• AT&T Takes U-verse TV to Sacramento
• RHI Premieres Originals on VOD
• FiOS Internet Hits Brooklyn
• Building B Raises $17.5M
• Verizon Wireless Gets Letterman
• MNF to Run Fan-Generated Videos
• Post-Newsweek Invests in LATV

• A&E Hires New Programmer
• GSN Recruits Primack
• WildBlue Hires VP of Sales

• Cable Trivia Buffs Wanted

AT&T Takes U-verse TV to Sacramento
AT&T began marketing U-verse TV to Northern California communities in the Sacramento Valley, taking on Comcast in the region. The telco said the service -- which provides more than 320 channels overall and 26 high-definition channels -- is now available in parts of the city of Sacramento, Sacramento County, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Gold River, Lincoln, Modesto, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin and Stockton. AT&T received a statewide video franchise from California in March. click to read more...
Back to top

RHI Premieres Originals on VOD
RHI Entertainment said it has agreements to distribute original movies premiering on pay video-on-demand services on Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cablevision and Cox. The offering’s already “soft launched” on Time Warner Cable, Bright House and Cablevision, showing such action-oriented flicks as Black Friday (with Judd Nelson), Maneater (with Gary Busey) and The Sitter (with Gail O’Grady). Time Warner charges $3.99 for SD movies and $4.99 for HD versions, while Cablevision is charging $4.95 per title. Cox is expected to add the service in mid September and RHI said it’s in talks to add distribution from Comcast, the top U.S. cable operator, later this year. click to read more...
Back to top

FiOS Internet Hits Brooklyn
Verizon launched its FiOS Internet service in Brooklyn. The high-speed Internet service is available in parts of Brooklyn’s Canarsie, Mill Basin, Georgetown and Bergen Beach communities. Verizon said FiOS Internet is also available in several buildings in Williamsburg and downtown Brooklyn. click to read more...
Back to top

Building B Raises $17.5M
Boasting that it plans to market a new television and Internet video service that could rival existing pay TV services from cable, satellite and telephone providers, startup firm Building B said it has raised $17.5 million in funding. The company, which plans to detail its commercial partners this fall, said it expects to begin marketing an HDTV programming platform that will combine programming from existing basic and premium cable networks with video delivered from Internet content providers during the second half of 2008. click to read more...
Back to top

Verizon Wireless Gets Letterman
Starting Tuesday, Verizon Wireless subscribers will be able to watch full-length, commercial-free episodes of CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on the mobile carrier’s V CAST Video service. It’s the first full-length TV programming Verizon Wireless is offering through its video-on-demand service, which until now has comprised short clips and promotional content. click to read more...
Back to top

MNF to Run Fan-Generated Videos
ESPN is turning to its viewers to submit videos designed to promote appearances of their favorite teams on Monday Night Football. The network said Monday that fans will be encouraged to upload videos to a “Monday Night Surround” section on ESPN.com. click to read more...
Back to top

Post-Newsweek Invests in LATV
LATV Networks, rolling out a bilingual music and entertainment network on broadcasters’ digital multicast spectrum, said affiliate Post-Newsweek Stations had invested in it and received a minority stake. Post-Newsweek parent Washington Post Co., in a securities filing, lumped the investment into $14.6 million pumped into affiliates in the second quarter, including ACE Education and LATV Networks. click to read more...
Back to top

A&E Hires New Programmer
A&E Network appointed former William Morris executive Scott Lonker to the post of vice president of nonfiction & alternative programming. Lonker will be responsible for overseeing the development and production of A&E’s nonfiction, alternative and reality series. click to read more...
Back to top

GSN Recruits Primack
GSN named Leigh Primack to the newly created, Chicago-based position of executive director of distribution. Primack, a 10-year cable veteran, will oversee all affiliate sales and marketing efforts for GSN’s new Central Region group. click to read more...
Back to top

WildBlue Hires VP of Sales
WildBlue Communications named Ed Knudson its vice president of sales and marketing. He joins WildBlue from OpenTV, where he served as senior vice president of its advanced advertising unit. click to read more...
Back to top