GM Stockholders Give Strong Approval To Split-Off Of Hughes 
 
    NEW YORK, Oct. 7 -- General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM, GMH) announced today 
that its stockholders have approved transactions that will result in the split 
off of its subsidiary, Hughes Electronics Corp., and the acquisition of 34 
percent of Hughes common stock by News Corp.  (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A).  An 
overwhelming percentage of GM stock voted in response to GM's Consent 
Solicitation Statement was in support of the transactions. 
    Of the stockholders who participated in the solicitation, approximately  
94 percent of the GM $1-2/3 par value common stock and approximately  
94 percent of the GM Class H stock was voted in support of the proposals.  
With respect to the combined vote of both classes of stockholders, more than 
94 percent of those votes were cast in support of each proposal.   
    More than 60 percent of GM $1-2/3 par value common stock and more than  
74 percent of GM Class H stock was voted in support of each of the proposals 
presented in the consent solicitation statement.  More than 65 percent of the 
combined vote of both classes of stockholders was in favor of each proposal.  
    Detailed data regarding the consents given with respect to each of the six 
proposals relating to the transactions will be presented in GM's third quarter 
report on Form 10-Q to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 
November, and will appear on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov .   
The transactions remain subject to certain regulatory clearances, including 
anti-trust clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice and action by the 
U.S. Federal Communications Commission.  GM currently expects to complete the 
transactions in late 2003 or early 2004. 
    In connection with the proposed transactions, on August 21, 2003, General 
Motors Corporation ("GM"), Hughes Electronics Corporation ("Hughes") and  
The News Corporation Limited ("News Corporation") filed definitive materials 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including a Definitive 
Consent Solicitation Statement of GM on Schedule 14A, a Registration Statement 
of Hughes on Form S-4 and a Registration Statement of News Corporation on Form 
F-4 that contain a consent solicitation statement of GM, a prospectus of 
Hughes and a prospectus of News Corporation.  Investors and security holders 
are urged to read 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.  These 
materials and other relevant materials (when they become available) and any 
other documents filed by GM, Hughes or News Corporation with the SEC, may be 
obtained for free at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov .  In addition, the 
definitive materials contain information about how to obtain transaction-
related documents for free from GM.   
    This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the 
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, 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 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, Hughes and/or News Corporation to 
differ materially, many of which are beyond the control of GM, Hughes or News 
Corporation include, but are not limited to, the following:  (1) the 
regulatory approvals required for the transaction may not be obtained on the 
terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; (2) the effects of legislative 
and regulatory changes; (3) an inability to retain necessary authorizations 
from the FCC and (4) other risks described from time to time in periodic 
reports filed by GM, Hughes or News Corporation with the SEC.  Those other 
risks relating to Hughes include, but are not limited to the performance of 
Hughes satellites.  You are urged to consider statements that include the 
words "will",  "expects", 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-                             10/07/2003 P 
    /NOTE TO EDITORS:  For additional media information, visit 
http://media.gm.com ./ 
    /CONTACT:  Jerry Dubrowski of GM, +1-212-418-6261,  
jerry.dubrowski@gm.com ; or Richard Dore of Hughes, +1-310-964-0716, 
richard.dore@hughes.com / 
    /Web site:  http://media.gm.com  
                http://www.gm.com / 
    (GM GMH NWS) 

 





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