EchoStar, Hearst-Argyle Television Stations Reach Retransmission Agreement LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2000--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH, DISHP): EchoStar's DISH Network Satellite TV Launches Local NBC TV Affiliates in Cincinnati, Greenville, S.C. EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH, DISHP) and Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., owner of WYFF-NBC channel 4 in Greenville, S.C., and WLWT-NBC channel 5 in Cincinnati, have reached a multi-year retransmission agreement in which Hearst-Argyle will provide EchoStar's DISH Network™ satellite TV customers with their local channels immediately. DISH Network has also reached retransmission agreements for all stations owned by Hearst-Argyle. DISH Network launched local TV channels by satellite to customers in the metro areas of Cincinnati and Greenville on Sept. 5 without the Hearst-Argyle-owned NBC affiliates. Since then, DISH Network has offered the ABC, CBS and FOX affiliates at no charge. Beginning today, complete DISH Network local channel packages are available to Cincinnati and Greenville customers for $4.99 per month. A national PBS channel is also available for $1 per month. DISH Network™ now offers local WLWT-NBC (ch. 5), WCPO-ABC (ch. 9), WKRC-CBS (ch. 12) and WXIX-FOX (ch. 19) satellite television to the 24 counties in the greater metro area of Cincinnati. DISH Network also offers local WYFF-NBC (ch. 4), WLOS- ABC (ch. 13), WSPA-CBS (ch. 7) and WHNS-FOX (ch. 21) by satellite television to 29 counties in the greater metro area of Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson in both South Carolina and North Carolina. "We are pleased that Hearst-Argyle has agreed to provide its local signals to DISH Network customers in Greenville and Cincinnati," said Michael Schwimmer, vice president of Programming at EchoStar. "These channels are important for our viewers to receive local news, weather, sports and other community-based information." DISH Network currently offers local channels in 32 metro areas, including: Atlanta; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Dallas-Ft. Worth; Denver; Detroit; Greenville-Spartanburg-Ashville-Anderson, S.C.; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Miami-Ft. Lauderdale; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Nashville; New York; Orlando- Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, Ore., Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Sacramento- Modesto-Stockton, Calif.; Salt Lake City; San Diego; San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose; Seattle-Tacoma; St. Louis; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. and Washington, D.C. DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH Network is EchoStar's state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite TV system that is capable of offering over 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming, as well as fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. DISH Network was ranked number one in overall customer satisfaction among cable/satellite TV subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates in 1999 and 2000. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) which contains the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq Stock Market. DISH Network currently serves over 4.3 million customers. For more information call 1-800-333-DISH(3474) or visit www.dishnetwork.com. --30--RGB/dx* CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corp., Littleton Judianne Atencio, Communications Director 303/723-2010 e-mail: [email protected] Marc Lumpkin, Communications Manager 303/723-2020 e-mail: [email protected] .