Direct Satellite TV Blog

DIRECTV to Carry Public Television Stations in HD

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 19, 2007 — Public Television stations across the country will soon be available in high-definition (HD) to DIRECTV customers through a landmark agreement reached today by DIRECTV, Inc., the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). DIRECTV viewers will have access to other Public Television content as well.

Continuing its unprecedented expansion of HD services, DIRECTV, the industry leader in HD programming, will include the local HD feeds of Public Television stations in its HD rollout plans beginning in 2008. DIRECTV currently offers local HD programming in 68 markets, representing more than 72 percent of U.S. TV households.

DIRECTV, APTS and PBS also will work together to develop new video on demand offerings to make available local and national public television programming to DIRECTV's customers anytime they want it. In addition, DIRECTV will carry two national standard-definition channels of Public Television programming, further expanding its commitment to high-quality educational programming.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with APTS and PBS to offer our customers award-winning HD programming from local Public Television stations across the country," said Chase Carey, president and CEO, DIRECTV, Inc. "agreement is the result of a cooperative effort that will utilize innovative technology to deliver the highest quality local content to DIRECTV viewers. DIRECTV is committed to offering the best HD programming lineup available, and we are delighted to begin carrying programs of the caliber of The NewsHour, Frontline, NOVA, American Masters, the American Experience and award-winning children's programming in this visually compelling format."

APTS President & CEO John Lawson said: "This is a forward-looking, innovative agreement for the digital age. It means the great HD programming from PBS and local Public Television stations will be available to DIRECTV customers in every market where DIRECTV carries any local HD. We will also work together to make available a vast library of on demand content from local Public Television stations across the country. This is a great day for public service media in America."

"One of our foremost priorities is extending the quality content that PBS offers across the broadest range of platforms," said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger. "We are pleased with this agreement, which enables Public Television stations to provide even better service to viewers in their communities."

The terms of the deal were unanimously approved by the APTS Board of Trustees yesterday and are pending approval by the PBS Board of Directors. The agreement must be ratified by local Public Television stations.

Rock Legend Meat Loaf Hosts an Outrageous New Game Show Exclusively for DIRECTV Customers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., December 19, 2008 — Rock legend Meat Loaf will host Rock & A Hard Place, an all-new original game show featuring classic and current music superstars as they battle it out for charity in the ultimate trivia challenge. The series, which debuts January 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on DIRECTV's original entertainment channel, The 101, will showcase music greats including The Pointer Sisters, Warrant, Shelia E., the Pussycat Dolls and others as they test their knowledge on everything from music history to current-events trivia, all in the name of charity.

"Meat Loaf is hilarious and he lets us see a whole new side to these music superstars ," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "Music is a big part of The 101 and we couldn't be happier to add this show to our lineup."

The 10-episode series will feature head-to-head competition between two teams of music superstars as they test their worldly wisdom on everything from music history to current events and strange-but-true factoids. Music all-stars Grand Master Flash, Eddie Money, Warrant, Shelia E., The Pointer Sisters, along with industry new-comers The Pussycat Dolls, American Idol contestants, Stars of Track and Field, among others, will be pitted against each other for an all-out brawl of brain power. Each team of contestants will be playing for their own charity, with all the proceeds from the night's winnings going towards their cause.

The show will consist of multiple games in topics ranging from presidential candidates and Jim Morrison to album names and classic songs. Every correct answer earns the teams cash, and all earnings from the night will go towards each teams charity, regardless of whether they win or lose. The team with the most money at the end of the show, wins the game.

Rock & A Hard Place is produced by Blaze Television, the production company behind some of today's largest live music shows, including The 101's DIRECTV SXSW Live and Country Concert.

The Most Important TV Event in the History of Video Games to Air Exclusively on DIRECTV's Channel 101

El Segundo, Calif., December 3, 2007 — DIRECTV, the nation's leading satellite television service provider, is making sports history once again with the exclusive live broadcast of the inaugural Championship Gaming Series (CGS) World Final. The competition will take place December 6-14 at the Sony Studios in Los Angeles where more than 100 of the world's top professional gamers will compete for the league's first-ever World Champion title and a share of the $1,000,000 prize purse. All the action will be captured live and in HD on DIRECTV's original entertainment channel, The 101, starting December 6 at 10pm ET.

"This is the Super Bowl 1 of professional video gaming," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "We couldn't be more pleased with year one of the league and the excitement that it has created worldwide."

The CGS World Final will be the first-ever international gaming event to present all the action live, as it happens, allowing fans at home to experience the match-ups like any other sport. The groundbreaking coverage will commence with the start of CGS World Final on December 6 and broadcast three hours of single elimination competitions each night leading up to the championship game on December 14.

The playoffs will feature the top CGS teams from around the world as they compete in PC and console based games. Valve's Counter-Strike®: Source® and EA's FIFA 2007 are the official PC games for CGS while Tecmo's® Dead or Alive® 4 (DOA4) and Project Gotham Racing® 3 (PGR3) from Microsoft Game Studios will be played on Xbox 360. Each round of the World Final is single elimination and the last team standing will receive the coveted Dew Trophy as well as $500,000 in prize money.

In addition to the team playoffs, the World Final will also feature a special "battle of the sexes" DOA4 match-up where Vanessa Arteaga and Ryan "OffBeatNinja" Ward, the top female and male DOA players in the world, will battle it out for supremacy. The contest, dubbed the "Itagaki Challenge," is the brainchild of DOA creator Tomonobu Itagaki, who will preside over the face-off and present the winner with the ultimate DOA prize package, including a ceremonial Japanese Katana sword and a trip to Tokyo. The individual competition will air live on The 101 December 13 at 11:30pm ET.

"We're honored that DOA game creator and international superstar Tomonobu Itagaki recognizes the CGS as the world's leading professional video gaming league in the world," said Andy Reif, CGS commissioner and CEO. "We've set our stake in the ground and proved ourselves as a legitimate sport and look forward to growing the league and esports in the years to come."

In what will become an annual platform for the world's best gamers to compete professionally, the inaugural CGS World Final will be broadcast on television to more than 350 million viewers worldwide by DIRECTV's The 101 in the U.S., BSkyB's Sky One, Sky Two and Sky HD in the UK, ESPN STAR Sports in Asia, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, DIRECTV throughout the rest of Latin America, and across mainland Europe via additional soon-to-be confirmed broadcast partners.

CGS World Final event schedule is as follows:

• December 6: CGS World Final press conference
• December 6: First round day 1
• December 7: First round day 2
• December 10: Quarterfinals day 1
• December 11: Quarterfinals day 2
• December 13: Semifinals & Itagaki Challenge
• December 14: Final

The official CGS teams participating in the World Final are as follows:

• Berlin Allianz
• Birmingham Salvo
• Carolina Core
• Chicago Chimera
• London Mint
• Mexico City Furia
• Rio Sinistro
• Seoul Jinhwa
• Singapore Sword
• Stockholm Magnetik
• Sydney Underground
• Wuhan Dragon

For more information, please go to thecgs.com.

DIRECTV OFFERS TO INSTALL HD IN THE NEW INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MODULE; READY TO BRING HD TO THE FINAL FRONTIER

Congratulating NASA on the completion of a successful shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and the recent unveiling of a new living space aboard the orbital laboratory, DIRECTV is offering the ISS a complete HD makeover — including its industry-leading line-up of national HD channels, the most advanced HD DVR on the market, a 42" flat screen HDTV and a sturdy velcro-wrapped remote control.

With the solar array repaired and the Harmony module — the ISS's first new living space in six years — successfully bolted into its permanent location, DIRECTV is ready to offer the DIRECTV HD experience to the ISS crew, allowing them to catch up on current events or enjoy the best HD whenever their leisure time allows. If NASA accepts DIRECTV's offer, the nations #1 satellite TV company is prepared to offer its top engineer to assist in the installation of the familiar satellite dish on the roof of the new module.

"Sure, there's the awe-inspiring view of planet earth from more than 200 miles up, but what do you do for an encore after you've entered your 180th day in space?" said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president, marketing for DIRECTV, Inc. "But on a more serious note, we truly applaud both the shuttle and ISS crew for their incredible accomplishments and are honored to offer an HD experience worthy of the International Space Station. As a satellite TV service we obviously have a vested interest in space exploration and we've certainly benefited from NASA's many technical and scientific achievements over the years. This is one way we can give a little something back."

DIRECTV began its unprecedented HD expansion rollout last month and plans to offer up to 100 national HD channels by the end of the year. The full DIRECTV HD programming lineup, including the new channels, and details on receiving equipment needed for the new HD services, are available at www.satex.com or by calling 1-800-201-5113.

The DIRECTV 11 satellite will be launched early next year to support further HD expansion. Combining DIRECTV 11 with existing satellite capacity, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.

V-me Channel 440

V-me is a new channel of Spanish-language programming now available.

A new national network partnered with Public TV that entertains and educates America's Latino families in Spanish with a lively mix of original and exclusive programs: nature, science, history, current affairs, music, arts, and nightly movies.

Una nueva cadena nacional asociada a la Televisión Pública que entretiene y educa en Español a las familias Latinas en América, con una mezcla de programación original y exclusiva: natutaleza, ciencia, historia, musica, arte, asuntos actuales y películas nocturnas.

XM Satellite Radio Channel Lineup

XM offers holiday music through January 1, 2008.

Though XM announced it will run commercials on some channels, all of the XM channels on DIRECTV continue to be commercial-free.

Eternal Word Television Network - EWTN

EWTN has moved to channel 370.

Catholic family-oriented, spiritual growth programming featuring talk shows, children's programming, music, documentaries, dramas, devotional programs, teaching series and live church events from around the world.

Jewelry Television Network available on channel 313

The Jewelry Television Network is now available on channel 313.

The largest worldwide retailer of loose gemstones, JTV is committed to offering the largest selection of affordable fine jewelry.

DIRECTV Launches NBA TV HD

Leagues 24-Hour Network is Now Available in HD 24x7 and Will Include More Than 72 Games in HD

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 31, 2007 — Continuing to box out the competition as the leading provider of HD sports programming, DIRECTV has launched NBA TV HD with plans to offer more than 72 games in HD and other NBA programming in HD, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With the addition of NBA TV HD, DIRECTV now offers 74 full-time national HD channels, including 16 sports networks in HD, significantly more than any other television provider. DIRECTV will continue to expand its national HD lineup throughout the rest of the year and is expected to have up to 100 national HD channels by year-end.

"Sports fans continue to be the most enthusiastic consumers of HD, and DIRECTV and the NBA are taking that excitement up a notch with the addition of NBA TV HD to our industry-leading HD lineup," said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. "We're sure most hoop fans will agree that NBA players will look even more spectacular in HD, along with the rest of NBA TV's all-things basketball content."

"High definition is ideal for showcasing NBA basketball," said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Adam Silver. "NBA TV in HD provides DIRECTV's subscribers with a full schedule of NBA games and insider programming."

The NBA TV HD simulcast, available on DIRECTV viewer channel 601, will continue to feature live NBA games every week, basketball news and information, exclusive interviews with the game's greatest stars and legends, and original series spotlighting today's players and coaches as well as the most memorable moments in the NBA's history.

About NBA TV:
Launched in 1999, NBA TV is a fan's all-access network for everything basketball. The network offers over 400 games annually including more than 100 NBA regular season and playoff games, WNBA action, D-League competition, weekly Euroleague Games, and major international events like the FIBA Americas Championship. The network, which can be seen in 73 countries, features more than 20 original series; exclusive access to NBA events; news from around the world of basketball; nightly highlights; Top 10 Plays of the Day; interviews with the game's insiders, including current stars and legends; and exciting new technology such as High Definition. In addition, NBA TV offers real-time statistics, the latest fantasy basketball and video game news, and Video-On-Demand.

DIRECTV HD™ Revolution Begins

DIRECTV Customers Now Have Access to Over 70 National HD Channels — Significantly More Than Any Other Television Provider In The Nation

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2007 - DIRECTV, the nation's leading satellite television service provider, is now offering 72 national HD channels — significantly more than any other television provider in the nation. This is the first wave in DIRECTV's unprecedented expansion of HD services that is building towards up to 100 HD channels by year-end*.

"If you own a high-definition television, or are thinking about buying one, you can now watch your favorite channels in crystal-clear DIRECTV HD™," said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. "The DIRECTV HD programming expansion that consumers have been waiting for has become a reality. We overwhelmingly lead the industry in terms of both quantity and quality of HD programming. There simply isn't a better television experience on the planet."

The full DIRECTV HD programming lineup, including the new channels, and details on receiving equipment needed for the new DIRECTV HD services, are available by calling 1-800-201-5113 or visiting www.satex.com.

DIRECTV's current HD lineup includes:

A&E HD	The History Channel HD
Animal Planet HD	HGTV-HD
ABC HD NY **	MGM HD
ABC HD LA **	MHD
Big Ten Network HD	National Geographic Channel HD
Bravo HD	NBC HD NY **
Cartoon Network	NBC HD LA **
CBS HD NY **	NESN HD
CBS HD LA **	NFL Network HD
Cinemax HD East	Sci-Fi Channel HD
Cinemax HD West	SHO Too HD
CSN Chicago HD	Showtime HD
CSN Mid-Atlantic HD	Showtime HD West
CNBC HD+	Smithsonian Channel HD
CNN HD	Speed Channel HD
Discovery Channel HD	SportsNet New York HD
ESPN HD	Starz Comedy HD
ESPN2 HD	Starz Edge HD
Food Network HD	Starz HD East
Fox HD NY **	Starz HD West
Fox HD LA **	Starz Kids & Family HD
Fox Business Network HD	TBS in HD
FSN Detroit HD	The Movie Channel East HD
FSN Prime Ticket HD	The Science Channel HD
FSN Southwest HD	The Weather Channel HD
FSN West HD	TLC HD
Fuel TV HD	TNT HD
FX HD	Universal HD
HBO HD East	USA Network HD
HBO HD West	Versus HD/Golf Channel HD
HD Theater	YES HD
HDNet	HD PPV (8)
HDNet Movies

DIRECTV HD customers will continue to pay only a $9.99 access fee, allowing them to receive DIRECTV's premier HD technology and all channels broadcast in HD that are tied to their particular base programming package.

Customers who want the ultimate HD experience can subscribe to the DIRECTV® HD EXTRA PACK for an additional $4.99 per month. This new addition of HD-only channels is for the true HD fan and includes: HDNet, HDNet Movies, Universal HD, MHD, Smithsonian HD and MGM HD.

In addition to the national HD channels listed above, DIRECTV also offers 245 local HD channels across 61 cities, representing more than 70 percent of U.S. TV Households.

The DIRECTV 11 satellite will be launched early next year to support further HD expansion. With the two satellites, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.