ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-Jan. 19, 2006 - EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its DISH NetworkT satellite TV service will offer "DishFAMILY," a new "family-friendly" programming package with approximately 40 channels. With the launch of a new tier of programming options, DISH Network gives consumers the most choice among pay TV providers when it comes to designing a TV package that meets the needs of their family and budget.

Available Feb. 1, "DishFAMILY" will offer channel choices for everyone in the family such as sports, news, children's programming, lifestyle, hobbies, shopping and public interest.  With DishFAMILY, customers will get valuable, family-sensitive content at the low price of $19.99 per month ($24.99 per month with local channels). This is an approximate $12 savings over the average cable company family tier. This low-priced package further establishes DISH Network as the lowest all digital TV provider in the nation.

Other pay-TV providers have introduced "family" packages but with fewer channels and with a requirement that customers must purchase the "family" package along with a basic cable package that could be full of "inappropriate" family material.  DISH Network offers DishFAMILY as a stand alone package and with the most robust "family" package lineup.  In addition, DishFAMILY is available with a free satellite TV receiver and free professional installation for up to four rooms.  

"With the introduction of DishFAMILY, DISH Network becomes the pay-TV provider of choice among parents who want the most parental control and the largest package of family-specific TV channels, all at the lowest cost," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of Programming for DISH Network. "DishFAMILY is a package our customers have requested, and we are pleased that congressional hearings and the FCC have played a key role in encouraging programmers to agree to give DISH Network the rights to offer a family pack."

"DISH Family" channel lineup will include the following:

Animal Planet	EWTN	Outdoor Channel
The Biography Channel	Food Network	RFDTV
Bloomberg TV	Fox News Channel	Shop at Home
Boomerang	Great American Country	ShopNBC
BYUTV	CNN Headline News	The Science Channel
C-SPAN	HSN	The Weather Channel
C-SPAN-2	NASA	TBN
CSTV	Nickelodeon East	TV Land
Discovery Kids	Nickelodeon West	QVC
Discovery Times	Nick Games & Sports	(More to be announced soon.)
Do It Yourself Network	NickToons

 

DISH Network, an advocate of family values, has been a pioneer in advanced parental controls technology available to customers at no additional cost.  DISH Network's extensive parental controls include password protection, lock-by-ratings and extended ratings, system and channel locks, and DISH Network's own Adult Guard and Hide Adult Programming features, which when activated remove adult content and channel descriptions from that specific customer's program guide. Also, for customers who subscribe to DishFAMILY, adult channels and their content descriptions will be unavailable in the program guide.

 

Customers can contact DISH Network at 1-800-333-DISH (3474), or their local retailer for more information on how to subscribe to DISH Network. To learn more about DISH Network's programming offers, visit www.dishnetwork.com.

 

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12 million satellite TV customers through its DISH NetworkT, the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last five years. DISH Network offers hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).