EchoStar Announces $500 Million Debt Offering

[Darkman]

EchoStar Announces $500 Million Debt Offering

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corporation, is offering approximately $500 million aggregate principal amount of debt securities in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 144A. The net proceeds of the offering are intended to be used to replace cash on hand that will be used by us to redeem our outstanding Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2008 on October 1, 2006 pursuant to our previously announced redemption of such notes.

This notice does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, securities. Any offers of the securities will be made only by means of a private offering circular. The notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in EchoStar Communication Corporation's Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and EchoStar Communications Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About EchoStar Communications

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12.46 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.

CONTACT: EchoStar
Investor Relations:
Jason Kiser, 303-723-2210
jason.kiser@echostar.com
or
Media Relations:
Kathie Gonzalez, 720-514-5351
press@echostar.com


SOURCE: EchoStar ( http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68854&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=910096&highlight= )

[Mikey]

Junk bonds!

[tnsprin]

Junk bonds!

Hey they need to have some debt with the money going to various court decisions/settlements.

[Richard King]

Junk bonds!

Junk bonds paying off junk bonds. I wonder what the interest rate is on these things.

[Geronimo]

7% . Ask and ye shall be told.

[Darkman]

EchoStar Places $500 Million in Senior Notes

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corporation, has priced an offering of $500 million aggregate principal amount of senior debt securities. The debt securities will be issued as 7% Senior Notes due 2013. The net proceeds of the offering are intended to be used to replace cash on hand that will be used to redeem outstanding Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2008 on October 1, 2006 pursuant to the previously announced redemption of such notes.

The sale of the Notes is expected to close on October 18, 2006, subject to customary conditions.

EchoStar DBS Corporation placed the Notes in a private transaction under Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in EchoStar Communication Corporation's Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and EchoStar Communications Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About EchoStar Communications

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12.46 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.

CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corporation
Jason Kiser, 303-723-2210 (Investor Relations)
jason.kiser@echostar.com
Kathie Gonzalez, 720-514-5351 (Media Relations)
press@echostar.com


SOURCE: EchoStar Communications Corporation ( http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68854&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=910376&highlight= )

[Darkman]

Fitch Assigns 'BB-' Rating to Echostar DBS Corp. Senior Notes

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'BB-' rating to Echostar DBS Corporation's $500 million offering of 7% senior notes due 2013. The notes will rank equally with the other debt outstanding at Echostar DBS Corporation. Proceeds from the note offering will be used to fund the early redemption of the company's floating rate senior notes due 2008 on Oct. 1, 2006. Echostar DBS Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Echostar Communications Corporation (Echostar). The Issuer Default Rating (IDR) for Echostar and Echostar DBS Corporation is 'BB-'. The Rating Outlook is Stable.

Fitch's ratings incorporate Echostar's lack of revenue and service diversity as well as the increasing business risks connected to Echostar's credit profile stemming from the intense competition for subscriber market share with cable multiple systems operators. Fitch anticipates that the competitive environment will only intensify as the cable MSOs' voice over Internet protocol telephony service gains scale and the telephone companies continue with the introduction of video service. From Fitch's perspective, the lack of revenue and service diversity, primarily stemming from the limitations inherent with Echostar's satellite infrastructure, weakens the company's competitive position and ability to respond to the changing and riskier operating environment.

Fitch's ratings also reflect the operating leverage derived from Echostar's size and scale as the fourth - largest multichannel video programming distributor in the United States, the company's solid liquidity position, and expectation for continued free cash flow generation.

.....

( The entire article is at the following source: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/topix/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060929005413&newsLang=en )

[Darkman]

EchoStar Completes Early Redemption of Floating Rate Senior Notes

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH) confirmed that effective Oct. 1, 2006, its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corporation, completed the previously announced redemption of all of its outstanding Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2008. In accordance with the terms of the indenture governing the notes, the outstanding principal amount of approximately $500 million was repurchased at 101.000 percent, for a total of approximately $505 million.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in EchoStar Communication Corporation's Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and EchoStar Communications Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12.46 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network, the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last six 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.

CONTACT: EchoStar
Investor Relations:
Jason Kiser, 303-723-2210
Jason.kiser@echostar.com
or
Media Relations:
Kathie Gonzalez, 720-514-5351
press@echostar.com


SOURCE: EchoStar ( http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68854&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=911249&highlight= )