UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   McDonnell, Michael R.
   5701 South Santa Fe Drive
   Littleton, CO  80120
   USA
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
   8/7/00
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   EchoStar Communications Corporation
   DISH
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Chief Financial Officer
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)

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 Beneficially Owned                                                                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security                       |2. Amount of          |3. Ownership    |4. Nature of Indirect                          |
                                           |   Securities         |   Form:        |   Beneficial Ownership                        |
                                           |   Beneficially       |   Direct(D) or |                                               |
                                           |   Owned              |   Indirect(I)  |                                               |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                          
Class A Common Stock                       |300                   |D               |                                               |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned                                                                             |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative   |2.Date Exer-       |3.Title and Amount     |         |4. Conver-|5. Owner-    |6. Nature of Indirect      |
  Security              |  cisable and      |  of Underlying        |         |sion or   |ship         |   Beneficial Ownership    |
                        |  Expiration       |  Securities           |         |exercise  |Form of      |                           |
                        |  Date(Month/      |-----------------------|---------|price of  |Deriv-       |                           |
                        |  Day/Year)        |                       |Amount   |deri-     |ative        |                           |
                        | Date    | Expira- |                       |or       |vative    |Security:    |                           |
                        | Exer-   | tion    |         Title         |Number of|Security  |Direct(D) or |                           |
                        | cisable | Date    |                       |Shares   |          |Indirect(I)  |                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                                  
Employee Stock Option (R|(1)      |(2)      |Class A Common Stock   |50,000   |$33.109   |D            |                           |
ight to Buy)            |         |         |                       |         |          |             |                           |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
(1) The shares underlying the option, listed in column 3, vest at the rate of
20% per year, commencing on June 30, 2001.
(2) The option expires ten years from the grant date on June 30,
2000.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
 /s/   Michael R. McDonnell
DATE
           8/14/00