ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2005--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that its DISH Network(TM) satellite-TV service now offers all major local TV channels to Abilene-Sweetwater, Texas, and the surrounding area, a claim unmatched by cable. The following TV channels will be available: NBC Ch. 9 (KRBC), ABC Ch. 12 (KTXS), CBS Ch. 32 (KTAB), FOX Ch. 15 (KXVA) and Telemundo Ch. 40 (KTES). 
 

Television viewers in the Abilene-Sweetwater area who want to watch NBC have two choices -- rabbit ears or the crystal clear, all-digital quality of DISH Network at a price still lower than cable.

"DISH Network is pleased to be able to provide the full palette of local news, weather and sports that has been unavailable to cable customers in the Abilene-Sweetwater market," said Eric Sahl, vice president of Programming at EchoStar. "We are especially pleased to offer this service with our digital package at a price lower than anything comparable within the cable industry."

Starting at $31.99 per month, Digital Home Advantage package offers customers free installation for up to four TVs, with no commitment or hardware to buy and includes more than 60 TV channels such as ESPN, History Channel and Discovery, plus local Abilene-Sweetwater TV channels.

Customers can call DISH Network or a local satellite TV retailer to learn how to get a dish antenna required to receive Abilene-Sweetwater-area local channels. DISH Network provides the lowest all-digital TV price in the industry, digital video recording technologies, international channels and high definition TV to the Abilene-Sweetwater area.

DISH Network offers local channels via satellite to 16 counties in the Abilene-Sweetwater area: Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall and Taylor.

With the addition of Abilene-Sweetwater, DISH Network offers local channels in 154 cities and their metro areas, in 50 states nationwide plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

For customers who do not subscribe to Digital Home Advantage, local channels are available for $5.99 per month.

For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 1-800/333-DISH (3474) or contact your local DISH Network retailer. For downloadable, print quality images of equipment, installations or the DISH Network logo, visit www.dishnetwork.com/content/aboutus/presskit/print/index.shtml.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 11 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last four 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. DISH Network ranks No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV Subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates. Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).