DIRECTV’S EDDY W. HARTENSTEIN TO SERVE AS OPENING KEYNOTE AT INAUGURAL AUGUST 27TH SkyFORUM WEST PROGRAM

ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 30, 2002 – The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) announced today that Eddy Hartenstein, chairman and CEO of DIRECTV, Inc., and corporate senior executive vice president of Hughes Electronics Corporation, will serve as the opening keynote speaker for SBCA’s first-ever SkyFORUM West Satellite Financial Symposium.  The SBCA and its SkyTRENDS partners will hold SkyFORUM West on Aug. 27, 2002 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA.  The half-day event will be held in conjunction with the International Satellite and Communications exchange Conference and Expo (ISCe), which runs from Aug. 27-29, and will bring together leading industry executives, market analysts and the media to discuss the future of the satellite services industry. 

“We are very excited about our first-ever SkyFORUM West program, and the opportunity it provides us to highlight the strength and vitality of the satellite industry,” said SBCA President Andy Wright.  “Further, because of his tremendous contributions to the satellite industry through his tenure at both DIRECTV and HUGHES, no one could be a more fitting keynote speaker for this inaugural West Coast event than Eddy Hartenstein.  DIRECTV and HUGHES have made enormous contributions to the State of California, and the nation, and we look forward to hearing Eddy’s insights into what the future holds for satellite entertainment and communications.”

Mr. Hartenstein is responsible for the strategic planning of DIRECTV, the nation's leading direct broadcast satellite service, DIRECTV Latin America and DIRECTV Broadband. He is also a member of the HUGHES Executive Committee. Prior to his position as chairman and CEO, Hartenstein was president of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of HUGHES, which now reaches more than 10.5 million households nationwide. Mr. Hartenstein has headed DIRECTV since its inception in 1990 and was responsible for assembling the DIRECTV management team and guiding its strategic efforts to develop the business infrastructure necessary to launch the satellite distribution service.  During this time, DIRECTV has been awarded three technical Emmy Awards for its contributions to digital broadcast satellite technology.

Mr. Hartenstein is currently chairman of the SBCA’s board of directors, and sits on the board of directors for Thomson Multimedia and the Consumer Electronics Association, and is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

In addition to the SkyFORUM West satellite financial symposium, the SBCA will be offering its “Satellite for Beginners” educational workshop.  The program also will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center, and will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Aug. 27.  The program will feature a comprehensive history of the consumer satellite services industry including C-band and DBS hardware information, programming, legislative and regulatory issues, satellite market research, and information on the current marketplace.  A full schedule of events will be released in the coming weeks.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association of America (www.sbca.com) is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry.  It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, interactive and broadband services.  The SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies, that make up the satellite industry.