Dish Networks (DISH) plans to close 300 more Blockbuster stores and could lay off as many as 3,000 people, according to the Wall Street Journal. The satellite tv service provider acquired Blockbuster’s U.S. business out of bankruptcy in 2010, and has been eliminating retail outlets and jobs since then. 650 stores were closed last year, and the shutdown of 300 more will leave fewer than 1,000 Blockbuster stores in the nation.
Overall, Dish employs roughly 21,000 people. CEO Jim Clayton has initiated an employee survey on working conditions after 24/7 Wall Street named Dish the worst company to work for in America.
Dish’s workforce could grow significantly if the company succeeds in its bid to acquire Clearwire. Sprint Nextel is also trying to acquire the part of Clearwire that it does not already own, and former Sprint executive Jim Patterson thinks Dish may want to acquire Sprint Nextel as well. Of course, the company would have to top Softbank’s $20.1 billion offer for the carrier.
Dish holds spectrum in the 2 GHz band and the 700 MHz band, and has said that it hopes to launch a wireless broadband business by finding a partner. Last November, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google was talking to Dish about launching a cellular network.
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