It’s all new, and you can get it on DIRECTV. For all the baseball fans out there, there is a network to call home, the MLB Network, designed specifically and only for baseball. Commissioner Bud Selig calls this “the ultimate television destination for baseball.” And you are sure to have your entertainment dreams fulfilled with this addition.

Selig states that “Baseball holds a special place in the fabric of American culture. For more than a century, during both good times and periods of turmoil, fans have enjoyed our nation's pastime. Baseball has created a common bond among the generations and enduring memories for all of us throughout its long and distinguished history.

“I am proud to introduce you to MLB Network, which will give fans a new way to enjoy baseball. MLB Network will provide you with in-depth coverage, live games, unique programming and unprecedented access to Major League Baseball. With more than 150,000 hours of archival footage from MLB Productions, MLB Network will show you the greatest moments in baseball history. I would like to thank you our fans for your continued support and for tuning in to be part of this historic day for Major League Baseball.”

One thing that is different about the MLB Network is that it is free; if the operator carries it, you don’t have to pay any additional fees. DIRECTV is proud to offer the MLB Network free of cost to its subscribers. Already a leader in the sports area of broadcasting, this is one more way that DIRECTV shows it is committed to delivering the best.

Fifteen year old Elizabeth Dreeson, a Red Sox fan wrote, “There will finally be an entire channel devoted specifically to baseball: all baseball, all the time. The fact that it's on air 24/7 for 365 days means that I'll always be able to watch baseball no matter what, and that's very reassuring. It's like 'Baseball Tonight' all the time with special features that really bring the magic of the game to life.” To get the most of the sports industry, give DIRECTV a try, it now offers the all new MLB Network.

Samsung’s Hope for Education essay contest just announced its fifth annual winner. Oak Ridge Elementary School, located in Tallahassee, Florida, will receive over $200,000 of technological products, grants, programming, and software from Samsung, Microsoft Corporation and DIRECTV. DIRECTV is providing cash grants along with an educational television programming package, SCHOOL CHOICE. Also contributing to the celebration and announcement was Jordan Pruitt, the teen music star, who performed at the assembly.

The Principal of Oak Ridge Elementary School, D.J. Wright, said “We are honored and grateful to be selected as the grand prize school in Samsung’s Hope for Education program.” She added, “The technology, software, cash grants, and educational television programming being donated by Samsung, Microsoft, and DIRECTV will provide the teachers of Oak Ridge Elementary School with the most up-to-date education tools to help enhance the learning of our students.”

President and CEO of Samsung Electronics America, D.J. Oh, said “The students of Oak Ridge Elementary School will certainly benefit from these new products and technology. It will allow them to reach new frontiers via the Internet and through the software, cash grants, and educational television programming packages that Microsoft and DIRECTV are providing.”

The Vice President of Communications for DIRECTV, Caroline Leach, said “DIRECTV is proud to support this educational initiative.” She added, “Television does not exist in a vacuum, so to us, being a good corporate citizen stretches beyond the living room and into the classroom. We hope this year’s winning schools can benefit from our cash grants and SCHOOL CHOICE educational television programming package.”

Jordan Pruitt also had something to say of the program. She said “I am so excited to work with Samsung’s Hope for Education program and meet the students at Oak Ridge Elementary School. Receiving the best education possible has definitely helped me achieve what I have in my career and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Samsung, Microsoft, and DIRECTV to spread the message about how important technology and education is in our day-to-day lives.”

Scheduled to air beginning on January 14th of 2009, the television drama Wonderland is back on DIRECTV. Critically acclaimed as being ahead of its time, as well as considered highly controversial, Wonderland depicts a fictional psychiatric hospital in New York. Wonderland will be available on The 101® Network and DIRECTV on DEMAND.

The Executive Vice President of Entertainment at DIRECTV, Eric Shanks, said “This show was deemed so intense for network television that it was removed from ABC’s lineup after just two episodes, so viewers who enjoy quality television were frustrated—now they will get to see what they missed.” He added, “We are proud to add such a provocative and original show to our Network lineup and, as we’ve seen with Friday Night Lights, Peter Berg is an exceptional story teller who knows how to present compelling drama.”

The creator of the series, as well as the executive producer, Peter Berg, also created such hits as Hancock and Friday Night Lights. He said “I’m pleased that Wonderland has been given another chance so that viewers can see these characters’ stories evolve. There was so much debate about the portrayal of the mentally ill patients that fans missed the opportunity to see what the show is really about—the complicated lives of the doctors charged with caring for their patients while balancing aspects of their personal life, such as divorce, impending fatherhood and everyday married life.”

Though considered dark and intense, for those wanting powerful drama, DIRECTV has it all, now including Wonderland in January.

DIRECTV is already the leader in HD programming, so why not add more to the selection? Now select markets can get local public television stations, like PBS, in high definition. This is occurring in 14 restricted markets all across the United States.

This roll out will continue through the rest of 2008 and will carry on into 2009. This brings DIRECTV ahead of the scheduled February digital transition. DIRECTV has announced that the following markets will be expanded to include local stations in HD: Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque, Iowa; Chicago; Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island-Moline, Illinois; Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis-St Paul, New York, Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia; Phoenix; Portland, Oregon; Rochester, New York; and Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas.

This is all in accordance with an agreement with the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), PBS, and DIRECTV. The Executive Vice President of Content Strategy and Development for DIRECTV, Derek Chang, said “We applaud the cooperative effort put forth by the member stations, APTS and PBS, to ratify the digital carriage agreement that enables DIRECTV to begin delivering local public television stations in HD to our customers.” He added, “As the industry’s HD leader and the only satellite TV provider to offer local PBS stations in HD, we believe in delivering content that is worthy of this incredible technology. The addition of PBS’s high-quality programming to our HD lineup continues to raise the bar on the DIRECTV viewing experience.”

All this will be on top of the current programming in 115 local markets. These numbers represent about 87 percent of households in the US with TVs. This goes to show that DIRECTV is committed to delivering the best and most HD in the industry.

You know to turn to DIRECTV for all your entertainment needs, but now DIRECTV is even better. If you tune in to channel 101, you’ll find all you could ask for in entertainment, without any commercials! With the 101® Network, viewers get a vast collection of original programming, programming that isn’t available elsewhere. You may think that this is too good to be true, because on top of everything, it’s free! When you are a DIRECTV customer, you are well taken care of.

The 101® network was the only place, whether on cable or satellite, that viewers could see Friday Night Lights before its regular airing time. This was available months before any competitor. If you are still craving more of these types of dramas, just wait, because it’s about to get even better. DIRECTV is adding more of this type of programming to the lineup.

There is something for everyone on the 101® Network, whether you love comedies like Rock & a Hard Place or the Supreme Court of Comedy, or whether you enjoy music. With the 101® Network, you can even get screenings of movies, early and free! Benefit from concerts and live events, so you stay in touch with everything that is important to you. The 101® Network is constantly changing, so viewers get the ultimate in entertainment.

The 101® Network is just getting started. Keep your eyes open for more developments like exclusive programming by visiting www.directv.com/the101. DIRECTV is committed to delivering its customers with the best the entertainment industry has to offer, including free programming and broadcasts like the 101® Network. Best of all, you won’t have to pay a dime for this excellent service.