EchoStar’s Hughes Satellite files for bankruptcy protection, executive exodus accelerates
Article excerpt
The Hughes bankruptcy filing follows EchoStar’s playbook for its Dish division EchoStar’s operational upheaval continued this week as its Hughes Satellite Systems subsidiary filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a move that comes a month after its Dish subsidiary filed for similar bankruptcy protection. EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen noted during the company’s second-quarter earnings call that the Hughes filing was tied to $1.5 billion in upcoming bond payments. “We had discussions with the bondholders but weren't able to come up with a workable solution, so we filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning for Hughes,” Ergen said during the earnings call. Ergen added that the filing is specific to Hughes, and “does not include EchoStar Corporation or other non-Hughes subsidiaries or even Hughes international entities,” and that the filing means “we're paying our employees, we're delivering for customers and channel partners as usual, and we expect to fulfill all ongoing forward commitments to our vendors.” EchoStar’s Hughes operations have been financially and operationally challenged. The company’s “broadband and satellite services” division reported a near 7% drop in revenues for the second quarter compared to the same period last year, though operating income did surge from a loss of $36.7 million last year to a gain of $50.5 million this year. EchoStar lost approximately...
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Outside of its financial hurdles, EchoStar also announced that COO Paul Gaske resigned from all official roles with the company but will remain a senior advisor during a transition period.
