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) May 2, 2000
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HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
STATE OF DELAWARE 0-26035 52-1106564
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation or organization) File Number) Identification No.)
200 North Sepulveda Boulevard
El Segundo, California 90245
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(310) 662-9985
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(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrants' principal executive office)
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
On May 2, 2000, a news release was issued by Hughes Electronics
Corporation's subsidiary, DIRECTV, Inc., announcing that it will rollout local
channels in 12 additional markets. The release is as follows:
DIRECTV to Rollout Local Channels in 12 Additional Markets
Most Markets to Receive Local Channels
From Satellites at 101 Degrees Orbital Slot
EL SEGUNDO, CA, May 2, 2000 - DIRECTV, Inc., which currently offers local
broadcast network channels in 23 major metropolitan markets via its high-power
DIRECTV(R) digital television service, announced today its plan to rollout local
channels in 12 additional markets beginning in June. DIRECTV will continue
adding local channel markets throughout the second and third quarters, and by
late September, expects to offer local channels in 35 markets across the
country, representing 58 million homes, or about 58 percent of the nation's
television households.
Most of the 12 new markets will receive local channels from DIRECTV's
satellites at 101 degrees West Longitude (WL), its primary orbital slot. As a
result, DIRECTV customers who reside in those markets will be able to receive
the new local channel service, as well as DIRECTV's current lineup of
programming, through their existing set-top box and 18-inch antenna.
Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Milwaukee - which will receive
local channels from 101 degrees WL - will be among the first of the 12 new
markets that will receive local channels from DIRECTV. The additional eight
markets will be announced in the coming weeks.
"With more than 50 percent of our new customers subscribing to local
channels, it's abundantly clear that the availability of local channels via
satellite has eliminated the final barrier to entry for consumers dropping cable
and switching to DIRECTV," said Bill Casamo, president, DIRECTV Merchandising,
Inc. "Offering local channels from our primary orbital slot in the majority of
our 12 new markets will make it much easier for our existing customers in those
markets to receive those channels. All they will have to do to begin receiving
their local channels from DIRECTV is call and order - no new hardware is
required."
In addition to launching local channels in 12 new markets, DIRECTV will
continue to assess additional local channel markets as it expands its satellite
capacity. DIRECTV will launch its DIRECTV 5 satellite late this summer. Acquired
in the PRIMESTAR acquisition last year, formerly called Tempo I, DIRECTV 5 will
be stationed at the 119 degrees WL orbital slot. Next year, DIRECTV will launch
DIRECTV 4S, its first spot beam satellite. DIRECTV 4S will be stationed with
other DIRECTV satellites at the 101 degrees WL orbital slot.
DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital satellite television service with
more than 8.3 million customers including customers subscribing to PRIMESTAR By
DIRECTV. DIRECTV is a registered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes
Electronics Corporation. Hughes Electronics is the world's leading provider of
digital television entertainment, and satellite and wireless systems and
services. The earnings of Hughes Electronics, 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 www.directv.com.
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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.
HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
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(Registrant)
By
Date May 2, 2000 /s/Roxanne S. Austin
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(Roxanne S. Austin,
Chief Financial Officer)
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