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| FORM 4 | U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
+--------+ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
[_] Check this box if
no longer subject STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities
obligations may Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the
continue. See Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
Instruction 1(b). Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(Print or Type Responses)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
News America Incorporated (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Last) (First) (Middle)
1211 Avenue of the Americas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Street)
New York New York 10036
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol EchoStar Communications Corporation
("DISH")
-----------------------------------
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person, if an entity
(voluntary)
--------------
4. Statement for Month/Year 9/00
---------------------------------------------------
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
---------------------------------
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
___ Director ___ Officer X 10% Owner ___ Other
(give title below) (specify below)
----------------------------------------------------------------
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
____ Form filed by One Reporting Person
X Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I--Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities Acquired (A) 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities ship of In-
Security Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 3) (Month/ (Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
Day/ ----------------------------------------------- End of (D) or ficial
Year) Month Indirect Owner-
Code V Amount (A) or Price (Instr. 3 and 4) (I) ship
(D) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Class A Common Stock, 9/6/00 S 7,000,000(2) D $49.00 26,021,168 D
par value $.01 per
share
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
* If this form is filed by more than one reporting person, see
Instruction 4(b)(v). (Over)
<PAGE>
FORM 4 (continued)
Table II--Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv-
Security (Instr. 3) sion or action tion Code ative Securities
Exercise Date (Instr. 8) Acquired (A) or
Price of (Month/ Disposed of (D)
Deriv- Day/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
ative Year)
Security
---------------------------------------------------
Code V (A) (D)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Table II--Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Date Exer- 7. Title and Amount of 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Na-
cisable and Underlying Securities of of Deriv- ship ture
Expiration (Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative Form of In-
Date ative Secur- of De- direct
(Month/Day/ Secur- ities rivative Bene-
Year) ity Bene- Security; ficial
(Instr. ficially Direct (D) Owner-
-------------------------------------------- 5) Owned or ship
Date Expira- Amount or at End Indirect (I) (Instr.
Exer- tion Title Number of of (Instr. 4) 4)
cisable Date Shares Month
(Instr. 4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) Pursuant to Instruction 4(b)(v), this Form 4 is filed jointly by all of the
undersigned (collectively, the "Reporting Persons"), who may be deemed to be
members of a "group" pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended. News America Incorporated ("NAI") has been
designated to make the filing of this Form 4.
(2) The 26,021,168 shares of Class A Common Stock of the issuer reported as
beneficially owned are directly owned by NAI. The News Corporation Limited
("News Corporation"), as a person who may be deemed to control NAI, may also
be deemed to indirectly beneficially own such shares. By virtue of ordinary
shares of News Corporation owned by (i) Mr. K. Rupert Murdoch and members of
his family, (ii) Cruden Investments Pty. Limited, a private Australian
investment company owned by Mr. Murdoch, members of his family and certain
charities, and (iii) corporations which are controlled by trustees of
settlements and trusts set up for the benefit of the Murdoch family, certain
charities and other persons, and Mr. Murdoch's positions as Chairman and
Chief Executive of News Corporation, Mr. Murdoch may be deemed to control
the operations of News Corporation, and may therefore be deemed to
indirectly beneficially own such shares of NAI. The Reporting Persons, other
than NAI, disclaim beneficial ownership of such shares, except to the extent
of their pecuniary interest therein, and this report shall not be deemed an
admission that the Reporting Persons are the beneficial owners of such
securities for purposes of Section 16 or any other purpose.
NEWS AMERICA INCORPORATED
/s/ Arthur M. Siskind October 10, 2000
----------------------- ----------------
/**/Signature of Reporting Person Date
Arthur M. Siskind
Senior Executive Vice President
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal
Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Page 2
SEC (1474 (7/96)
<PAGE>
FORM 4 (continued)
Joint Filer Information
Name: The News Corporation Limited
Address: 2 Holt Street
Sydney, New South Wales 2010
Australia
Designated Filer: News America Incorporated
Date of Event Requiring Statement: 9/6/00
Issuer and Ticker or Trading Symbol: EchoStar Communications Corporation
("DISH")
Signature: THE NEWS CORPORATION LIMITED
By: /s/ Arthur M. Siskind
____________________________
Name: Arthur M. Siskind
Title: Director
Name: K. Rupert Murdoch
Address: 10201 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Designated Filer: NEWS AMERICA INCORPORATED
Date of Event Requiring Statement: 9/6/00
Issuer and Ticker or Trading Symbol: EchoStar Communications Corporation
("DISH")
Signature:
*
____________________________
K. Rupert Murdoch
*By: /s/ Arthur M. Siskind
-------------------------
Arthur M. Siskind
Attorney-in-Fact
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