 three years later. Hughes was plagued by canceled defense contracts during the early 1980s. General Motors took over Hughes Electronics in 1985, seeing an opportunity to ride satellite technology into the commercial TV market. But the carmaker never developed a strategy that caught on with investors. When Hughes unveiled the DIRECTV service in the 1990s, it began to draw the attention of media moguls. After a dizzying series of lawsuits and deals, Rupert Murdoch - the baron behind Fox Entertainment - gained 34 percent of the company's stock in late 2003. The renamed company sells digital and satellite TV service to roughly 12.6 million subscribers under the DIRECTV brand - a vehicle Murdoch's ambitions. Satellite insight In December 1998, Hughes merged with satellite television service United States Satellite Broadcasting in a $1.3 billion agreement. Hughes then combined USSB's assets and satellite frequencies with its DIRECTV business. Hughes bought PrimeStar Inc., a provider of direct-to-home satellite television for $1.82 billion in January 1999. The deal allowed Hughes to acquire PrimeStar's 160-channel, VAULT CAREER LIBRARY 2005 Vault Inc. Vault Guide to the Top Telecom Employers The DIRECTV Group, Inc. medium power direct broadcast satellite, as well as its Tempo high-power satellite assets. America Online Inc. invested $1.5 billion in Hughes' satellite operations in June 1999 as part of a strategic attempt to increase its visibility in the broadband market. Four years later, however, Hughes terminated the deal. In November 2001, Hughes joined with WorldCom to deliver two-way satellite Internet access. Deals, deals, deals Raytheon Co., an industry leader in defense and government electronics, services, and technology, purchased Hughes' defense operations branch in October 1997 for $9.5 billion. Hughes sold off its satellite-making unit to Boeing, the aerospace giant, for $3.75 billion in January 2000. Hughes Network Systems won a $27 million, 10-year contract with GTECH Corp., an operator of transaction pr