ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-- EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (ESOC), has entered into a contract with National Programming Service, LLC (NPS) to provide domestic satellite capacity. The multi-year contract will provide full-time capacity to support the NPS consumer satellite programming business.

“We are extremely pleased to be in a position to support the satellite capacity needs of NPS,” said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of Commercial and Business Services for EchoStar.

ESOC will provide transponder bandwidth on EchoStar VII, one of EchoStar’s 14 owned and/or leased satellites, to support NPS bandwidth needs.

“NPS is a leading provider of satellite delivered consumer programming services and customer support,”said Mike Mountford, CEO of NPS. “The recent contract with EchoStar further strengthens our commitment and capability to provide television programming services to our customers who receive their programming by satellite.”

To learn more about NPS, please contact Angie Commorato at 317-558-3834.

For more information on booking EchoStar fixed satellite service capacity, please contact Michael Kelly at 303-723-1080.

About EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation

EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (ESOC) provides commercial satellite capabilities, quality service and competitive pricing for broadcast services, business television and engineering operations. EchoStar owns or leases 14 in-orbit satellites operating in BSS, FSS Ku-band and FSS Ka-bands; has an extensive terrestrial fiber optic network with points of presence in 168 cities; and has seven regional gateways to provide customers with end-to-end connectivity and a reliable platform to distribute video and data throughout the U.S. and internationally.

About EchoStar Communications Corporation

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12.755 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network^TM, and is a leading U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network’s services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. EchoStar has been a leader for more than 25 years in satellite TV equipment sales and support worldwide. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 500 company. Visit EchoStar’s Web site at www.echostar.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).

About NPS

National Programming Service, LLC (NPS) has been providing quality C-Band satellite programming since 1985. The Indianapolis-based call center has a capacity of 175 agents and at one time serviced 460,000 C-Band subscribers through its proprietary SMS system. NPS has been uplinking channels since 2004 and currently uplinks 11 channels on satellites Galaxy 13 (also known as G-9) and Galaxy 11 (also known as GB). These channels are uplinked through a subcontractor, Crawford Communications, located in Atlanta, Ga. The transponder space for these services is leased from Intelsat, located in Washington, DC. NPS also operates AllAmericanDirect.com, an online Direct Marketing Retailer specializing in consumer electronics.