DISH Network Will Offer Bay Area Customers a Complete Package of Local Networks and a Clear Alternative to Cable

Littleton, Colo., July 25, 2001 – DISH Network™ (NASDAQ: DISH) is pleased to announce that beginning Jan. 1, 2002, it will offer KNTV NBC3, the new Bay Area NBC affiliate and home of “Must See TV,” to San Francisco-area customers. Beginning in 2002, DISH Network customers in the San Francisco area can receive a complete package of local networks, including KGO-ABC (Ch. 7), KPIX-CBS (Ch. 5), KTVU-FOX (Ch. 2) and KNTV-NBC (Ch. 3) for only $4.99 per month.

KNTV NBC3, previously an ABC affiliate, finalized its NBC affiliation agreement on June 1, 2001. The station will operate independently as KNTV News Channel 11 until Jan. 1, 2002, when it will become KNTV NBC3, the new home of hit TV shows, including “Friends,” “Frasier,” “Dateline NBC” and the popular new game show, “The Weakest Link.” KNTV NBC3’s news coverage will double, featuring eight hours of business and technology-related news from the Bay Area.

“We are extremely pleased to offer KNTV NBC3 to our Bay Area customers,” said Michael Schwimmer, vice president of programming for EchoStar’s DISH Network. “This agreement enables DISH Network to provide our San Francisco-area customers with complete local coverage from all four of the major networks as well as hundreds of other channel choices. Now, more than ever, DISH Network is the affordable, clear alternative to cable.”

After negotiations failed with current San Francisco-area NBC affiliate KRON-TV, DISH Network was forced to discontinue carriage of the NBC signal to San Francisco customers on March 1, 2001. Since then, DISH Network has offered the remaining local channels at no monthly charge and will continue to do so until January 2002.

New customers can receive a complete all-digital satellite TV system with no equipment to buy and a FREE professional installation when they participate in DISH Network’s simple Digital Home Plan. Starting at $35.99 per month, DISH Network’s Digital Home Plan offers more than a hundred all-digital entertainment and movie channels, as well as hassle-free in-home service! DISH Network also offers dozens of premium movie channels, including HBO THE WORKS, Showtime, Starz! The New Encore and Cinemax.

Local TV networks are available to DISH Network's DISH 500 customers. The DISH 500 gives customers access to local TV networks (where available), more premium movie channels and America’s Top 150 programming package. For a limited time, customers can upgrade to a DISH 500 FREE when they commit to America’s Top 150 programming package and participate in the credit card automatic payment method for 12 months.

For more information about receiving local channels along with hundreds of channels of popular satellite television programming, visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 1-800-333-DISH (3474), or contact your local DISH Network retailer. For more information on DISH 500, customers can tune to DISH Network channel 253.

DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH Network is EchoStar’s state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite TV system that is capable of offering over 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming, as well as fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. DISH Network was ranked number one in overall customer satisfaction among cable/satellite TV subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates in 1999 and 2000. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) which contains the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq Stock Market. DISH Network currently serves over 6 million customers.