Here Is The Extreme Step A Texas Town Took For Free TV

I've been living in Texas for quite some time now. I've lived in several parts of the state. You'd think by now there wouldn't be much that surprises me. You'd think wrong. Every day it seems like there is something I learn that makes my jaw drop.

Like the Texas town that took an extreme step to get free TV service.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and neighbors, say hello to DISH, Texas. If you're quick, you can probably guess where this is going simply based on the word DISH. If you don't, you're probably hung up on the fact that there is actually a town named DISH.

The story begins with a town called Clark, Texas. Clark was a small town. There wasn't much to write home about. Clark, Texas was your friend that was always around, but you didn't seem to notice.

It was incorporated in 2000. It's still just a baby town; little thing just trying its best to make it in this big messed up world. Part of making it, is dealing with the price of things like cable TV.

I don't know if you've noticed, but it isn't getting cheaper.

While I can't speak to the actual motivations behind what comes next, saving some money might have had something to do with it. Let's just say that the TV loving small town of Clark, Texas was about to get an offer they couldn't refuse.

It was November in 2005 that the deal was supposedly struck between Clark, Texas and DISH. You know DISH. That's DISH as in Dish Network, the satellite TV provider.

The town, which had a pretty small population at that point, accepted the opportunity to rename itself DISH and secure ten years of free basic TV service and a free digital recorder from Dish Network for the members of the community.

What's in a name? Not missing your favorite show, apparently.

The deal was struck, the change was made, and Nana was able to catch the evening news for free. So goes the legend of a Texas town that renamed itself in exchange for free TV.