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
   Orban, Paul W.
   5701 S. Santa Fe Drive
   Littleton, CO  80120
   USA
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
   03/18/03
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) (X) Other
   (specify below)
   Vice President and Controller
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
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       |03/17/|S (1| |4,000             |D  |30.00      |25,988             |D     |(1)                        |
                           |03    |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Class A Common Stock       |      |    | |                  |   |           |2,614              |I     |(2)                        |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Class A Common Stock       |      |    | |                  |   |           |119                |D     |(3)                        |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
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)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
(1) The sale reported in this Form 4 was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1
trading plan.
(2) The number of shares reported in column 5 represents the balance in the
reporting person's account through the EchoStar Communications
Corporation's 401(k) Employees' Savings Plan to date.  The reporting person has
dispositive, but no voting power with respect to the shares.
(3) The number of shares in column 5 represents the balance in the reporting
person's account  through EchoStar Communications Corporation's
Employee Stock Purchase Plan to date.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Paul W. Orban
DATE
3/18/03