BOB COSTAS TO BE LUNCHEON KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT APRIL SkyFORUM SYMPOSIUM IN MANHATTAN

-- Veteran Sports Broadcaster and Host of New HBO Sports Series to Address SkyFORUM Attendees --

ALEXANDRIA, VA, February 28, 2001 - The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) and SkyTRENDS today announced that Bob Costas, veteran broadcaster and host of the new HBO Sports series, "ON THE RECORD WITH BOB COSTAS," will deliver the luncheon keynote address at the 15th semi-annual SkyFORUM satellite/ financial symposium. The event will be held Thursday, April 5, 2001, at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. Costas will deliver his speech at approximately 1:00 p.m.

"Bob Costas is an accomplished television personality, and HBO Sports has been a huge supporter of satellite television since the industry's inception. His participation in the SkyFORUM symposium is a natural fit," said SkyTRENDS Chairman and Vice President, Communications, DIRECTV, Jeff Torkelson. "Without question, the diversity of sports, premium movie and event programming will continue to serve as a catalyst for growth in the satellite television marketplace."

The new HBO Sports program is formatted to appeal to a much broader audience than just hardcore sports fans. "ON THE RECORD WITH BOB COSTAS" starts where the game ends, focusing on topical sports issues and personalities from the playing field, front office and entertainment world. The program is a fast-paced and spontaneous one-hour magazine show, that is scheduled as a 12-week series. In addition, the program features an interactive component that allows viewers to interact on the Web with Costas at the end of each week's show.

Costas joined NBC Sports in 1980, and since that time, has hosted four Olympics and been prominently involved in virtually every major sports event, including numerous World Series, Super Bowl, and NBA Finals broadcasts. Costas is currently slated to host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games from Salt Lake City, UT.

From August 1988 through January 1994, Costas hosted his own late-night interview show, "Later with Bob Costas," on NBC. During its run, the program earned the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series. He has also received nine Emmys as a sports broadcaster and two for writing. He recently published a book entitled, "Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball," which spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In addition, Costas has been honored as Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association a record eight times, including the year 2000 award.

HBO Sports has earned a reputation as a premiere sports television programmer on satellite and cable television. The acclaimed "Sports of the 20th Century" documentary series was presented with two more George F. Peabody Awards last May. HBO Sports' programming also included three boxing series, "World Championship Boxing," "HBO Boxing After Dark" and "KO Nation;" "Inside the NFL," cable's longest running series, which completed its 24th season; and "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," the monthly sports series that has earned eight Sports Emmy Awards in its first five years on HBO.

The semi-annual SkyFORUM satellite/ financial symposium runs from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and will feature panels discussing broadband satellite services, interactive television and innovative sales techniques to move the product, and investor assessments of the direct broadcast satellite industry. In addition, SkyFORUM will feature technology demonstrations from leading satellite services companies, as well as one-on-one interviews with satellite industry executives including: Eddy Hartenstein, corporate senior executive vice president, Hughes Consumer Sector; Mark Pagon, president, chairman and CEO, Pegasus Communications Corp; and Bob Phillips, president and CEO, NRTC.

For more information or to register for SkyFORUM, please visit www.sbca.com or contact Brian Lynch , SBCA, 703-739-8361, or blynch@sbca.org. Media interested in receiving complimentary press credentials should contact James Ashurst, SBCA, 703-739-8351, or jashurst@sbca.org or Angela Hearn, SBCA, 703-739-8360, ahearn@sbca.org.

SkyTRENDS is the market research, data collection and reporting program for the satellite industry. This program is a venture between Media Business Corp. and the SBCA. SkyFORUM was developed to create a higher awareness of the satellite industry among the financial and investment communities, and the media.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association of America (SBCA) 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, data and voice services. The SBCA is composed of DBS and other satellite service providers, programmers, satellite broadband services, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies.

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