EchoStar Communications Corporation Confirms Record Date and Quarterly Return Amount for the 6 3/4eries C Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 1999--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH, DISHP) has confirmed an April 19, 1999 record date in connection with payment of the Quarterly Return Amount on the Company's 6 3/4% Series C Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock ("Series C Preferred Stock"), in accordance with the terms pursuant to which the Company issued the Series C Preferred Stock.

The Quarterly Return Amount, equal to $0.84375 per share, will be paid in cash as of May 3, 1999. There are presently 2,299,984 million shares of Series C Preferred Stock outstanding.

EchoStar Communications Corp., includes three interrelated

business units:

--   DISH Network™ is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system that
     offers customers over 300 channels of digital video and
     CD-quality audio programming, fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware
     and installation. DISH Network currently serves over 2.2 million
     customers.



--   EchoStar Technologies Corporation (ETC, formerly HTS™ -
     Houston Tracker Systems, Inc.), designs, manufactures and
     distributes DBS set-top boxes, antennas and other digital
     equipment for DISH Network and various international customers
     that include ExpressVu Canada and Telefonica's Via Digital system
     in Spain. ETC also provides uplink-center design, construction
     oversight and project-integration services for customers
     internationally.



--   Satellite Services provides the delivery of video, audio and data
     services to business television customers and other satellite
     users. These services include satellite uplink, satellite
     transponder space-usage and other services. Satellite Services
     also administers SKY VISTA, a direct broadcast satellite service
     offering up to 27 channels of popular digital satellite
     television programming to viewers in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico
     and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean.

DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. HTS is a trademark of Houston Tracker Systems, Inc. DISH Network is located on the Internet at: www.dishnetwork.com

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     CONTACT:  EchoStar Communications Corporation
               Judianne Atencio, 303/723-2010
               e-mail: judianne.atencio@echostar.com
     
     KEYWORD: COLORADO
     INDUSTRY KEYWORD:  TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTERTAINMENT