You either trust someone day one until they prove you wrong, or you say, 'I don't trust you until you show me I can trust you.' I'm the latter.
— Charlie Ergen
The world is changing... I don't, as a consumer, want advertising that's not relevant. If we're going to take a side, let's take the side of the consumer.
Allowing your kids to watch TV doesn't have to mean they have no choice but to see commercials for junk food and alcohol.
Some people are averse to change, but the advertising model is going to change with or without the Hopper. What we're saying to the broadcasters is, 'There's a way for you not to put your head in the sand.'
There are only two kinds of employees that I've run across in 30 years. There are ones that get results, and ones that make excuses. If you're in that second camp, you're not going to like Dish.
Poker is a game where you don't have to have the best hand to win. Poker is really reading other people and reading human emotion, which certainly comes into play in business.
When you deal with change, you have a couple choices: you can lead it and make the rules, or you can be a fast follower, or you can be a slow follower.
If the broadcasters were to win on their claims, they'd outlaw the DVR.
Ultimately, broadcasters and advertisers have to change the way they do business or they run the risk of linear TV becoming obsolete.
Blackjack is very scientific. There's always a right answer and a wrong answer. Do you take a card, increase your bet, bet big or bet small. There's absolutely a right and wrong answer.
I believe it's less risky long-term to embrace change.
I don't want to kill ads. I think advertising is great, and I'm very aware that there's multiple revenue streams in television, subscription and advertising. But I also don't want to put my head in the sand, and I think the world is changing.
I care about our employees more than anybody in my company. I care about my kids, too, but that doesn't mean I give them everything that they want.