Filed by HEC Holdings, Inc.
Subject Company - General Motors Corporation
and Hughes Electronics Corporation
and EchoStar Communications Corporation
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and Deemed Filed Pursuant to Rule 14a-12
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Commission File No.: 333-84472
The following materials were distributed on April 16, 2002:
TODAY, 42 MILLION AMERICAN HOMES HAVE LITTLE OR NO REAL ALTERNATIVE TO CABLE FOR
LOCAL PROGRAMMING.
TOMORROW, THEY WILL.
[Map of the United States with portions in color]
[Colored box.] TV Households With No Competitive Alternative Today
[Map of the United States entirely in color]
[Colored box.] TV Households With Competitive Alternative After Merger
TOGETHER, ECHOSTAR(R) AND DIRECTV(R) WILL BRING LOCAL TV CHANNELS AND AFFORDABLE
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO EVERYONE IN AMERICA--VIA SATELLITE.
The EchoStar/DIRECTV merger will give consumers a real alternative to rising
cable rates--it's called "Local Channels, All Americans."
How is this possible? With the combined resources of both EchoStar and DIRECTV,
we'll be able to eliminate 500 duplicate channels, freeing up that space on our
satellites to offer local TV channels. Plus, we've got two advanced spot-beam
satellites already in orbit, two more slated for launch, and a fifth new
satellite planned for construction as soon as our merger is approved. So the
merged company will be able to offer all Americans access to local broadcast
channels with digital-quality picture and sound, as well as high-speed Internet
service via satellite.
And under our plan, everyone will pay the same price for the same service,
whether they live in a village of five homes or a city of five million.
More choice, more freedom--for all Americans.
[ECHOSTAR logo](R) [DIRECTV logo](R)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT DOES THE MERGER MEAN FOR YOU IN VIRGINIA?
o Right now, local channels are only available via satellite in three of
Virginia's TV markets. After the merger, they will be available in all
ten markets, including the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News area,
Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville.
o Virginia's more than two million households will be able to get
affordable high-speed Internet service via satellite.
o More choice for Virginia's families--for the first time, there will be
a true competitive alternative to the cable companies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hughes, HEC Holdings, Inc., GM and EchoStar intend to file materials with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including a proxy or consent solicitation
statement/prospectus, which will contain important information regarding the
proposed combination of Hughes and EchoStar. A registration statement, including
a preliminary draft consent solicitation statement/information
statement/prospectus has been filed with the SEC. We urge stockholders to read
these documents, which are or will be available for free at the SEC's website,
www.sec.gov and from GM. Information regarding the participants in the
solicitation of GM stockholder approval was filed with the SEC by EchoStar on
November 1, 2001 and by each of GM and Hughes on November 16, 2001. This
advertisement contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties, including the risks described in the SEC filings
referenced above. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, our actual
results could differ materially from the expectations in these forward-looking
statements.
(C) 2002 DIRECTV, Inc., DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo and FEEL THE JOY are
trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. All other
trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owner.
(C) 2002 EchoStar Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
********************************************************************************
TODAY, 42 MILLION AMERICAN HOMES HAVE LITTLE OR NO REAL ALTERNATIVE TO CABLE FOR
LOCAL PROGRAMMING.
TOMORROW, THEY WILL.
[Map of the United States with portions in color]
[Colored box.] TV Households With No Competitive Alternative Today
[Map of the United States entirely in color]
[Colored box.] TV Households With Competitive Alternative After Merger
TOGETHER, ECHOSTAR(R) AND DIRECTV(R) WILL BRING LOCAL TV CHANNELS AND AFFORDABLE
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO EVERYONE IN AMERICA--VIA SATELLITE.
The EchoStar/DIRECTV merger will give consumers a real alternative to rising
cable rates--it's called "Local Channels, All Americans."
How is this possible? With the combined resources of both EchoStar and DIRECTV,
we'll be able to eliminate 500 duplicate channels, freeing up that space on our
satellites to offer local TV channels. Plus, we've got two advanced spot-beam
satellites already in orbit, two more slated for launch, and a fifth new
satellite planned for construction as soon as our merger is approved. So the
merged company will be able to offer all Americans access to local broadcast
channels with digital-quality picture and sound, as well as high-speed Internet
service via satellite.
And under our plan, everyone will pay the same price for the same service,
whether they live in a village of five homes or a city of five million.
More choice, more freedom--for all Americans.
[ECHOSTAR logo](R) [DIRECTV logo](R)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT DOES THE MERGER MEAN FOR YOU IN IOWA?
o Right now, local channels are not available via satellite in any of
Iowa's TV markets. After the merger, they will be available in all ten
markets, including Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque,
and Sioux City.
o Iowa's more than one million households will be able to get affordable
high-speed Internet service via satellite.
o More choice for Iowa's families--for the first time, there will be a
true competitive alternative to the cable companies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hughes, HEC Holdings, Inc., GM and EchoStar intend to file materials with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including a proxy or consent solicitation
statement/prospectus, which will contain important information regarding the
proposed combination of Hughes and EchoStar. A registration statement, including
a preliminary draft consent solicitation statement/information
statement/prospectus has been filed with the SEC. We urge stockholders to read
these documents, which are or will be available for free at the SEC's website,
www.sec.gov and from GM. Information regarding the participants in the
solicitation of GM stockholder approval was filed with the SEC by EchoStar on
November 1, 2001 and by each of GM and Hughes on November 16, 2001. This
advertisement contains forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties, including the risks described in the SEC filings
referenced above. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, our actual
results could differ materially from the expectations in these forward-looking
statements.
(C) 2002 DIRECTV, Inc., DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo and FEEL THE JOY are
trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. All other
trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owner.
(C) 2002 EchoStar Communications Corporation. All rights reserved.
********************************************************************************
[ECHOSTAR LOGO] [HUGHES LOGO]
5701 South Santa Fe Drive P.O. Box 956
Littleton, CO 80120 200 N. Sepulveda Blvd
El Segundo, CA 90245-0956
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 16, 2002
MEDIA ADVISORY
ECHOSTAR AND DIRECTV PRESENT:
LOCAL CHANNELS AND AFFORDABLE BROADBAND EVERYWHERE IN ILLINOIS
Springfield, IL - On April 18, 2002 at 11:30 a.m. Senate Commerce and Industry
Committee Chairman Chris Lauzen and State Senator Terry Link will host a
demonstration showcasing satellite-delivered digital television and high-speed
Internet access and explain how the completion of the merger between EchoStar
Communications Corporation and Hughes Electronics' DIRECTV will make local TV
channels available to every resident in Illinois. Attendees will be able to surf
the Internet, delivered via satellite, following the demonstration.
THE DEMONSTRATION WILL BE HELD IN ROOM 212 OF THE STATE CAPITOL AT
11:30 A.M. ON APRIL 18, 2002.
PRESS INVITED TO ATTEND.
PLEASE CONTACT STEVE BRUBAKER AT 217/306-1791.
DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH Network
is EchoStar's state-of-the-art direct broadcast satellite TV system that is
capable of offering over 500 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio
programming, as well as advanced satellite TV receiver hardware and
installation. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX). DISH Network
currently serves over 6.43 million customers. For more information, contact
1-800/333-DISH (3474) or visit www.dishnetwork.com.
DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital satellite television service provider
with more than 10.7 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are
registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics
Corporation. HUGHES is the world's leading provider of digital television
entertainment, broadband services, satellite-based private business networks,
and global video and data broadcasting. The earnings of HUGHES, a unit of
General Motors Corporation, are used to calculate the earnings per share
attributable to the General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE: GMH). Visit
DIRECTV on the World Wide Web at www.DIRECTV.com.
- more -
In connection with the proposed transactions, on March 18, 2002, General Motors
Corporation ("GM"), HEC Holdings, Inc. ("Hughes Holdings") and EchoStar
Communications Corporation ("EchoStar") filed preliminary materials with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including a Registration Statement
of Hughes Holdings on Form S-4 that contains a consent solicitation
statement/information statement/prospectus. These materials are not yet final
and will be amended. Holders of GM $1-2/3 and GM Class H common stock are urged
to read the definitive versions of these materials, as well as any other
relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC, as they become
available, because these documents contain or will contain important
information. The preliminary materials filed on March 18, 2002, the definitive
versions of these materials and other relevant materials (when they become
available), and any other documents filed by GM, Hughes Electronics Corporation
("Hughes"), Hughes Holdings or EchoStar with the SEC may be obtained for free at
the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and GM stockholders will receive information at
an appropriate time on how to obtain transaction-related documents for free from
GM.
GM and its directors and executive officers, Hughes and certain of its officers,
and EchoStar and certain of its executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in GM's solicitation of consents from the holders of GM $1-2/3
common stock and GM Class H common stock in connection with the proposed
transactions. Information regarding the participants and their interests in the
solicitation was filed pursuant to Rule 425 with the SEC by EchoStar on November
1, 2001 and by each of GM and Hughes on November 16, 2001. Investors may obtain
additional information regarding the interests of the participants by reading
the preliminary consent solicitation statement/information statement/prospectus
filed with the SEC on March 18, 2002 and the definitive consent solicitation
statement/information statement/prospectus when it becomes available.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of
an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction
in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a
prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.
Materials included in this document contain "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different
from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results of GM,
EchoStar, Hughes, or a combined EchoStar and Hughes, to differ materially, many
of which are beyond the control of EchoStar, Hughes, Hughes Holdings or GM
include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the businesses of EchoStar
and Hughes may not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more
difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (2) expected benefits and
synergies from the combination may not be realized within the expected time
frame or at all; (3) revenues following the transaction may be lower than
expected; (4) operating costs, customer loss and business disruption including,
without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees,
customers, clients or suppliers, may be greater than expected following the
transaction; (5) generating the incremental growth in the subscriber base of the
combined company may be more costly or difficult than expected; (6) the
regulatory approvals required for the transaction may not be obtained on the
terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; (7) the effects of legislative
and regulatory changes; (8) an inability to obtain certain retransmission
consents; (9) an inability to retain necessary authorizations from the FCC; (10)
an increase in competition from cable as a result of digital cable or otherwise,
direct broadcast satellite, other satellite system operators, and other
providers of subscription television services; (11) the introduction of new
technologies and competitors into the subscription television business; (12)
changes in labor, programming, equipment and capital costs; (13) future
acquisitions, strategic partnership and divestitures; (14) general business and
economic conditions; and (15) other risks described from time to time in
periodic reports filed by EchoStar, Hughes or GM with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. You are urged to consider statements that include the words
"may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects,"
"potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues,"
"forecast," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those words or other
comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. This cautionary statement
applies to all forward-looking statements included in this document.
2