DirecTV Announces Additional Local Markets

[Gregg Lengling]

DirecTV announced 39 additional cities it plans
to provide with local TV packages by the end
of the year, an effort that will bring the
total number of markets it will serve with
local channels to 100.

The TV market additions and DirecTV's current
list of 52 cities it serves with local TV
offerings represent 84 percent of U.S. TV
households. DirecTV said it's evaluating
plans to add more markets beyond the additional
39 markets announced Tuesday by the end of
the year or early 2004.

The next scheduled 39 local channel markets
are: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y.,
Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., Bakersfield, Calif.,
Baton Rouge, La., Charleston-Huntington, W. Va.,
Chico-Redding, Calif., Columbus-Tupelo, Miss.;
Columbia, S.C.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Dayton,
Ohio; Duluth, Minn.; Superior, Wis.; El Paso,
Texas; Flint-Saginaw, Mich.

Fort Myers-Naples, Fla.; Fresno-Visalia, Calif.;
Harlingen-Brownsville, Texas;
Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, Pa.; Lafayette, La.;
Lansing, Mich.; Lexington, Ky.; Little Rock-Pine
Bluff, Ark.; Madison, Wis.; Medford-Klamath
Falls, Ore.; Mobile, Ala.,-Pensacola, Fla.;
Monterey-Salinas, Calif.

Omaha, Neb.; Paducah, Ky.,-Cape Girardeau, Mo.;
Portland-Auburn, Maine; Reno, Nev.; Rochester,
N.Y.; Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo,
Calif.; Savannah, Ga.; South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.;
Spokane, Wash.; Tallahassee, Fla.,-Thomasville,
Ga.; Tulsa, Okla.; Tyler-Longview, Texas;
Wilmington, N.C.; Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick,
Wash.