EchoStar's DISH Network First Satellite Television Provider to Offer HBO Comedy Channel

Business Wire, April 25, 2000

Entertainment Editors/Writers

LITTLETON, Colo. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2000

HBO Comedy Also Available During FREE Preview of HBO The Works on

DISH Network May 12-14

Home Box Office and EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH, DISHP) announced today that for the first time on satellite television, HBO Comedy will launch on Echostar's DISH Network(TM) on May 1, 2000. As part of the HBO The Works(TM) programming package on DISH Network, HBO Comedy will be available to customers who have a DISH 500 satellite television system. As an additional bonus, DISH 500 customers will have a chance to sample HBO Comedy during a three-day FREE preview of seven HBO The Works channels on May 12-14, 2000.

Created for a broad audience with a variety of comedic tastes, HBO Comedy features programs from the funniest Hollywood films to popular HBO original series and stand-up specials, including original series like Arli$$, Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show, specials like Bill Maher: Be More Cynical, theatrical movies like Big Daddy, plus outrageous stand-up featuring big-name stars and up-and-coming talent.

"HBO and comedy go hand-in-hand," said Michael Schwimmer, vice president of Programming at EchoStar. "DISH Network is proud to be the first satellite TV provider to offer HBO Comedy to our DISH 500 customers. And we're celebrating the launch by offering a free preview for a laugh-filled weekend."

"If it makes you laugh, HBO Comedy is where you'll find it," said John Ovrutsky, vice president of Direct Broadcast at HBO. "From cutting-edge comedy series and big hit movies to outrageous stand-up specials, HBO subscribers get a wide variety of comedy choice. We are glad that DISH Network customers will now be able to watch HBO Comedy."

With the free weekend preview of HBO The Works on May 12-14, DISH 500 customers will have the chance to sample HBO Comedy(R) by tuning to DISH Network channel 307. In addition, DISH Network customers will receive six premium HBO channels including: HBO(R) (2 channels: east and west coast feeds); HBO Plus(R) (2 channels: east and west coast feeds); HBO Signature(R) (1 channel: east coast feed); and HBO Family(R) (1 channel: east coast feed). DISH Network offers HBO The Works for $11.99 per month.

DISH 500 is a single small satellite dish that offers customers up to 500 channels of all-digital popular satellite television, including entertainment, sports, news and international programming, DISH Latino Spanish-language package, more pay-per-view and premium movie channels, plus local channels in 28 U.S. cities. For more information visit your local retailer or call 1-800/333-DISH (3474). For more information about DISH Network's free preview of HBO The Works, visit www.dishnetwork.com/movies.> DISH Network is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system with the capacity to offer customers 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming as well as fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. DISH Network, a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation, currently serves over 3.4 million customers nationwide. DISH Network was ranked number one in customer satisfaction among satellite/cable TV subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates in 1999. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) which contains the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Home Box Office is the premium television programming division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach nearly 35 million subscribers in the United States via a variety of distribution modes including cable, C-band satellite, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), microwave (MMDS) and in the lodging industry. Home Box Office's international ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 40 countries around the globe.

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