Time Warner Cable Pumps Up HD Volume in Manhattan
Two Dozen Plus Basic HD Outlets Added, Plus Premium Multiplexes
By Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 12/18/2008 2:16:00 PM
Time Warner Cable has added more than two dozen new high-definition basic channels to some of its 600,000 subscribers in Manhattan in New York City, and a full range of premium outlets’ HD multiplexes too.
By a reporter’s observation, the Northern Manhattan system’s 700 (and upper 600) channel region, containing the basic HD channels, has added: NBC Universal-owned USA, Sci Fi Channel, CNBC, Bravo and The Weather Channel; MTV Networks’ Palladia; Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Channel; Comcast’s E! Entertainment, Golf Channel and Versus (separately), Style and G4; Liberty Media’s QVC; Fox Cable Networks’ FX and Speed Channel; Walt Disney Co.’s ABC Family, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, ESPNnews and ESPNU; Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel; A&E Networks’ A&E, History and Bio; Discovery’s Discovery and Science channels and Planet Green, all in HD.
Those were in addition to existing basic HD outlets, such as CNN and HGTV versions.
Among basic independents, newly launched were MGM HD, Crown Media’s Hallmark Movie Channel, Cox Communications-owned Travel Channel and the National Hockey League's NHL Network in HD, again according to a reporter’s observation.
Premium versions of the various HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Starz and Encore outlets were added as well. An HD version of sports-tier denizen CBS College Sports also launched in recent days, according to the network.
Time Warner Cable has expanded the offerings in outer boroughs, including Staten Island and Queens, before bumping up the Northern Manhattan slate. The company has about 1.4 million subscribers in the New York and New Jersey
. The system's Web site indicates the new outlets are not currently available in Southern Manhattan (below 79th and 86th streets).
In April, when the Manhattan system added about 20 basic HD channels, Time Warner Cable
it was aiming to offer 100 HD channels and 250 HD on-demand offerings. New York City's competitive dynamics are changing significantly, as Verizon begins rolling out FiOS TV under a
.
A notice on the TWC New York City system’s Web site said “previously scheduled launches of Africa Channel HD, HSN HD, Spike HD, Nick HD, and NBA TV HD on December 17th” had been postponed in Northern Manhattan.
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thanks timmy. can't verify the 250,000 figure as yet but the site does
asterisk the networks not available below 79/86th so i made that change.
Kent Gibbons - 12/19/2008 7:10:00 AM EST -
pumped up hd launched to 250k subs not 600k. southern manhattan system was not included. you're a reporter, do your homework!
timmy - 12/19/2008 6:04:00 AM EST
