Trio Trumpets Performing-Arts Programs

Looking to provide a broad swath of performing-arts and cultural fare, Trio will launch more than 650 hours of fresh programming this year, including the 1960s comedy classic Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

Executives hope the new programming, a redesigned, paint-brush-tinged Trio logo and the service's affiliation with the USA Networks family will significantly boost its digital distribution beyond its current 11.3 million subscribers.

Trio, which relaunches June 10, will be sold to operators as a package with the revamped Newsworld International Channel and the soon-to-be-launched Crime Channel, said USA emerging networks president Patrick Vien. USA purchased NWI and Trio last year from North American Television Inc. for more than $100 million.

"We think the package will be a strong driver of digital and we're in the process of talking to operators about Trio, NWI and Crime Channel," said Vien. "We have an offer for all three services.

"We definitely want to be as ubiquitously distributed in digital as we possibly can — 40 to 45 million subscribers in four years is doable — and because of that, we're putting money into marketing and programming early."

Vien wouldn't disclose the rate card for the three-pack of channels. He said it's "competitively priced, but it's not on a cash up-front basis."

He did say that the networks would look to ride USA's coattails in terms of affiliation deals: "We're now part of a family, and that was part of the risk of Trio and NWI when they sat in an independent environment. Now we can take advantage of the synergies we have with USA Networks."

Along with unedited episodes of Laugh-In — which haven't been aired in full since the series ended its run in 1973 — Trio is expected to bow some original series, including several documentary and magazine shows.

The network will also present a daily concert series that will feature performances from contemporary and classic artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Wyclef Jean, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Prince, Sade, B.B. King and Tina Turner, Vien said.

The network's film lineup is highlighted by the network premiere of the Academy Award winning Elizabeth (Sept. 9), and the broadcast bow of Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, a modern restaging of the classical opera Carmen.

On the special front, Trio will take viewers to the Big Easy for a 10-hour presentation from the 2001 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Sept. 1-Sept. 2).

The network had previously announced the debut of Sessions at West 54th , the musical series it acquired from PBS.

With the notable exception of Laugh-In and Sessions, Trio president and CEO Bill Haber said the network will present mostly originally developed or internationally produced programming.

"We'll very quickly be up to 26 original specials by the end of the year," Haber said. "You will see on Trio programming that you will not see anywhere else in the United States."

Vien said NWI, with 10 million subscribers, will be positioned as an alternative to traditional news networks that rely on breaking stories and news-talk shows.

"Nobody is doing world news as a focus of news programming, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and we live in an environment where events going around the world are totally important for the audience," Vien said. "We'll add to that documentaries and events that focus on the newsmakers, rather than the journalists."