2 Baby Bells Sign Satellite-TV Deals

Bell Atlantic Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. signed agreements with DirecTV and United States Satellite Broadcasting Co. to sell satellite-television services to their telephone customers. Financial terms were not disclosed. The regional Bell phone companies will offer service from DirecTV and USSB, two of the nation’s largest satellite-TV providers. The move gives Los Angeles-based DirecTV and St. Paul, Minn.-based USSB a new pool of potential customers as they battle competition from cable-TV companies and other satellite-TV rivals. DirecTV is a unit of Hughes Electronics. Hughes shares rose $2.06 to close at $43.50 on the NYSE, as USSB shares rose $1.31 to close at $9.88 on Nasdaq. Bell Atlantic rose $2.56 to close at $92.31 on the NYSE, while SBC rose $1.31, closing at $76.94 on the NYSE.