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

LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 1999--

EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH, DISHP) has confirmed a July 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 August 2, 1999. There are presently 2,182,919 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.

-- EchoStar Technologies Corporation (ETC, formerly HTS(TM) - 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.

DISH Network currently serves over 2.4 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