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

Since 1999 DIRECTV has been offering its customers in the Houston DMA access to a local channel KTRK (ABC), KHOU (CBS), KPRC (NBC) and KRIV (FOX) for $5.99 per month. DIRECTV is expanding the Houston local channel package to include KUHT (PBS), KTXH (UPN), KHWB (WB), KXLN (Univision), KTBU (Independent), KZJL (Independent) and KFTH (Telefutura), at no additional charge.

                 Houston DMA New Local Channel Package

    KTRK (ABC) /Channel 13           KHWB (WB)/Channel 39(a)
    KHOU (CBS)/Channel 11            KXLN (Univision)/Channel 45(a)
    KPRC (NBC)/Channel 2             KTBU (Independent)/Channel 55(a)
    KRIV (FOX)/Channel 26            KZJL (Independent)/Channel 61(a)
    KUHT (PBS)/Channel 8(a)          KFTH (Telefutura)/Channel 67(b)
    KTXH (UPN)/Channel 20(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 Houston to drop their cable service and choose DIRECTV as their source for home entertainment."

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

-- Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend,

Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Jackson, Liberty, Matagorda,

Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, Washington and

Wharton.

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