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

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 1999--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH, DISHP) has confirmed a January 15, 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 February 1, 1999. There are presently 2.3 million shares of Series C Preferred Stock outstanding.

    EchoStar Communications Corp., includes three interrelated business units:

    o 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, installation, financing and leasing.

    o 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.

    o 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 currently serves over 1.9 million customers. 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
              Communications Director
              303/723-2010
              e-mail: judianne.atencio@echostar.com



     KEYWORD:  COLORADO
     INDUSTRY KEYWORD:  ENTERTAINMENT COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS