PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT #6                        FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 424(b)(3)
(TO PROSPECTUS DATED JANUARY 25, 2002)                REGISTRATION NO. 333-68618

                       ECHOSTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
                                 $1,000,000,000
                 5 3/4% CONVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2008
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         This prospectus supplement relates to the offer and sale from time to
time by certain selling securityholders of our 5 3/4% Convertible Subordinated
Notes due 2008 and the shares of our class A common stock into which the
convertible notes are convertible.

         This prospectus supplement should be read in conjunction with the
prospectus dated January 25, 2002, and supplement no. 1 to the prospectus dated
March 7, 2002, supplement no. 2 to the prospectus dated April 9, 2002,
supplement no. 3 to the prospectus dated June 19, 2002, supplement no. 4 to the
prospectus dated August 15, 2002, and supplement no. 5 to the prospectus dated
November 18, 2002 each of which is to be delivered with this prospectus
supplement. The definitions for any capitalized terms used in this prospectus
supplement are included in the prospectus.

                             SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS

         The information in the table included under the heading "Selling
Securityholders" in the prospectus is superceded in part by the information
appearing in the following table:




                                                   PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF    SHARES OF CLASS A
                                                    CONVERTIBLE NOTES    COMMON STOCK OWNED     SHARES OF CLASS A
                                                   BENEFICIALLY OWNED       PRIOR TO THE      COMMON STOCK OFFERED
                      NAME                         AND OFFERED HEREBY         OFFERING             HEREBY (1)
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Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund, Ltd.                $25,800,000                                      595,981
f/k/a Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Hedge
Fund, Ltd.

Educational Trust c/o Klukwan, Inc.                           $20,000                                          462

Jefferies and Company Inc.                                 $8,311,000                                      191,984

Long Island Trust c/o Klukwan, Inc.                           $10,000                                          231

Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith Inc.                  $10,000,000                                      231,000

Sage Capital                                               $3,150,000                                       72,765

Other current and future holders of convertible         ($471,435,360)                                 (10,890,168)
notes (2)


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(1)  Assumes a conversion price of $43.29 per share and the payment of cash in
     lieu of fractional shares.

(2)  Information concerning other selling securityholders, including current
     holders of convertible notes for which we have not received current
     information regarding their holdings of convertible notes and class A
     common stock, or information reflecting transfers of their convertible
     notes and class A common stock to other selling securityholders, will be
     included in supplements to this prospectus, if required. For purposes of
     this table, we have assumed that such holders do not beneficially own any
     other shares of class A common stock, other than the shares issuable upon
     conversion of the convertible notes.

   SEE "RISK FACTORS" BEGINNING ON PAGE 11 OF THE PROSPECTUS FOR CERTAIN RISKS
          YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE YOU PURCHASE ANY CONVERTIBLE NOTES
                       OR SHARES OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK.

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Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or determined
whether the prospectus or this prospectus supplement is truthful or complete.
Nor have they made, nor will they make, any determination as to whether anyone
should buy these securities. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offense.
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              The date of this prospectus supplement is May 6, 2003