VividTV Gets Canadian Presence

VividTV has partnered with Canadian adult broadcaster Sex-Shop Television Inc. to rebrand Sex-Shop’s Vannesa TV adult service as VividTV beginning Oct. 28, said network officials.

VividTV, which offers both an adult-themed linear channel and an on demand service in the U.S., will offer its programming – which features hard core movies and sex tape movies from Kim Kardashian, Kendra Wilkinson, Montana Fishburne and Tila Tequila -- on the Canadian service in both French and English. Overall the channel will offer more than 50% VividTV programing and the rest will come from Vanessa TV’s library of adult programming, said Vivid.

 Sex-Shop Television chief executive officer Anne-Marie Losique will head the channel.

“Vanessa TV is without a peer in Canada as a provider of fine adult programming.  We are delighted they are taking the lead in bringing VividTV audiences throughout the country,” said Bill Asher, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment in a statement. “Because Anne-Marie knows the market so well, she’ll be able to package the best of Vanessa TV and VividTV.”

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.