SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549-1004
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report
(Date of earliest event reported) July 8, 1998
----------------
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
-----------------------------------------------------
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
STATE OF DELAWARE 1-143 38-0572515
- ---------------------------- ----------------------- -------------------
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243-7301
3044 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202-3091
- -------------------------------------------- ----------
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (313)-556-5000
--------------
- 1 -
ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
(a) On July 8, 1998, General Motors Corporation's subsidiary, Hughes
Electronics Corporation, issued a news release on the subject of its DIRECTV
DBS-1 satellite. The content of the news release was as follows:
Anomaly Noted On DBS-1
Satellite Continues Normal Operation on Back-Up Systems; DIRECTV(R) and USSB(R)
Services Unaffected
Los Angeles, July 8, 1998 - Engineers at DIRECTV, Inc. and Hughes Space
and Communications Company confirmed today that a spacecraft control processor
(SCP) aboard the DBS-1 satellite failed on July 4, 1998. As designed, control of
the HS 601 - model satellite was automatically switched to the spare SCP and the
spacecraft is currently operating normally.
At no time did DIRECTV's more than 3.7 million subscribers experience any
loss of service.
DIRECTV maintains a redundant infrastructure to anticipate and mitigate
the consequences of possible satellite failures. In the event that the back-up
SCP on-board DBS-1 should also fail, DIRECTV would immediately switch most of
the affected programming services to the DBS-2 and DBS-3 satellites, which are
collocated with DBS-1 at 101-degrees WL. In addition, DIRECTV continues to
actively pursue other satellite back-up and fleet expansion strategies
consistent with its long-term business plans.
DIRECTV is a registered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc. USSB is a service mark
of United States Satellite Broadcasting Company, Inc. DIRECTV, Inc. and Hughes
Space and Communications Company are units of Hughes Electronics Corporation.
The earnings of Hughes Electronics are used to calculate the earnings per share
attributable to GMH (NYSE symbol) common stock.
* * * * * *
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
--------------------------
(Registrant)
Date July 8, 1998
-----------------
By
s/Peter R. Bible
-------------------------------
(Peter R. Bible,
Chief Accounting Officer)
- 2 -
