DirecTV in the News

DIRECTV-4S Satellite To Provide Additional Local Channels

El SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 1999--DIRECTV Inc. today announced it has ordered a new high-power spot beam satellite from its sister company, Hughes Space & Communications Co. (HSC).

Named DIRECTV-4S, the HS 601HP satellite will be the first spacecraft in the DIRECTV fleet to use highly focused spot beam technology that will enable DIRECTV to expand its local channel offerings in metropolitan markets throughout the country. DIRECTV-4S, which will be the fifth HSC-built satellite deployed by DIRECTV, will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2001.

``With the passage of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act, the last barrier for consumers to purchase satellite TV has finally been lifted,'' said Eddy W. Hartenstein, president of DIRECTV.

``Investing in spot beam technology will benefit our customers and enable us to add additional local channels in markets we are already serving or plan to serve, as well as extend local channel services to additional smaller markets. Additionally, partnering with our sister company HSC gives us more flexibility in the development of DIRECTV-4S, which allows for greater efficiencies in the design of this very complex product.''

``This new satellite has far-reaching implications for Hughes Electronics,'' said Tig H. Krekel, president and chief executive officer of HSC.

``The unique spot beam configuration required for DIRECTV-4S enables HSC to once again reinforce its technical prowess by designing and manufacturing this specialized spacecraft. More importantly for the corporation, however, is the ability to deliver additional local programming via satellite.

``That's a major step in the direct-to-home market, and clearly one that will result in DIRECTV further penetrating its market, with far-reaching benefits to all of Hughes.''

DIRECTV-4S will be stationed with other DIRECTV satellites at 101 degrees West longitude (WL), with a designed service life of approximately 15 years. A specific launch date for the satellite will be announced upon completion of negotiations with launch vehicle service providers.

DIRECTV began offering local channels via satellite to its customers in New York and Los Angeles on Nov. 29. Denver, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. local channels were added in their respective markets on Dec. 4.

Over the coming months DIRECTV plans to offer local broadcast network channels via satellite to additional markets, including Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Miami; Minneapolis; Orlando-Daytona, Fla.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Sacramento, Calif.; Seattle; St. Louis; and Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.

Consumers living in these designated market areas will receive their local channels via their existing DIRECTV System equipment. DIRECTV will continue to expand its local channel service to other markets throughout the remainder of 1999 and in 2000.

HSC is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites, having built nearly 40 percent of those in operation. It also is a major supplier of spacecraft and equipment to the U.S. government, and a builder of weather satellites for the United States and Japan. Visit HSC on the World Wide Web at www.hughespace.com.

DirecTV signs local deals with NBC and ABC

LOS ANGELES, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider DirecTV Inc. on Monday said it reached deals to retransmit the local broadcast signals of TV stations owned by the NBC and ABC TV networks.

Satellite TV providers only recently gained government approval to transmit local TV signals and with the agreements, DirecTV has taken major steps to satisfy customers who want to receive news, sports, entertainment and other shows from network-affiliated stations.

NBC has given DirectTV rights to retransmit the signals of NBC's 13 major-market stations in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco. NBC is a unit of General Electric Co.

The deal with ABC covers 10 stations owned by the company in major metropolitan areas. DirecTV also said it would carry the new 24-hour soap opera channel, SoapNet, which is being develop by Disney/ABC Cable Networks. ABC is a unit of Walt Disney Co.

The satellite TV provider also had signed a local carriage agreement with the Fox broadcast network.

DirecTV Offers Local Channels in San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose Market

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1999--Beginning tomorrow, all DIRECTV customers in the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose designated market area (DMA) will receive a free preview of their local broadcast network channel package.

DIRECTV customers in the San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose DMA can subscribe to a local channel package that initially includes KGO (ABC), KPIX (CBS), KRON (NBC) and KTVU (FOX). DIRECTV customers can subscribe to their local channel package for $5.99 per month. In addition to local broadcast network channels, a national PBS feed is included in each local channel package at no additional charge.

Local San Francisco channels from DIRECTV will be available in the following counties:
    -- Alameda
    -- Contra Costa
    -- Lake
    -- Marin
    -- Mendocino
    -- Napa
    -- San Francisco
    -- San Mateo
    -- Santa Clara
    -- Solano (select ZIP codes)
    -- Sonoma

Local channels are delivered to DIRECTV customers in the San Francisco area from DIRECTV's primary orbital slot at 101 degrees West Longitude. As a result, DIRECTV customers can receive their local channels as well as DIRECTV's current lineup of national digital entertainment and information programming through their existing set-top box and 18-inch antenna.

DirecTV Offers Local Channels in Denver and Washington, D.C.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1999 - Beginning tomorrow, all DIRECTV customers in the Denver and District of Columbia designated market areas (DMA) will receive a free preview of their local broadcast network channel package.

DIRECTV customers in the Denver DMA can subscribe to a local channel package that includes KMGH (ABC), KCNC (CBS), KUSA (NBC), and KDVR (FOX).

DIRECTV customers in the Washington, D.C. DMA can subscribe to a local channel package that includes WJLA (ABC), WUSA (CBS), WRC (NBC), and WTTG (FOX).

Local channels from Denver and Washington, D.C. are delivered to DIRECTV subscribers from DIRECTV's primary orbital slot at 101 degrees West Longitude. As a result, DIRECTV customers can receive their local channels as well as DIRECTV's current lineup of national digital entertainment and information programming through their existing set-top box and 18-inch antenna.

DirecTV Announces Free Series of Special Programming Events

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 18, 1999--DIRECTV Inc., the nation's leading digital television provider, announced today the DIRECTV® FREEVIEW® programming series, a collection of events offered exclusively by DIRECTV available free of charge to DIRECTV and PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV customers beginning Nov. 25. The series is intended to thank customers for the strong loyalty and support that is leading DIRECTV through a year of record growth.

The FREEVIEW programming series kicks off with an exclusive broadcast of progressive rock super group YES in concert during its 1999 The Ladder tour. The concert will be offered in both standard and high definition. Following this premiere event will be a series of holiday specials throughout December and on New Year's Day.

``We appreciate the loyalty of our customers through this year of change and record growth,'' said Susan Collins, senior vice president of Marketing for DIRECTV. ``The DIRECTV FREEVIEW series is a way for us to say thank you.''

Having established a legacy as progressive rock giants during the 1970s and '80s, YES is currently touring in support of its new album, ``The Ladder.'' Filmed at the House of Blues in Las Vegas and produced by the House of Blues and Beyond Music/Beyond Music.com, DIRECTV will offer the exclusive concert broadcast in high definition format, representing the first HDTV concert broadcast in television history.

The month of December features a series of exclusive events highlighting the Christmas holiday, including the Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas Spectacular, the animated Hallmark Entertainment® presentation ``Maxine's Christmas Carol'' and ``The Glory of Christmas.''

In addition, DIRECTV will ring in the new millennium for customers with two exciting concert events. The exclusive New Year's Eve concert broadcast of ``Countdown to the Millennium Live from Walt Disney World'' features a host of popular artists from the '70s and '80s including Cheap Trick, 38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Styx. Finally, Blondie, fronted by the ever-popular Debbie Harry, will be featured in an exclusive New Year's Day concert broadcast. Each of the exclusive events in this special programming series will air on DIRECTV channel No. 103.

DirecTV Offers Free Preview of HBO Programming Nov. 26-28

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 17, 1999-- This Thanksgiving, HBO will serve a unique ``dish'' of exclusive programming to all DIRECTV® and PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV customers.

Starting Friday, Nov. 26 at 6 a.m. (ET), and continuing through 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 (ET), HBO and DIRECTV will offer ``Spotlight on HBO Originals.'' This specially produced free preview weekend will feature nothing but HBO's top-quality original programming.

DIRECTV customers can tune to channel 510 and PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV customers to channel 147 for 72 hours of critically-acclaimed and Emmy® Award-winning HBO original series, movies, comedy specials, documentaries and major events.

Jim Lampley, legendary sports broadcaster and HBO World Championship Boxing analyst, will host this distinctive event. ``Spotlight on HBO Originals'' highlights the quality, depth and variety of HBO's original programming.

The three-day showcase will feature a broad range of HBO's originals including episodes of renowned series such as ``The Sopranos,'' ``Sex and the City,'' ``Oz,'' and ``Arli$$''; movies such as ``A Lesson Before Dying'' and ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''; comedy specials like ``Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker''; family favorites including ``A Little Curious'' and ``Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child''; and cutting-edge sports programs like ``Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel'' and ``Inside The NFL''.

``One of the great advantages of subscribing to HBO is being able to watch the highest quality and most talked-about original programming on television,'' said John Ovrutsky, vice president, Direct Broadcast, HBO.

``The preview weekend gives DIRECTV and PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV customers the chance to sample the wide range of programming that truly sets HBO apart from other networks.''

Susan Collins, senior vice president of Marketing for DIRECTV, said: ``HBO provides quality movies and original programming that are a hit with our customers.

``This free preview weekend gives our customers the opportunity to catch some of the hottest Emmy® Award-winning programming during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and provides us with yet another way to thank our customers for their steadfast loyalty through another year of record growth.''

HBO and DIRECTV will support the preview with an extensive marketing initiative including print and on-air advertising, direct mail, outbound telemarketing and the exclusive ``HBO Spotlight'' consumer sweepstakes.

By tuning in to the preview, viewers can find out how to enter for a chance to win one of hundreds of HBO prizes, such as a video boxed set of season one of ``The Sopranos,'' a director's chair from HBO Films, t-shirts, caps, autographed posters, and even a pair of boxing gloves autographed by Roy Jones Jr.

In addition, DIRECTV customers will be eligible to win a Chevrolet Suburban grand prize, while PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV customers will be eligible to win an RCA Home Theater System grand prize. Current HBO subscribers and consumers who subscribe to HBO during the preview will be automatically entered into the sweepstakes.

DIRECTV offers 10 channels of HBO The Works and MultiMAX from Cinemax (HBO, HBO West, HBO Plus, HBO Plus West, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Family West, Cinemax, Cinemax West, and MoreMAX). PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV offers six channels of HBO The Works and MultiMAX from Cinemax (HBO, HBO Plus, HBO Signature, HBO Family West, Cinemax, and MoreMAX).

HBO/Spotlight Sweepstakes Rules: No purchase or new subscription necessary. See Official Rules for details. Open only to U.S. residents 18 or older who are DIRECTV or PRIMESTAR By DIRECTV subscribers as of 11/25/99. Void where prohibited.

For Official Rules by which entrants are bound, send self-addressed, stamped envelope to: HBO Spotlight/DIRECTV Rules Requests, P.O. Box 4024, Blair, Neb., 68009-4024. To be entered in the sweepstakes, include a piece of 3`` x 5'' paper on which you have printed your name, address and zip code, to be received by 12/7/99.

Final entry via HBO subscription is 11/30/99.

Home Box Office is the premium television programming division of Time Warner Entertainment Company L.P., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach nearly 35 million subscribers in the United States via a variety of distribution modes including cable, C-band satellite, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), microwave (MMDS) and in the lodging industry. Home Box Office's international ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 40 countries around the globe.