Just For the Money

From WSJ Evening Wrap:
Now Entering DISH

Lots of towns have good reasons for civic pride. Cawker City, Kan., for example, boasts of having the world's largest ball of twine. The town of Clark, Texas, (pop. 125) was looking for such a distinction, and EchoStar Communications, parent of the DISH satellite television network, had just the ticket. EchoStar recently offered free DISH service to every home in one U.S. town willing to change its name to DISH. Clark -- named for L.E. Clark, the man who founded the town just five years ago -- decided it wanted to take the challenge, and Mayor Bill Merritt successfully lobbied EchoStar for the honor of a new name. All of the town's signs have been changed and now include the motto 'Home of Free DISH Network Satellite TV.' Anybody who moves to town will get free DISH service.

'We really look at this as kind of a rebirth for our community,' Mr. Merritt told the Associated Press. 'We want everybody to come here.' L.E. Clark, who recently lost to Mr. Merritt in a mayoral race, said he would use neighboring Justin, Texas, which has the same zip code as DISH, for any future correspondence."