to a partnership (or acquisition) with Sprint / Clearwire late last year. If true, it could signal that it's getting ready for a fight against AT&T -- or maybe it just wanted to throw Dan Hesse a bone.
Dish CEO muses about partnerships and acquisitions, possibly Sprint or Clearwire
We've already heard that Dish Network was in the mix for a possible Hulu acquisition (which still isn't off the table), but it looks like the company could also setting its sights even higher. Speaking with Bloomberg, Dish CEO Joseph Clayton talked a bit about the possibility of getting involved with a wireless carrier, noting that it will "look at partnerships, acquisitions, all of the above." When asked if that could include an acquisition or partnership with Sprint or Clearwire, Clayton reportedly said, "could be," and added a "stay tuned" when asked more generally about the possibility of a Dish wireless network (which could benefit from some of the company's existing spectrum holdings). Head on past the break for a video of the interview.
Charlie Ergen steps aside as President & CEO of Dish Network, will remain as Chairman
With the "Seinfeld strategy" of its Blockbuster and DBSD purchase, TiVo settlement and new multiroom boxes underway, apparently this is the right time for Dish Network's founder, President and Chief Executive Officer Charlie Ergen (pictured) to step aside. Joseph P. Clayton, formerly of Sirius, Global Crossing and Frontier will be the new president and CEO effective June 20th while Ergen will remain as Chairman of the company. We don't usually remark on executive changes at the companies we cover but Ergen's been out front leading the charge of Dish, EchoStar and Sling for some time now and it's notable to see him taking a less active leadership role. We don't know much about Clayton, but if he wants to get off on the right foot, taking credit for the "free Sling Adapters for everybody" promotion would probably be a good idea.
