DirecTV Chairman and CEO Eddy Hartenstein, will be the keynote speaker at the Washington Space Business Roundtable luncheon on Feb. 26, which is part of PBI Media LLC‘s SATELLITE 2003 conference in Washington, D.C.

Hartenstein, a senior vice president and executive committee member of DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics [GMH], is expected to discuss the power and potential of satellite TV at the event that will feature a silent auction fundraiser to support the WSBR’s scholarship program. His prominence in the industry also is reflected by his roles as chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association and a member of the board of directors for Thomson Multimedia and the Consumer Electronics Association.

Prizes donated for the silent auction include a trip for two to French Guiana for an Ariane launch; satellite broadcasting receivers for DirecTV and XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR]; rides on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F/A22 Raptor Demonstrators; tickets to Washington Redskins NFL games; and conference registrations for the National Space Symposium and Satellite 2004.

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is scheduled to introduce Hartenstein. Harman represents California’s 36^th district, which includes DirecTV’s headquarters in El Segundo.