BROADCASTING
Dish wins ruling
Satellite TV company Dish Network won a third federal court decision upholding the use of its Hopper digital video recorder, which allows viewers to watch recordings of hours of prime-time broadcasts with the commercials automatically stripped out.
Dish Network Corp.’s general counsel, R. Stanton Dodge, called the decision by Judge Laura Swain of New York “yet another victory for American consumers.” Swain made the order under seal.
ABC-TV had requested an injunction barring this use of the Hopper. The network didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Dish cited two previous wins: a similar ruling by a district judge in California in November, and the upholding of a lower court decision in July by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
DIVIDEND
McDonald’s sets payout
McDonald’s is raising its quarterly cash dividend by 5 percent, bringing its fourth-quarter payout to more than $800 million.
The world’s largest hamburger chain said its quarterly dividend increased to 81 cents from 77 cents, for an annual total of $3.24 per share. It will make the next payout on Dec. 16 to shareholders of record on Dec. 2. McDonald’s Corp. expects to return between $4.5 billion and $5 billion to its shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases in 2013.
McDonald’s has raised its dividend every year since making its first payout in 1976. In July, the Oakbrook, Ill., company reported a 4 percent rise in second-quarter profit but missed expectations and warned of a tough year ahead, given heightened competition and rough economic conditions around the world.
— Beacon Journal wire services