UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Ergen, Charles W.
5701 South Santa Fe Drive
Littleton, CO 80120
U.S.A.
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Echostar Communications Corporation
DISH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
12/31/00
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director (X) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Chief Executive Officer and President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Class A Common Stock |12/7/0|M | |92,637 |A |$2.125 | | | |
|0 | | | | | | | | |
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Class A Common Stock |12/7/0|M | |132,351 |A |$2.28625 |861,640 |D | |
|0 | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | |100 |I |(1) |
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| | | | | | |800 |I |(2) |
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| | | | | | |17,825 |I |(3) |
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<CAPTION>
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Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Employee Stock Option |$2.125 |12/7/|M |V|92,637 |D |(4) |2/13/|Class A Comm|92,637 | |107,649 |D | |
(Right to Buy) | |00 | | | | | |02 |on Stock | | | | | |
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Employee Stock Option |$2.28625|12/7/|M |V|132,351 |D |(5) |8/2/0|Class A Comm|132,351| |43,603 |D | |
(Right to Buy) | |00 | | | | | |1 |on Stock | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) The shares are in the name of the reporting person's
spouse.
(2) The shares are held by the reporting person's spouse as custodian for the
reporting person's minor children.
(3) On March 8, 2000, the Company issued an additional 60,000 shares of Class A
Common Stock to EchoStar Communications Corporation's 401(k) Employees' Savings
Plan (the "Plan"). The
number of shares reported in column 5 represents the total number of shares
allocated to the reporting person's account through the Plan to date. The
reporting person has dispositive, but no
voting power with respect to the
shares.
(4) The shares underlying the option vested at the rate of 20% per year,
commencing on February 12, 1998.
(5) The shares underlying the option vested at the rate of 20% per year,
commencing on August 1, 1997.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Charles W. Ergen
DATE
12/31/00
