The DirecTV Group (DTV)

OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES

        The following is a description of our operating cost and expense categories:

        Broadcast Programming and Other Costs of Sale.    These costs primarily include license fees for subscription service programming, pay-per-view programming, live sports and other events. Other costs include expenses associated with the publication and distribution of DIRECTV U.S.' programming guide, continuing service fees paid to third parties for active DIRECTV subscribers, warranty service premiums we pay to a third party and production costs for on-air advertisements we sell to third parties.

        Subscriber Service Expenses.    Subscriber service expenses include the costs of customer call centers, billing, remittance processing and certain home services expenses, such as in-home repair costs.

        Subscriber Acquisition Costs—Third Party Customer Acquisitions.    The majority of these costs represent commissions we pay to acquire new DIRECTV subscribers, which include our national retailers as well as independent satellite television retailers, dealers, regional Bell operating companies and others. We also include the costs we incur for subsidies of DIRECTV System equipment, installation and advertising.

        Subscriber Acquisition Costs—Direct Customer Acquisitions.    These costs consist primarily of hardware, installation, advertising and customer call center expenses associated with new DIRECTV subscribers added through our direct customer acquisition program.

        Upgrade and Retention Costs.    The majority of upgrade and retention costs are associated with upgrade efforts for existing subscribers that we believe will result in higher ARPU and lower churn. Our upgrade efforts include subscriber equipment upgrade programs for digital video recorders, or DVRs, HD receivers and local channels, our multiple set-top receiver offer and similar initiatives. Retention costs include the costs of installing and/or providing hardware under our movers program for subscribers relocating to a new residence.

        Broadcast Operations Expenses.    These expenses include broadcast center operating costs, signal transmission expenses (including costs of collecting signals for our local channel offerings), and costs of monitoring, maintaining and insuring our satellites. Also included are engineering expenses associated with deterring theft of the DIRECTV signal.

        General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses include departmental costs for legal, administrative services, finance, marketing and information technology. These costs also include expenses for bad debt and other operating expenses, such as legal settlements, and gains or losses from the sale or disposal of fixed assets.

33