DIRECTV Expands Chicago Local Broadcast Channel Package; Additional Local Channels Now Available to Chicago 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 eight additional local broadcast channels via satellite for its DIRECTV customers in the Chicago designated market area (DMA).

Since 1999, DIRECTV has been offering its customers in the Chicago DMA access to a local channel package that includes WLS (ABC), WBBM (CBS), WMAQ (NBC), WGN (WB) and WFLD (FOX) for $5.99 per month. DIRECTV is expanding the Chicago local channel package to include WTTW (PBS), WYCC (PBS), WCIU (Independent), WSNS (Telemundo), WPWR (UPN), WXFT (Telefutura), WJYS (Independent) and WGBO (Univision), at no additional charge.

                 Chicago DMA New Local Channel Package

--    WLS (ABC)/Channel 7
--    WBBM (CBS) /Channel 2
--    WMAQ (NBC)/Channel 5
--    WFLD (FOX)/Channel 32
--    WGN (WB)/Channel 9
--    WXFT (Telefutura)/Channel 60 (b)
--    WTTW (PBS)/Channel 11 (a)
--    WYCC (PBS)/Channel 20 (a)
--    WCIU (Independent)/Channel 26 (a)
--    WSNS (Telemundo)/Channel 44 (a)
--    WPWR (UPN)/Channel 50 (a)
--    WJYS (Independent)/Channel 62 (a)
--    WGBO (Univision)/Channel 66 (a)

(a)  New local channels now available.
(b)  Available in January.

"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 Chicago to drop their cable service and choose DIRECTV as their source for home entertainment."

Local channels are delivered to DIRECTV customers in Chicago 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 Chicago channels from DIRECTV are available in the following counties:

-- Illinois counties include Cook, De Kalb, Du Page, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee,
Kendall, La Salle, Lake, McHenry and Will.

-- Indiana counties include Jasper, La Porte, Lake, Newton and Porter.

DIRECTV is supporting its local-into-local offerings in Chicago 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.