EchoStar

Dish Network Corp.'s (DISH) first-quarter earnings fell 40% on higher costs while the satellite-television operator's former EchoStar Corp. (SATS) unit posted a 97% profit decline.Dish has struggled to combat subscriber losses amid a maturing U.S. subscription-television market and the growing popularity of online entertainment. The company launched a Blockbuster-branded streaming service last year and has attempted to attract more affluent customers who are less likely to cancel their service.Dish also renewed its pursuit of Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) in January with a roughly $4.85 billion unsolicited bid for the wireless-broadband provider, although Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) had already agreed in December to buy the half of Clearwire it doesn't already own in a $2.2 billion deal. Dish has since offered $25.5 billion for the entirety of Sprint, putting the wireless carrier's Clearwire bid in question.Dish reported a profit of $216 million, down from $360 million a year earlier, reflecting ...

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