DIRECTV Expands Charlotte Local Broadcast Channel Package; Additional Local Channels Now Available to Charlotte Customers.

Business & Entertainment Editors

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 27, 2001

DIRECTV Inc., provider of the nation's leading digital television service, announced that beginning today, Dec. 27, 2001, it will offer six additional local broadcast channels via satellite for its DIRECTV customers in the Charlotte designated market area (DMA).

Since 2000, DIRECTV has been offering its customers in the Charlotte DMA access to a local channel package that includes WSOC (ABC), WBTV (CBS), WCCB (FOX) and WCNC (NBC) for $5.99 per month. DIRECTV is expanding the Charlotte local channel package to include WNSC (PBS), WTVI (PBS), WJZY (UPN), WWWB (WB), UNC TV (PBS) and WAXN (Independent), at no additional charge.

                Charlotte DMA New Local Channel Package

--   WSOC (ABC)/Channel 9       --   WTVI (PBS)/Channel 42 (a)
--   WBTV (CBS)/Channel 3       --   WJZY (UPN)/Channel 46 (a)
--   WCNC (NBC)/Channel 36      --   WWWB (WB)/Channel 55 (a)
--   WCCB (FOX)/Channel 18      --   UNC (PBS)/Channel 58 (a)
--   WNSC (PBS)/Channel 30 (a)  --   WAXN (Independent)/Channel 64 (a)

(a)  New local channels now available.

"Enabling our customers to receive these additional local channels provides them with a true cable replacement," said Roxanne Austin, president and COO of DIRECTV Inc. "By offering more local channels on DIRECTV programming, our customers can access entertainment and information that's most relevant to their lives and their community. Now is as good a time as any for consumers in Charlotte to drop their cable service and choose DIRECTV as their source for home entertainment."

Local channels are delivered to DIRECTV customers in Charlotte 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.

Local Charlotte channels from DIRECTV are available in the following counties:

--       Alexander          --       Lincoln
--       Anson              --       Mecklenburg
--       Ashe               --       Richmond
--       Avery              --       Rowan
--       Burke              --       Stanly
--       Cabarrus           --       Union
--       Caldwell           --       Watauga
--       Catawba            --       Chester
--       Cleveland          --       Chesterfield
--       Gaston             --       Lancaster
--       Iredell            --       York

DIRECTV is supporting its local-into-local offerings in Charlotte with marketing, point-of-sale and advertising campaigns in coordination with its extensive consumer electronics retailing partners and affiliate satellite dealers.

DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital satellite television service provider with more than 10.3 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are trademarks of DIRECTV Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation. HUGHES is the world's leading provider of digital television entertainment, broadband services, satellite-based private business networks, and global video and data broadcasting. The earnings of HUGHES, a unit of General Motors Corporation, are used to calculate the earnings per share attributable to the General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE:GMH). Visit DIRECTV on the World Wide Web at DIRECTV.com.