Coda
by Staff -- Multichannel News, 11/2/2009 2:00:00 AM
FiOS Puts Price on Epix
New York — Verizon’s FiOS TV will charge $9.99 per month for Epix, the premium movie service, starting today (Nov. 2) following a free preview weekend.
Verizon announced the pricing in a blog post. Until recently, Epix’s only affiliate had said merely that it would be positioned as a premium service.
Epix is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate, which decided to shift their product to a new channel after output deals with Showtime expired. The service was scheduled to be available on FiOS TV from last Friday night through the end of Sunday for free on its regular locations: standard-definition channel 395 and high-definition channel 895, Verizon said. (Iron Man was among the content slated to air over the weekend.)
A subscription to Epix also includes access to its Web site, where movie content will be streamed.
Pali Research analyst Rich Greenfield, in a note to clients last week, said he estimates Verizon is paying a $1 monthly fee to Epix for each of 2.7 million FiOS TV subscribers. At that rate, FiOS would need to sign up 270,000 Epix subscribers paying $9.99 each per month to break even. That won’t be easy: Epix is a newcomer with no original programming as yet. HBO has achieved 30% penetration and Showtime is at 17% penetration, by contrast, Greenfield said in the note. FiOS TV charges $16 per month for HBO and $14.99 per month for a bundle of Showtime, Starz and Sundance Channel, according to Greenfield.
Dish Network, according to reports and speculation, could be the next Epix affiliate. Epix CEO Mark Greenberg has said talks are ongoing with most major multichannel TV distributors and has downplayed negative comments about Epix from executives at DirecTV, Comcast and Cablevision.
— Kent Gibbons
Cooking Channel Names Top Chef
Knoxville, Tenn. — Michael Smith, Food Network’s top marketer, has been named general manager of the new Cooking Channel, both at Scripps Networks Interactive.
Smith has guided Food Network’s creative and brand strategies for the last 10 years; most recently, he served as senior vice president of marketing.
He will now oversee the development, staffing and production of the Cooking Channel, a multiplatform network that will cater to avid food lovers with informational and instructional programming. Scripps said last month that it’s reformatting Fine Living Network, in 55 million homes, into that channel next fall.
“Michael has earned the respect of everyone in the industry for his creative genius in building the Food Network name into one of the strongest brands in media as well as his leadership within cable and television,” said John Lansing, president of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Scripps Networks. “He has the depth and breadth of experience needed to launch this new venture in a bold way. His strategic thinking, combined with his relationships with well-known and emerging food talent, will go a long way in making the new Cooking Channel a distinct destination for 'foodies’ everywhere.”
Smith’s marketing and creative teams during the last decade have won several industry awards, including the prestigious Brand Builder Award from Promax & BDA in 2003 and the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity In Communications’ Luminary honors earlier this year. He was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Minorities in Cable in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Smith is a regular speaker for groups such as the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing and for NAMIC.
“The explosion of interest in food and cooking has been amazing, and we are perfectly positioned to build on our category dominance with the introduction of the new Cooking Channel,” Smith said in the release.
Smith earlier worked for Disney/ABC Cable Networks and for the CBS Television Network.
Brooke Johnson, president of Food Network, said in the release: “Michael is a brilliant brand strategist who has helped develop some of the leading brands in cable. He also is a collaborative guy who knows how to lead people in the intense work of launching a new cable network.”
TV Land Orders Scripted Duo
New York — TV Land will add scripted comedy series to its lineup of original reality series and M*A*S*H reruns; the network ordered pilots for two original sitcoms.
The two series, Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35, are being developed for the network’s primetime programming block TV Land Prime, according to Larry Jones, president of TV Land, which targets viewers over 40.
Hot in Cleveland, written by Suzanne Martin (Frasier, Ellen) and produced by Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) revolves around three eccentric Los Angeles women whose lives change when their plane unexpectedly lands in Cleveland. Retired at 35, written by Chris Case (Reba, Spin City) and produced by Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis (Rita Rocks), explores the life of a successful New York businessman who decides to leave the city and move into his parents’ Florida retirement home.
“TV Land is thrilled to work with some of the most talented writers and producers in the business to create funny, relatable sitcoms for our viewers,” Jones said in a statement. “TV Land’s programming line-up features some of the most popular comedies on television, making TV Land Prime the perfect environment to premiere original sitcoms. Our audience truly loves this genre and we can’t wait to give them more.”
'MCN’ Contributor Brent Felgner Dies
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — Veteran business journalist and Multichannel News copy editor and contributor Brent Felgner, 57, passed away from cancer on Oct. 26.
Felgner also contributed as a writer and editor for several other publications owned by MCN parent Reed Business Information, including Broadcasting & Cable, TWICE, Playthings, Gifts & Decorative Accessories and Home Textiles Today.
Felgner’s friends and colleagues can share their memories online at www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/Fates_Fortunes/24760-Remembering_Brent_Felgner.php.
Food Feeds Scripps Success
12/12/2009Scripps Cooks Up An FLN Rebrand
10/10/2009Food Renewals Could Help Scripps Nets
12/09/2009TV Land Jumps Into Scripted Series Arena
10/26/2009
