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DIRECTV
DirecTV (trademarked as "DIRECTV") is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States and Latin America except for Mexico. more...
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DirecTV is owned by DirecTV Group, which in turn is controlled by News Corporation.
News Corporation has reportedly agreed to transfer its 39% managing interest in DirecTV Group to John Malone's Liberty Media; in return it will buy back Liberty's shares in News Corp., giving the Murdoch family tighter control of the latter firm.
General information
DirecTV typically uses a fixed 18-inch diameter dish antenna to receive its signals. Slightly larger, 18×24-inch elliptical antennas which receive signals from three geostationary satellite positions simultaneously are becoming more common as DirecTV attempt to squeeze more programming onto their growing systems. DTV is now installing a dish that has five LNBs for HDTV programming and local channels in selected markets. These systems receive signals from up to 5 separate satellites in both the Ku-band and Ka-band.
As of November 30, 2005 DirecTV has over 15 million customers in the U.S. and 1.57 million in Latin America. 2005 revenues are $3.15 billion.
The Economist has suggested that News Corporation would eventually like to merge DirecTV with Sky, its British satellite operation, and possibly its Asian Star and Australian Foxtel networks to form a global satellite television company.
In late July 2006, DirecTV added several channels to their online guide that are apparently not available to viewers — these include UK-based Sky Sports One, Sky One and Sky News. The three are channels that are generally available to satellite television viewers in the United Kingdom, though Sky News has been made available in other countries internationally.
History
In 1981, Stanley Hubbard founded United States Satellite Broadcasting. After 10 years of waiting for technology to catch up, Hubbard approached RCA Consumer Electronics and General Motors subsidiary Hughes Electronics to develop a new generation of digital satellite service capable of delivering 175 channels to a small 18-inch dish. These dishes utilized a new generation of smaller, lighter receiver dishes based on military technology introduced by the Global Broadcast System (GBS), which predated DirectTV's viability by almost 10 years. The two agreed to jointly develop and launch the satellite that would carry two programming services: USSB and DirecTV.;
In 1994, the USSB and DirecTV programming services were launched. Digital Equipment Corporation provided the customer-care out of their existing technical support center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.;
In 1998 DirecTV acquired USSB for $1.3 billion.;
In 1999 DirecTV acquired PrimeStar for $1.83 billion.;
In 2000 DirecTV abandons the Japanese market.;
In 2003, a merger with EchoStar, owner of Dish Network, fell through.;
In 2004 DirecTV abandons the Mexican market.;
On December 22, 2003, General Motors sold controlling interest in Hughes Electronics to News Corporation.;
On November 15, 2005, DirecTV stopped carrying Music Choice audio-only channels, replacing it with 73 channels of XM Satellite Radio.;
On December 22, 2006, Liberty Media Corp. will give its 16.3 percent stake in News Corp company back to News Corp. In exchange, Liberty will get a controlling stake in DirecTV Group Inc. plus three regional sports networks and $550 million in cash.;
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