ALEXANDRIA, Va.., May 9, 2003 – Satellite radio’s appeal to consumers lies heavily on the content that Sirius and XM Satellite Radio provide. This topic will be addressed during a panel discussion, “Satellite Radio: Tuning In to A National Audience,” featuring several industry insiders at the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association’s spring SkyFORUM, the satellite services industry’s leading financial symposium, to be held on Tuesday, May 20 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York.
Moderated by Tony Dunaif,Vice President, Business Development, MTV Networks, the panel will be the first session of SkyFORUM. The program’s discussion will focus on how and why leading programmers are expanding their reach and seeing results through satellite radio coverage. Panelists include:
- Jack Abernethy, Executive Vice President, Fox News Channel
- Seth Chasin, Vice President, Business Planning & Analysis, Playboy Entertainment Group
- Steve Gavenas, Executive Vice President, Programming and Business Development, XM Satellite Radio
- Larry Rebich, Vice President, Programming and Market Development, Sirius, Inc.
The bi-annual SkyFORUM, hosted by SBCA and its SkyTRENDS partners, brings together Wall Street’s analyst and investment community with top satellite and telecom industry executives to discuss key issues and upcoming trends.
“The rising popularity of satellite radio shows that content is always king,” saidClay Mowry, president of Arianespace, Inc. and SkyTRENDS chair. “We’ve put together the first industry panel to address the issue of programming in this medium, and we anticipate hearing the fresh insights and perspectives that are the hallmarks of SkyFORUM.”
The SkyFORUM program includes live demonstrations of emerging consumer product and services technologies, keynote addresses, panel discussions, and the most current consumer research on DBS subscribers conducted by The Taylor Group. In addition, recent global research on the satellite industry and the competitive multichannel video providers market will be featured.
Other panels scheduled for the spring SkyFORUM include:
- Straight from the Street: Satellite’s Leading Analysts Speak Out
- Satellite Broadband: A Look at Consumer and Commercial Applications
- Super Session on High Definition Programming and Digital Video Recorders
As announced recently, Chase Carey, a member of the board of directors and consultant to News Corporation, will be the afternoon keynote speaker at SkyFORUM. Carey will address the increasingly competitive landscape in the multichannel television industry and how consumers will benefit as a result of this heightened competition. In addition, CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs will interview DIRECTV Chairman and CEO Eddy Hartenstein as the featured 9-9:30 a.m. one-on-one CEO session.
Additional information and registration for SkyFORUM can be found on the SBCA Website http://www.sbca.com or by contacting Jennifer Seetin or Brian Lynchat SBCA at (800) 541-5981.
SkyFORUM was developed to create a higher awareness of the satellite industry among the financial and investment communities, and the media. SkyTRENDS is the SBCA’s market research, data collection and reporting program for the satellite services industry. SkyTRENDS is a committee of the SBCA and is directed by SBCA’s SkyTRENDS partners with assistance from Media Business Corp.
The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (www.sbca.com) is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry. It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive and broadband services. The SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service and launch vehicle providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies that make up the satellite services industry.
