UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   DeFranco, James
   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
   12/31/00
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)
   Executive Vice President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (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     |
                             |Date  |Code|                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                             |      |    |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                             |      |    |    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                               
Class A Common Stock         |12/7/0|G   |50,000            |D  |           |5,310,852          |D     |                           |
                             |0     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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Class A Common Stock         |12/7/0|G   |50,000            |A (|           |50,000             |I     |(1)                        |
                             |0     |    |                  |1) |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |      |    |                  |   |           |2,200,000          |I     |(2)                        |
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                             |      |    |                  |   |           |17,825             |I     |(3)                        |
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                             |      |    |                  |   |           |6,008              |I     |(4)                        |
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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 |Date |Code| rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                        |cise Pr |     |    | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                        |ice  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    |     |    |  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
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Explanation of Responses:
(1)  The shares were contributed by the reporting person to irrevocable trust
for the benefit of reporting person's children and grandchildren. The reporting
person disclaims beneficial ownership
of the
shares.
(2) The shares are held by DeFranco Investment Co., Ltd., a general
partnership, of which the reporting person is the sole general partner.
(3) On March 8, 2000, the Company issued an additional 60,000 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.
(4) The shares are held by the reporting person as custodian for his minor
children. The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
                /s/  James DeFranco
DATE
             1/15/01