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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
DeFranco, James
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
12/31/99
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
Executive Vice 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
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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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Class A Common Stock |12/08/|S | |150,000 |D |$93.39 | | | |
|99 | | | | | | | | |
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Class A Common Stock |12/09/|S | |116,500 |D |$96.41 | | | |
|99 | | | | | | | | |
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Class A Common Stock |12/10/|S | |133,500 |D |$90.58 |1,100,000 (1) |I |(2) |
|99 | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | |2,399,352 (1) |D | |
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| | | | | | |8776 (1) |I |(3) |
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| | | | | | |3,004 (1) |I |(4) |
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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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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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Explanation of Responses:
(1) The shares have been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock splits of
the Company's common stock which
took place in July 1999 and October
1999.
(2) The shares are held by DeFranco Investment Co., Ltd., a general
partnership, of which the reporting person is
the sole general
partner.
(3) On March 19, 1999, the Company issued an additional 65,000 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 are held by the reporting person as custodian for his minor
children. The reporting person disclaims
beneficial ownership of the shares.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
James DeFranco