INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

Exhibit 99.1

INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

     This Incentive Stock Option Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into effective as of «Issue_Date», by and between EchoStar Communications Corporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and «First_Name» «Last_Name» (“Employee”).

RECITAL

     WHEREAS, the Company, pursuant to its 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) desires to grant this stock option to Employee, and Employee desires to accept such stock option, each under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

AGREEMENT

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

          The Company hereby grants to Employee, as of the date set forth above, the right and option (hereinafter called “the Option”) to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of «Stock_Requested» shares of the Class A Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”), at the price of $«Price» per share (the “Option Price”), on the terms and conditions set forth herein, which price was equal to or greater than the fair market value of a Common Share on the date of grant. The Option Price is subject to adjustment as provided in this Agreement and the Plan. This Option is intended to be an incentive stock option (an “ISO”) within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations thereunder (the “Code”).

          Employee understands that to the extent that the aggregate fair market value (determined at the time the Option was granted) of the Common Shares with respect to which all options (that are ISOs within the meaning of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by Employee during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, in accordance with Section 422(d) of the Code, such options shall be treated as options that do not qualify as ISOs.

     (a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, this Option shall vest and may be exercised by Employee in cumulative installments as follows:

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     (b) During the lifetime of Employee, the Option shall be exercisable only by Employee and shall not be assignable or transferable by Employee, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Option may not be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise disposed of, or pledged or hypothecated in any manner (whether by operation of law or otherwise), and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or other process. Any assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of this Option or any attempt to make any such levy of execution, attachment or other process will cause this Option to terminate immediately, unless the Board (or the Committee), in its sole discretion, specifically waives applicability of this provision.

     (c) This Option shall terminate, and shall cease to be exercisable, ten (10) years after the date of this Agreement.

     (d) It is intended that this Option will qualify as an ISO pursuant to the Code. The Company assumes no responsibility for individual income taxes, penalties or interest related to grant, exercise or subsequent disposition of stock pursuant to the Option. Additionally, the Company assumes no responsibility in the event that this Option, or the tax treatment related thereto, is ultimately other than the tax treatment currently afforded for ISOs, whether such differing treatment is the result of changes in the tax laws, a disqualifying disposition by Employee, or for any other reason. Employee should consult with employee’s personal tax advisor regarding the tax ramifications, if any, which result from receipt or exercise of this Option, and subsequent disposition of Common Shares. If in the Company’s sole discretion it is necessary or appropriate to collect federal, state or local taxes in connection with the exercise of any portion of this Option, the Company shall be entitled to require the payment of such amounts as a condition to exercise.

     (e) In considering the exercise of this Option, Employee should use the same independent investment judgment that Employee would use in making other investments in corporate securities. Among other things, stock prices will fluctuate over any reasonable period of time and the price of the Common Shares may go down as well as up. No guarantees are made as to the future prospects of the Company or the Common Shares, or that any market for sale of the Common Shares will develop in the future. No representations are made by the Company except as contained in any active registration

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statement at the time of exercise of the Option on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the Option Plan.

     (a) In the event that Employee shall cease to be employed by the Company or its subsidiaries, if any, for any reason other than Employee’s serious misconduct or Employee’s death or disability (as such term is defined in Section 3(c) hereof), Employee shall have the right to exercise the Option at any time within one (1) month after such termination of employment, to the extent of the full number of Common Shares Employee was entitled to exercise under the Option on the date of termination, subject to the condition that any portion of the Option not exercised within that period shall terminate and cannot be exercised following expiration of that period, and that no portion of the Option shall be exercisable (whether vested or unvested) after the expiration of the term of the Option. Retirement, whether or not pursuant to any retirement or pension plan of the Company, shall be deemed to be a termination of employment for all purposes of this Agreement. The termination of this Option by reason of the cessation of employment shall be without prejudice to any right or remedy which the Company may have against the holder.

     (b) In the event that Employee shall cease to be employed by the Company or its subsidiaries, if any, by reason of Employee’s serious misconduct during the course of employment, including but not limited to wrongful appropriation of the Company’s funds, theft of Company property or other reasons as determined by the Company, ***, the Option shall be terminated and cannot be exercised, as of the date of the misconduct or violation. The termination of this Option by reason of the cessation of employment shall be without prejudice to any right or remedy which the Company may have against the holder.

     (c) If Employee shall die while in the employ of Company or a subsidiary, or within one (1) month after termination of employment for any reason other than serious misconduct, or if employment is terminated because Employee has become disabled (within the meaning of Code Section 22(e)(3)) while in the employ of the Company or a subsidiary, and Employee shall not have fully exercised the Option, such Option may be exercised at any time within twelve (12) months after Employee’s death or date of termination of employment for disability by Employee, personal representatives or administrators, executor or guardians of Employee, as applicable, or by any person or persons to whom the Option is transferred by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution, to the extent of the full number of shares the Employee was entitled to purchase under the Option on the date of death, termination of employment, if earlier, or date of termination for such disability and subject to the condition that any portion of the Option not exercised within that period shall terminate and cannot be exercised following expiration of that period, and that no portion of the Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of the term of the Option.

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     (d) If Employee is demoted (but remains employed) by the Company or its subsidiaries from Employee’s current level (i.e., senior executive, vice president, director, manager, or other level), this Option shall continue in force, until otherwise terminated, with respect to the full number of Common Shares Employee was entitled to exercise under the Option on the date of demotion, and any portion of the Option not vested or otherwise not exercisable prior to the date of demotion shall forever terminate as of the date of demotion.

               (e) In the event that (i) a Change in Control occurs, and (ii) Employee is terminated by the Company (and not simultaneously employed by the surviving entity — if not the Company — in the Change in Control), for any reason other than for Cause, during the twenty-four (24) month period following such Change in Control, then all Option shares not previously vested shall immediately vest and become exercisable, and the Employee shall have the right to exercise all unexercised Option shares within one (1) month after such termination of employment, subject to the conditions that any portion of the Option not exercised within such one (1) month period shall terminate and cannot be exercised, and that no portion of the Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of the term of the Option.

For the purpose of this subsection 3(e), the capitalized terms shall have the following meanings: “Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents, however designated, of corporate stock or partnership or membership interests, whether common or preferred. “Cause” means: (i) the willful and continued failure of Employee to substantially perform his duties consistent with past practices prior to the Change in Control; (ii) any illegal conduct or gross misconduct which is materially injurious to the Company or its affiliates; (iii) Employee has been convicted of or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty; or (iv) Employee has been convicted of or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a felony, crime or engaged in conduct which results in a prohibition on the Employee from serving, for any period of time, as an officer or director of a publicly-traded company by any federal, state or other regulatory governing body (including without limitation, an exchange or association such as NYSE or Nasdaq). “Change in Control” means: (i) a transaction or a series of transactions the result of which is that any person (other than the Principal or a Related Party) individually owns more than fifty percent (50%) of the total Equity Interests of either (A) the Company or (B) the surviving entity in any such transaction(s) or a controlling affiliate of such surviving entity in such transaction(s); and (ii) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not Continuing Directors. “Continuing Director” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who: (a) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date of this Agreement; or (b) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the affirmative vote of a majority of the

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Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election or was nominated for election or elected by the Principal and his Related Parties. “Equity Interest” means any Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock). “Principal” means Charles W. Ergen. “Related Party” means, with respect to the Principal, (a) the spouse and each immediate family member of the Principal; (b) each trust, corporation, partnership or other entity of which the Principal beneficially holds an eighty percent (80%) or more controlling interest; and (c) the Principal’s personal representatives, administrators, executor, guardians, or any person(s) or entit(ies) to which the Principal’s shares of the Company are transferred as a result of a transfer by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution.

     (a) The Option can be exercised only by Employee or other proper party, in whole Common Shares, by delivering within the Option period written notice in person or by certified mail to the Company at its principal office in the form to be provided by the Company at the time Employee desires to exercise. All notices to the Company shall be addressed to it at its office at 9601 S. Meridian Blvd., Englewood, Colorado, 80112, Attn: Corporate Secretary, or to such other address or person as the Company may notify Employee from time to time. The notice shall be signed by the person entitled to exercise the Option and shall state, among other things, the number of Common Shares as to which the Option is being exercised, shall contain a representation and agreement as to the Employee’s investment intent with respect to the Common Shares in form satisfactory to the Company’s counsel (unless a Prospectus meeting applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is in effect for the Common Shares being purchased pursuant to exercise of this Option), and be accompanied by payment in full of the Option price for all shares designated in the notice. All notices to Employee or other person or persons then entitled to exercise this Option shall be addressed to the Employee or such other person(s) at the Employee’s address specified below, or to such other address as Employee or such person(s) may notify the Company from time to time.

     (b) Employee shall pay the Option Price for the Common Shares purchased in cash or by certified or bank cashier’s check.

     (c) Unless notified by the Company to the contrary, the Common Shares issuable on exercise of the Option shall be deemed issued on the date specified by the Company, within five (5) business days following the date that counsel for the Company determines that all requisite events to issuance of the Common Shares have been properly completed. The Company shall have no obligation to issue the Common