DISH Network Satellite Television Brings Local TV Channels to Little Rock, Ark.

Satellite TV and Cable Debate is Heating Up

Littleton, Colo., July 2, 2003 – EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that its DISH Network™ now offers local TV channels by satellite television to Little Rock, Ark., today at 5 p.m. ET. The following local TV channels will be offered: ABC Ch. 7 (KATV), CBS Ch. 11 (KTHV), FOX Ch. 16 (KLRT), WB Ch. 42 (KWBF), UPN Ch. 38 (KASN), PBS Ch. 2 (KETS) and Independent Channel 25 (KVTN).

For the first time, local TV channels will be available by DISH Network satellite TV in the Little Rock area, providing an alternative to local cable TV service. Local channels will be offered at a $1 per month discount to the regular price of $5.99 per month for DISH Network customers in Little Rock until the local NBC station is added to the package. A Dish 500 antenna is required to receive the local channels via satellite.

“DISH Network customers now have a more affordable alternative to cable in Little Rock and Pine Bluff areas,” said Michael Schwimmer, senior vice president of Programming at EchoStar. “DISH Network provides local news, weather and sports in 100 percent digital quality to viewers who should not be left with cable service as their only choice for local television.”

DISH Network offers local channels via satellite to Little Rock customers in 36 Arkansas counties: Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Searcy, Stone, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell.

With the addition of Little Rock, DISH Network offers local channels in a total of 70 cities and their metro areas nationwide.

DISH Network now offers new customers three free months of its DISH Network Value Pak with HBO and Cinemax, a savings of approximately $150. The DISH Network Value Pak of America's Top 100 channel package provides 132 channels of America's most popular programming, including 13 premium movie channels of HBO and Cinemax for $49.99 per month.