My Turn
Multichannel News editor Kent Gibbons covers issues impacting pay TV providers, programmers and technology suppliers in his regular column.
MTV Gets HD Launches on Time Warner
It’s a super Sunday for MTV Networks: MTV, Spike TV, BET and Comedy Central high-definition channels have launched on Time Warner Cable in New York City. Back in July 2009, Pali Capital analyst Rich Greenfield observed that Viacom’s MTV Networks only had the concert music channel, Palladia, launched on the key Time Warner Cable systems in Manhattan and Los Angeles. He observed that T ...... Read More
Comments (1)Cable Center's 'Class' Act
The Cable Hall of Fame ceremony in May will feature a tribute to Bill Bresnan, the almost legendary cable operator who died in November at age 75. (”A modest man with a heart of gold,” Alan Gerry’s description, was one of the many fond remembrances of Bresnan at his memorial in December.) The Cable Center SVP of marketing and development Diane Christman and PR maven Lela Cocor ...... Read More
Comments (0)But What If I Want You To 'Roll Over?'
Time Warner Cable is hosting a Soviet-style election. Its new Web site, Rolloverorgettough dot com, has drawn more than 400,000 visitors, gathered more than 130,000 comments and more than 95% of the votes so far have encouraged TWC to “get tough” on programming increases rather than “roll over.” So said CEO Glenn Britt in a release, adding “our customers cl ...... Read More
Comments (25)Miss Ya, Bret and Jemaine
It should not go unmentioned by Multichannel News that Flight of the Conchords has ended its run on HBO after two seasons. So I won’t unmention it. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the stars, posted a comment about it on their Website Friday and you can read it here. They’re happy about the way it ended, with the lads back in New Zealand after their New York City comical musical ad ...... Read More
Comments (0)'Stargate' Alums Spice Up Syfy's 'Beyond Sherwood Forest'
The Stargate imprint is all over Beyond Sherwood Forest, a Syfy made-for movie airing Saturday night during the Thanksgiving holiday. Hitfix.com called it the perfect cheesy dessert to wipe away that last turkey taste — and rated it a “must watch,” and it especially is for fans of Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Sanctuary (a Stargate alumni project now in its second year ...... Read More
Comments (0)Adieu, Equalizer
Edward Woodward is dead at age 79 and I have three things to praise him for. The first is ‘Breaker Morant,’ a film that isn’t even mentioned in the obits I’ve seen this morning, including one on the BBC site. It’s about Aussies fighting for the Brits in the Boer War and becoming “scapegoats for the bloody empire,” if dialogue memory serves and ...... Read More
Comments (0)Get Well Soon, Char
Multi sends good wishes to CTAM CEO Char Beales, who fell yesterday and suffered a broken ankle. With the CTAM Summit, in Denver, about eight weeks away, she’ll have recuperation time, but ouch. We’re sure we’ll hear more about it on Sept. 17 when the cable marketing organization plans to host a conference call with the media to discuss details about the Oct. 25-27 conference ...... Read More
Comments (0)BBC America HD Launches in NYC on TWC
BBC America says it has signed a Time Warner Cable distribution pact, with New York City the first region adding the channel. It goes on the system today, on channel 685. More details to come but wanted to get the news out to hopefully calm the legions of fans disappointed when the channel went unseen during the July launch week which featured such sci-fi HD treats as Torchwood: Children of Earth ...... Read More
Comments (5)Football (English) is Coming
English Premier League football (soccer), so tempting a product ESPN snapped up U.K. game rights and has reformated a channel there to show them on, returns Saturday, amid the buzz of FIFA 2010 World Cup and UEFA Champions League qualifying matches. UEFA Champions League, you know, the tournament that will even be seen on FX next May, hence the promotional ads you might have seen for English Premi ...... Read More
Comments (2)Digital Cable Takes the Lead
Digital cable in 2008 overtook direct-to-home satellite TV as the leading digital pay-TV platform. Pop the Champagne! This comes from U.K-based IMS Research, promoting an upcoming report on … worldwide digital TV. Digital cable was about 4.5 million customers behind DTH systems at the start of last year, but added an impressive 32 million subscribers to 16 million for the DTH providers. At ...... Read More
Comments (0)Time for More Access
Cablevision’s refusal to sell the HD versions of its regional sports networks in New York to Verizon could be an issue that seals the case for eliminating the so-called terrestrial loophole that lets cable companies withhold some of its programming to competitors, avoiding program-access rules established by Congress that helped make satellite TV and telco TV businesses possible. Or at leas ...... Read More
Comments (6)'WH 13' Remembers Nora O'Brien
Fans praised the dedication to late NBC production exec Nora O’Brien at the end of Syfy’s premiere episode of Warehouse 13 last night. “Dedicated to Nora O’Brien,” the closing credits began, under a photo of the former Sci Fi Channel original programming executive, who left the channel about two years ago to become VP of drama programming for both parent NBC Univ ...... Read More
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