DirecTV in the News

Noggin to Join DIRECTV Lineup

New York and Los Angeles, May 19, 2000 -- Viacom and DIRECTV have signed a number of significant agreements involving DIRECTV's carriage of MTV Networks properties: Beginning June 1, DIRECTV will carry Noggin, the interactive network for kids from Nickelodeon and the Children's Television Workshop, in the TOTAL CHOICE package; and the two companies have extended the agreement through which DIRECTV carries MTV Networks' MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, TV Land, MTV2, and MTVS. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

The announcements were made by Mel Karmazin, President and COO of Viacom; Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Television; Tom Freston, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks; and Eddy W. Hartenstein, corporate senior executive vice president of the Hughes Electronic Consumer Sector responsible for DIRECTV in the United States and Latin America.

DIRECTV has been offering local CBS signals in major metropolitan markets since the enactment of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act last November. The legislation allowed DIRECTV to offer local broadcast network signals to its customers for six months without a Retransmission Consent Agreement.

Mr. Karmazin said, "This significant agreement demonstrates dramatically the power of the combined Viacom/CBS assets. The breadth and quality of our programming bring new benefits not only to our viewers, but also to our shareholders and our partners like DIRECTV."

Mr. Moonves said, "I'm pleased that DIRECTV customers in the markets we serve will continue to receive both the best in network news, sports and entertainment and our outstanding local programming as well."

Mr. Freston said, "This set of agreements is a clear indication of the solid relationship we have with DIRECTV, who is a very important partner in bringing our wealth of programming to millions of viewers across the country. We are very pleased to extend our carriage agreement, and we are excited to bring Noggin, a channel with a unique and important mission, to millions of DIRECTV customers."

"These agreements with Viacom represent a significant advance in our mission to offer DIRECTV customers a complete package of local entertainment and information programming via satellite, as well as the very best in national network programming," said DIRECTV's Mr. Hartenstein. "We look forward to continuing to deliver CBS local programming to millions of current and future DIRECTV customers. And we are very pleased about extending our agreement with MTV Networks, with its innovative and sought-after programming. Adding Noggin to our slate of offerings was an easy decision. It's an important network that serves kids extraordinarily well, and we are pleased to offer it to our customers."

Under the terms of the Retransmission Consent Agreement, Viacom has granted DIRECTV, the nation's largest satellite television service, consent to retransmit within their local markets the signals of the 16 owned-and-operated CBS television stations in the CBS Television Group. CBS's 16 owned television stations reach approximately 35% of the U.S viewing audience. DIRECTV will continue to offer its customers in the markets served by CBS-owned stations access to local CBS signals, including news, weather, sports, entertainment and other community-based information. DIRECTV has rolled out local channels in 23 major metropolitan markets and recently announced it will offer local channels in 12 additional markets, beginning in June.

DIRECTV has also agreed to offer Noggin, beginning June 1, in all TOTAL CHOICE packages, making the channel available to more than 7.5 million customers of DIRECTV's high-power service. A joint venture of Nickelodeon and the Children's Television Workshop, Noggin is the first 24-hour kids' noncommercial educational channel, featuring programs from the libraries of Nick and CTW, along with a related Web site. Additionally, MTV Networks and DIRECTV have extended their agreement for the carriage of the MTV Networks MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, TV Land, MTV2, and MTVS.