SBCA ANNOUNCES CALENDAR OF INDUSTRY EVENTS FOR 2003:
SkyFORUMS Set For Spring & Fall; National Training & Certification Weeks;
First Retailer Rally Scheduled For Fall

ALEXANDRIA, VA, February 20, 2003 – The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) announced today its 2003 calendar, including the satellite services industry’s top financial symposium, SkyFORUM, and the introduction of a series of national training and certification weeks to be held throughout the year. This year’s calendar will also include something new, the first conference designed for satellite retailers to be held in Washington, DC September 23-25.

Organized in partnership with SkyTRENDS, SBCA’s two annual SkyFORUM events will be held in the spring and fall, bringing together Wall Street’s analyst and investment community with top satellite industry executives to discuss topical issues and upcoming trends.  Each one-day program includes live demonstrations of emerging consumer product and services technologies, keynote addresses, panel discussions, research presentations, and onstage interviews with industry leaders.  This year’s dates and locations are:

• Tuesday, May 20, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Cipriani, 110 East 42nd St., New York.

• Thursday, October 30, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Ave., New York.

The May SkyFORUM is scheduled to coincide with the 10th annual T. Howard Foundation fundraising dinner, scheduled for the evening of May 19 at Cipriani in New York. This year’s event will feature a tribute to the late Taylor Howard and will honor AOL Time Warner Vice Chairman R.E. “Ted” Turner.

New in 2003, SBCA Retailer Rally
The SBCA Retailer Rally: “Sending Our Signal to the Hill,” created for the local business owners and installers of satellite delivered services in communities across the nation, will be held in Washington from September 23-25 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

This year’s program is designed to help SBCA retail members learn how to continue the growth of their satellite businesses and to introduce and educate them to the legislative advocacy initiatives of the SBCA. The three-day event will include presentations and meetings with the FCC and Members of Congress, in addition to training, certification, panel discussions, and opportunities to network with other retailers from throughout the country.

“We created the Retailer Rally to help educate the SBCA members who represent the local face of the satellite industry in communities across the country,” said Rik Hawkins, vice chair Retailer on the SBCA board of directors and president of Starpath Communications of Elizabethtown, Ky.  “The program will not only help retailers prosper from the continuous growth of the 20 million subscriber satellite industry, but will provide a unique opportunity for them to take part in the legislative activities of SBCA and learn among their contemporaries.”

SBCA Begins Series of  National Training Weeks
SBCA’s National Standards & Testing Program (NSTP) training dates are often held concurrently across the country. In response to increased demand and company mandated deadlines for certification, SBCA is launching a series of national training weeks throughout the year to increase the number of NSTP courses available to DBS installers nationwide. The first will begin Monday, February 24 and continue through Sunday, March 1; the second is scheduled from Monday, May 18 through Sunday, May 25. Additional weeks are being planned and will complement ongoing NSTP training throughout the year.

Additional information on SkyFORUM, the Retailer Business Rally or NSTP training dates and locations can be found on the SBCA web site www.sbca.com or by contacting the SBCA office at 888.888.8888.

SkyFORUM began in 1994 to create a stronger awareness of the satellite industry among the financial and investment communities, and the media. The program is organized with SkyTRENDS, a group of SBCA member companies dedicated to the exchange of market research and data collection in the satellite services industry.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (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, music, voice, interactive and broadband services.  The SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies that make up the satellite services industry.