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
   Kelly, Michael
   414 Eagle Rock Avenue
   West Orange, NJ  07052
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   EchoStar Communications Corporation
   DISH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   140-68-5374
4. Statement for Month/Year
   3/7/02
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Senior Vice President - DISH Network Service Corporation
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       |3/7/02|G (1|V|3,500             |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
                           |      |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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Class A Common Stock       |3/7/02|G (1|V|3,500             |A  |           |3,500              |I     |(1)                        |
                           |      |)   | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |417,010            |D     |                           |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |3,000              |D     |(2)                        |
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                           |      |    | |                  |   |           |1,544              |D     |(3)                        |
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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)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
(1)  Gift to minor children who share the reporting person's household.  The
reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by his
children, and this report should not be
deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of such
securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.
(2) The shares were contributed by the reporting person to trusts for the
benefit of the reporting person's children.  The reporting person is the
trustee for the trusts and retains investment and
voting power over the
trust.
(3) The number of shares in column 5 represents the total number of shares
purchased by the reporting person through EchoStar Communications Corporation's
1997 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan to
date.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
                          /s/ Michael Kelly
DATE
              4/2/02