Dish Network , which is commonly referred to as DISH, provides a range of direct broadcast satellite services to its over 14 million residential and commercial customers. Operating throughout the United States, DISH services include satellite TV, audio and a range of interactive services. Founded by Charlie and Candy Ergen and Kim DeFranco in 1980, the company was originally called Echo Star Satellite. In 1996, the company was officially given the Dish Network name. DISH split from EchoStar in 2008 and soon went on to obtain satellite licenses that would effectively double its US broadcasting capacity with a potential value of almost $700 million.