DirecTV in the News

Belo Reaches Agreement With DIRECTV

DALLAS, May 8, 2000 /PRNewswire/ -- Belo announced today it has reached a retransmission consent agreement for the satellite transmission of Belo's television station signals with DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading provider of digital satellite television entertainment. While terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Belo's 16 network-affiliated television stations plus KTVK-TV, the Company's independent station in Phoenix, Arizona, are included in the agreement.

Belo's three largest television stations -- WFAA-TV (ABC) in Dallas/Fort Worth, KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston, and KING-TV (NBC) in Seattle/Tacoma -- were made available to DIRECTV customers in each respective market on February 29. Belo's KMOV-TV (CBS) in St. Louis was launched on March 4 and KTVK on March 30. Additional Belo stations will be added later this year.

In making the announcement, Ward L. Huey, Jr., Belo's vice chairman and president of the Broadcast Division, said, ``Belo is pleased to have reached an agreement with DIRECTV to provide its customers in our television markets where DIRECTV® local service is available with the quality local news and information our stations deliver. We are particularly pleased that the agreement includes KTVK, whose ratings consistently challenge and exceed those of the major network stations. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement that recognizes the value of Belo's local content.''

Belo's KTVK is one of the highest-rated independent television stations in the country. It is the flagship station for the Arizona Diamondbacks, airing 75 major league baseball games this season. KTVK produces eight hours of local news Monday through Friday, and its morning local news program, ``Good Morning Arizona,'' was number one in the 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. time period, outperforming major network-affiliated shows such as the ``Today Show'' and ``Good Morning America.''

Belo is one of the nation's largest media companies with a diversified group of television broadcasting, newspaper publishing, cable news and electronic media assets. The Company's Television Group consists of 18 stations reaching 14 percent of U.S. television households. Belo owns six stations in four of the top 17 television markets: WFAA-TV (ABC) in Dallas/Fort Worth; KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston; KING-TV (NBC) and KONG-TV (IND) in Seattle/Tacoma; and KTVK-TV (IND) and KASW-TV (WB) in Phoenix. In addition, the Company owns five local or regional cable news channels and manages two television stations through local marketing agreements.

Belo's Publishing Division consists of eight daily newspapers, led by The Dallas Morning News, which has the country's seventh largest Sunday circulation and ninth largest daily circulation; The Providence Journal in Providence, Rhode Island; and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.

Belo Interactive, Inc., Belo's Internet subsidiary, includes the Web site operations of Belo's television stations and newspapers, interactive alliances and partnerships, and a broad range of Internet-based products and services.