SPOT Spotify Technology SA

PanAmSat Welcomes Every Major Cable Movie Programmer to Its HD Neighborhoods Unique Sky-and-Ground Infrastructure Ensures Seamless Delivery to 11,000 Cable Headends NEW ORLEANS, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PanAmSat Corporation today announced that every major cable movie programmer has introduced its HD feed on the PanAmSat hybrid satellite and fiber network. In addition, the company announced that its Galaxy 13/Horizons-1 neighborhood is the first and largest in the industry, enabling cable programming networks to bring high-quality HDTV content to over 11,000 cable headends throughout the United States. "PanAmSat is the unquestioned leader in HDTV delivery to cable, with 100 percent penetration into every cable system offering HDTV signals to their customers. PanAmSat is also the only satellite operator that carries signals from every single HDTV movie service," said Mike Antonovich, senior vice president, Global Sales and Marketing, PanAmSat. "We will continue with our long-term commitment to HDTV through additional initiatives, including our half-a-billion dollar investment in three 'HD-ready' satellites being deployed through 2005 and our continued investment in the Power-of-Five Antenna program, the terrestrial component to this system." PanAmSat's commitment to the future of high-definition television is evident in the roster of customers that has chosen the Galaxy fleet to deliver their programming. It is the HDTV home to some of the biggest names in cable television including: Bravo HD+, Cinemax HD, ESPN HD, Encore HD, HBO HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies, Showtime HD, STARZ! HD, TNT HD, WB HD and Wealth TV. PanAmSat's satellite and fiber network is designed to enable cable programming networks to deliver high-quality HD content quickly and efficiently to cable operators. Two key components are integral to the success of this program: * Galaxy 13/Horizons-1: With twice the power of its predecessor, the recently launched Galaxy13/Horizons-1 is able to deliver HD bandwidth- intensive content on its C-band payload across North America efficiently and seamlessly. The satellite has been optimized for digital and HDTV transmissions. * Power of Five: The largest antenna program every implemented ensures that digital and HDTV signals are delivered at the highest possible quality. Unlike other operators, PanAmSat has engineered a complete distribution path, starting with Galaxy 13/Horizons-1 and including the Power-of-Five antennas. PanAmSat has qualified over 4,100 headends to receive digital and HDTV signals from five different satellites. PanAmSat is the only operator to have invested in the ground infrastructure to ensure maximum quality, flexibility and distribution availability for its customers. About PanAmSat PanAmSat Corporation (NASDAQ:SPOT) is one of the world's top three satellite operators managing a global fleet of 29 satellites, 24 of which are wholly-owned by the Company, for the delivery of news, sports and other television programming. In total, this fleet is capable of reaching more than 98 percent of the world's population through cable television systems, broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home operators, Internet service providers and telecommunications companies. In addition, PanAmSat supports the largest concentration of satellite-based business networks in the U.S., as well as specialized communications services in remote areas throughout the world. PanAmSat is 80.5 percent owned by The DIRECTV Group Inc. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.panamsat.com/. The DIRECTV Group, Inc. The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (NYSE:DTV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment, broadband satellite networks and services, and global video and data broadcasting. The DIRECTV Group, Inc. is 34 percent owned by Fox Entertainment Group, which is approximately 82 percent owned by News Corporation Ltd. DATASOURCE: PanAmSat Corporation CONTACT: Kathryn Lancioni, PanAmSat Corporation, +1-646-293-7415 Web site: http://www.panamsat.com/

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