The Blaze Gains Distribution On Armstrong Systems

The Blaze has reached a distribution deal with Armstrong for carriage of the news network on Armstrong’s Variety Package, said network officials.

With the agreement, the Glenn Beck-owned The Blaze is now available on 70 television providers nationwide including nine of the top 25, according to network officials.

Additionally, the network  announced it has named Tracey Bedell as its vice president of affiliate marketing.  Bedell is a former affiliate marketing executive at Playboy Plus, AMC Networks and NBCUniversal and joins another recent hire, Bruce Levinson, VP, Content Distribution as part of the network’s distribution team..

"In the first half of 2014 alone, the distributor base for TheBlaze has grown by 50% in large part because cable operators like Armstrong understand the value The Blaze brings to their audience,” said Lynne Costantini said president and business development for the network in a statement. “We have great momentum as we head into the second half of this year and expect more good news to follow."

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.