TV One Sets Free-VOD Offering

Hoping to increase sampling, upstart African-American-targeted network TV One will launch a free-video-on-demand offering in January.

TV One co-owner Comcast Corp. will present the service beginning Jan. 20 across all of its VOD-enabled systems, network executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing Brad Samuels said. Radio One Inc. owns a majority interest in the service.

Samuels said systems can carry the VOD service if they don’t offer the linear network, but only if the MSO has committed to a “significant” carriage deal. The service is free to operators and subscribers, he added.

TV One will start with five hours of original fare: lifestyle show Living It Up with Patti LaBelle; cooking seriesTurn Up the Heat with G. Garvin; transformation series Makeover Manor; The Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors;and celebrity-interview series TV One on One.

Samuels said 50% of the content will be refreshed each month.

Additionally, the network plans to premiere at least one original-series episode or special on VOD before it is on the linear service.

To that end, the network will bow Tangles and Locks, a special exploring the world of black-hair shows.

For more on TV One’s FOD strategy, please see R. Thomas Umstead’s story on page 18 of Monday’s issue of Multichannel News.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.