As previously announced, the combined direct broadcast satellite (DBS) company plans to deliver local broadcast TV channels in all 210 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in the United States and provide competitively priced satellite-delivered broadband to every American, all at nationwide pricing. The merger will allow the combined company to offer more effective competition to the dominant cable companies.

The CEOs outlined to the legislators a technically and commercially feasible "Local Channels, All Americans" plan developed by DISH Network and DirecTV engineers that will allow the merged company to offer every consumer in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, access to satellite-delivered local television signals.

"Today, only those who live in the 42 television markets in which DirecTV and DISH Network offer local channels -- about 65 million households -- have a fully competitive multi-channel alternative to cable," said Eddy Hartenstein, chairman and CEO of DirecTV, in his testimony. "That leaves 42 million households without a true competitive alternative to cable."

Hartenstein continued: "Without the merger, the most markets that each company would serve with local channels as a standalone provider, both for technical and economic reasons, would be about 50 to 70. Needless to say, the local broadcasters I've talked to in the last week are thrilled that they will gain satellite carriage as a result of the merger."

The companies are seeking authority to launch and operate a new spot-beam satellite that, when combined with four existing and under-construction EchoStar and DirecTV spot-beam satellites and spectrum efficiencies achieved by combining frequencies from three of the companies' orbital locations, will enable the merged company to broadcast local TV channels in all 210 DMAs, including full compliance with federal must carry requirements.

The merger eliminates carriage of duplicative content -- a total of more than 500 identical channels -- from the DirecTV and DISH Network satellites which, when coupled with advanced spot-beam satellites and efficiencies created by the merger, would enable local channel delivery in all U.S. DMAs.

The EchoStar and Hughes merger also will eliminate the so-called "digital divide" by making satellite-delivered high-speed Internet access a viable alternative for all Americans.

"There are the digital 'haves' who are located primarily in the major metropolitan areas," said Charles Ergen, chairman and CEO of EchoStar. "But in rural America today, there's what I like to call a 'no-opoly.' Nobody, not the cable companies, not the phone companies, is providing broadband service."

Ergen added, "The merger will bridge the digital divide by providing consumers in every community in America with a competitively priced high-speed broadband solution."

Consumers across the country will receive programming from the merged DBS service via one small satellite dish and will pay the same rate card for services, regardless of where they reside.

"If you live in the 36-person town of Cedar Rapids, Wisconsin, you will be able to get the same benefits of our head-to-head competition with cable and DSL as a person living in New York City," Ergen said.

"Your child will be able to do research for her term paper on the Internet as easily as a child living in the city. And both families will pay the same price for their video programming and Internet access service."

The combined EchoStar-Hughes will also offer more high-definition channels, new interactive services, expanded national programming networks and additional educational, specialty and foreign-language programming.

The ability of the combined company to serve all 210 DMAs with local channels is contingent upon the proposed Hughes -EchoStar merger receiving the necessary government approvals from the Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Department of Justice, and the successful launch of three new spot-beam satellites.

Implementation of the "Local Channels, All Americans" plan will begin immediately upon regulatory approval of the merger, and the rollout can be completed as soon as 24 months thereafter. The proposed transaction is also subject to review by the Internal Revenue Service, and requires approval by a majority of GM $1-2/3, GM Class H and EchoStar shareholders.

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