Statement: On Hughes/Echostar Merger

GM/Hughes Statement Regarding Department of Justice Position 
                          On Hughes/Echostar Merger 
 
    NEW YORK, Oct. 31 -- The following is a GM/Hughes statement 
regarding the Department of Justice's position on the Hughes/Echostar merger: 
 
    We are disappointed with both the Department of Justice and Federal 
Communications Commission views on this merger.  We continue to believe that 
this transaction would provide significant benefits to consumers and would be 
in the best interest of our shareholders.  The merged company would double the 
spectrum and offer opportunity for new programming, new services like HDTV and 
video-on-demand, and potentially hold the opportunity for residential 
broadband. 
    We will consult with Echostar to jointly determine our next steps. 
 
    In connection with the proposed transactions, General Motors Corporation 
('GM'), HEC Holdings, Inc. ('Hughes Holdings') and EchoStar Communications 
Corporation ('EchoStar') have filed amended 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 further 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, 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 amended preliminary consent solicitation 
statement/information statement/prospectus filed with the SEC 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. 
 
SOURCE  General Motors Corporation 
    -0-                             10/31/2002 P 
    /NOTE TO EDITORS:  For additional media information, visit 
http://media.gm.com ./  
    /CONTACT:  Toni Simonetti of General Motors, [phone]; George 
Jamison, [phone], or Richard Dore, [phone], both of Hughes/ 
    /Web site:  http://media.gm.com /  
    /Web site:  http://www.gm.com / 
    (GM)