Bell Atlantic Brings Its New TV Service to Boston, Offering Consumers an Alternative to Cable

Bell Atlantic Brings Its New TV Service to
Boston, Offering Consumers an Alternative to
Cable

Bostonians Can Save $200 in Programming and
Installation Costs When They Sign Up Before July 11

May 24, 1999

BOSTON - Residents of Boston who night after night flip through their
cable channels searching for something to watch no longer have to settle
for commercials and reruns.

Bell Atlantic Video is now providing consumers a real choice in television
service by offering more than 210 channels of DIRECTV* programming,
digital-quality pictures and CD-quality sound from satellite-industry
leader DIRECTV, combined with local broadcast television reception. To
launch its service in Boston, Bell Atlantic Video is offering a $100
discount on installation and $100 worth of coupons for pay per view
movies.

"With Bell Atlantic's television service, residents of Boston have an
alternative offering real value for the dollar," said Dick Beville,
president of Bell Atlantic Video.

"With the enormous amount of consumer interest in digital satellite
television in recent years, Bell Atlantic Video saw a terrific opportunity to
offer consumers what our research tells us they want ? more
programming choices, easily accessible local channel reception and
competitive pricing," said Beville. "Bell Atlantic Video is the
answer for consumers looking for an easy route to better home
entertainment."

Bell Atlantic's complete package includes:

• Professional installation of the DIRECTV System -- an 18-inch
  satellite dish, receiver and remote control -- for only $99. This
  includes installation of a high-quality, off-air antenna to deliver local
  broadcast channels to all televisions previously hooked up to cable.
  Installation of the off-air antenna represents a $100 saving from Bell
  Atlantic's standard installation price of $199.

• Rental option for set-top boxes -- eliminating up-front equipment
  costs. For $5.99 a month per set-top box, Bostonians can enjoy the
  technological advantages of a high-end, digital set-top box and remote
  control without purchase and maintenance requirements.

• Simplified ordering and billing -- consolidating all programming costs
  from DIRECTV, and all equipment fees into one, easy-to-read bill
  from Bell Atlantic Video.

• Customer service from a leading telecommunications company 24
  hours a day, seven days a week.

Concurrent with the introduction of Bell Atlantic's television service in
Boston, DIRECTV is offering new subscribers $100 worth of pay per
view programming certificates when they sign up for service and the Total
Choice* programming package from DIRECTV* by July 11. Installation
and activation of programming must be completed by July 21.

Bell Atlantic customers can choose a variety of programming packages
from DIRECTV, the most popular featuring more than 60 top networks
and 31 commercial-free music channels for $29.99 per month. This
package includes New England Sports Network (NESN) for no additional
charge. NESN is typically offered a la carte by cable systems for up to
$9.95 per month.

Customers can also choose from a selection of premium movie packages,
offering multiple channels from such networks as HBO, SHOWTIME and
STARZ! With all programming packages, subscribers have access to as
many as 55 pay per view choices a day, special event pay per view
selections, and a number of professional and collegiate sports subscription
packages.

"We hope to change the expectations of television viewers by
offering them the best in service, quality and choice," said Beville.
"Bell Atlantic Video also offers its television service in the
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas, as well
as in Delaware and New Jersey."

More information on the service is available by calling 1-888-379-2355
toll-free or by visiting Bell Atlantic's World Wide Web site at
www.bellatlantic.com/digitaltv. Certain restrictions apply.

DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital satellite television service with
more than 7 million customers, including approximately 2.3 million
customers of the recently acquired PRIMESTAR medium-power satellite
television service. The service offers access to more than 210 channels of
digital entertainment, including popular networks such as HBO,
SHOWTIME, CNN, Disney Channel, ESPN and USA Network.

Located in Reston, Va., Bell Atlantic Video is a subsidiary of Bell
Atlantic. Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine
million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are
premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.

####

*DIRECTV and Total Choice are registered trademarks of DIRECTV,
Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation. The earnings of Hughes
Electronics are used to calculate the earnings per share attributable to
GMH (NYSE symbol) common stock. Visit DIRECTV on the World
Wide Web at www.directv.com.

HBO is a registered service mark of TIME WARNER Entertainment
Company, L.P. SHOWTIME is a service mark of SHOWTIME
Networks, Inc., a VIACOM Company.