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
   Moskowitz, David K.
   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
   12/30/02
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)
   Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
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)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Class A Common Stock       |12/30/|M   | |30,000            |A  |1.16665    |                   |      |                           |
                           |02    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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Class A Common Stock       |12/31/|J (1| |100,350           |A  |           |456,265            |D     |(1)                        |
                           |02    |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |37,434 (2)         |I     |                           |
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                           |12/31/|J (1| |100,350           |D  |           |0 (2)              |      |(3)                        |
                           |02    |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |17,009             |I     |(4)                        |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |8,184              |I     |(5)                        |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |1,328              |I     |(6)                        |
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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)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Employee Stock Option |1.16665 |12/30|M   |V|30,000     |D  |(7)  |(8)  |Class A Comm|30,000 |       |43,588      |D  |            |
(Right to Buy)        |        |/02  |    | |           |   |     |     |on Stock    |       |       |            |   |            |
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                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
(1) Reflects a distribution of shares by the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust
(GRAT) to the reporting person for the purpose of terminating the GRAT
pursuant to the trust
terms.
(2) Reflects a correction to the source of a previously reported
gift.
(3) Reflects termination of the GRAT pursuant to the trust terms and
distribution of GRAT assets to the reporting person.
(4) During March 2000, the Company issued additional 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.
(5) The shares are held by the reporting person in trust for the benefit of the
minor children of Charles W. Ergen, the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company.  The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the
shares.
(6) The shares are held by the reporting person as custodian for his minor
children.
(7) The shares underlying the option vested at the rate of 20% per year,
commencing on May 6, 1995.
(8) Each portion of the option expires five years from the date on which that
portion of the option first becomes exercisable.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
                   David K. Moskowitz
DATE
             1/2/03