FOR THE RECORD

Comcast Takes 100-Meg Internet to Jersey Shore

PHILADELPHIA — Comcast has started to roll out 100-Megabitper-
second high-speed Internet service to businesses in
its southern New Jersey systems.

The MSO debuted the 100 Mbps “Deluxe 100” business
tier — one of the fastest broadband services available
in the U.S. — last year in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Since
then, it has launched the service in parts of New Jersey;
Philadelphia and surrounding counties; northern Delaware;
Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Harrisburg, Pa., and
parts of central Pennsylvania; Augusta, Ga.; and Washington
State and Oregon.

The Deluxe 100 service, which provides 10 Mbps
upstream, is delivered using cable’s next-generation
DOCSIS 3.0 technology. The tier now is available to businesses
in parts of Pleasantville, Vineland, Wildwood and
Avalon, N.J. Priced at $369.95 per month, the service includes
Microsoft SharePoint and Outlook e-mail, as well
as Norton Business Suite software for up to 25 PCs, with
a range of website hosting and other options available.

Comcast also is preparing to launch a 100- or 105-
Mbps residential service.

Other MSOs in the U.S. that offer 100-Mbps or faster
service include Cablevision Systems, which offers a 101-
Mbps residential service; Mediacom Communications,
with 105 Mbps; and Suddenlink Communications, which
offers 107 Mbps in select markets.

Bravo Renews ‘Real Housewives’ In N.Y., N.J.

NEW YORK — NBC Universal’s Bravo service will bring back
The Real Housewives of New York City for a fourth campaign,
while the New Jersey group will return for a third season.

Speaking of the Garden State variety, the first part of
the show’s second-season reunion special scored with
some 3.9 million total viewers, according to Nielsen live
plus same-day data. That marked a 15% jump from the
sophomore-season concluder, as the show became Bravo’s
highest Monday telecast two weeks running. The
Aug. 30 telecast was Bravo’s top telecast of 2010 to date.
The first part of the New Jersey reunion show drew 2.7
million 18-to-49-year-old viewers, the show’s best ever
with the Madison Avenue-coveted demo.


The Real Housewives of New Jersey helped make Bravo
the No. 1 network on television in its time slot among
adults 18 to 49.

Joan Cusack Signs On for Showtime’s ‘Shameless’

NEW YORK — Joan Cusack has joined the cast of Showtime’s
upcoming drama Shameless.

Cusack, twice nominated for Academy Awards, will
appear in all 12 episodes of the new series, portraying
Sheila, an agoraphobic Chicago housewife with a sexually
active teenage daughter, who strikes up a special
friendship with William H. Macy’s character, Frank Gallagher.
She replaces Allison Janney, who played the role
in the pilot but had pulled out because of her commitment
to ABC’s Mr. Sunshine.

Production is set to begin in mid-September. Shameless
is scheduled to premiere on Showtime on Sunday,
Jan. 9, at 9 p.m.

Icahn Ups Bid for Lions Gate Entertainment

NEW YORK — Carl Icahn increased his hostile takeover bid
for Lions Gate Entertainment by 15% on Sept. 24, to $7.50
per share, an offer the studio owner said its board of
directors would review.

Lions Gate — which owns TV Guide Channel and
produces TV shows such as Mad Men and Nurse Jackie,
as well as movies including The Expendables — said
its board would promptly make a recommendation to
shareholders on the unsolicited tender offer.

Earlier, the Lions Gate board recommended that
shareholders reject a $6-per-share offer from Icahn, and
he increased the offer to $7 before trying another bid at
$6.50 per share.

Shares in Lions Gate (ticker: LGF) rose on the sweetened
offer, and closed Thursday at $7.22.

Sportsman Channel, Dish Team To Aid Gulf

DENVER — Looking to bring continuing awareness and
monies to the restoration efforts in the Gulf region following
the oil-spill disaster, Sportsman Channel and Dish
Network are collaborating on a special fund.

The independent hunting, fishing and shooting service,
which launched on the No. 2 satellite-TV provider in both the
standard and HDTV formats on channel 395 in February, is
now available as an a la carte option for $3 per month.

The network and Dish will funnel proceeds from those
purchasing the channel through years-end to a special
“Sportsman Fund,” created with Coastal Conservation
Association, one of the nation’s largest non-profit marine
groups, to benefit the Gulf Coast’s habitat and research.