CTAM SUMMIT, MONDAY MORNING, JULY 25, 2005
$10M Contest from ESPN Deportes
BY MIKE RE YNOLDS
WHAT’S HOT HERE
BY STEVE DONOHUE
ESPN Deportes is looking to kick up promotional payouts a notch or 10 — or 10 million. While National Football League and Major League Baseball promos have delivered $1 million to winners and Home & Garden Television annually awards a “Dream House” of the same value, ESPN Deportes is raising the bar to $10 million with its “Fútball a Football” contest, which kicks off Monday. “This is by far the largest promotion prize I can remember on the affiliate side in my 23 years in cable,” said Robyn Remick, VP of affiliate marketing at Disney and ESPN Media Networks. The multifaceted, affiliate-tied promotion — which reflects the network’s programming of Latino-targeted sports offerings and the best of Anglo athletics, including MLB and NFL action — will afford a randomly selected sweepstakes
entrant the opportunity to land a soccer ball in an unguarded goal from 50 yards out, then turn around and split the uprights from 40 yards. The chance will come at Texas Stadium during ESPN’s coverage of the Jan. 2 NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams. If successful, the kicker will pocket a cool $10 million. The 19-month-old ESPN Deportes, which counts just under 1 million subscribers, also wants to reap dividends from the campaign by building buzz and driving acquisition in the Spanish-language sports arena, where it trails Fox Sports en Español and soccer-centric Gól TV in the race to connect with the nation’s 10.7 million Latino TV households. Remick said ESPN Deportes is insured should it have to award the prize. For more on ESPN Deportes’ Fútball a Football, please see Mike Reynolds’ story on page one of Monday’s issue of Multichannel News.
PHILADELPHIA — Next-generation interactive program guides and media centers are among some of the demos worth checking out at the “Digital Knockouts” area at this week’s CTAM Summit. New technology on display includes the i-Guide demo at the Comcast Media Center tabletop exhibit; Scientific-Atlanta’s new multi-room DVR and media center; and the latest version of PDP Interactive’s (formerly Pioneer New See WHAT’S HOT, Page 12
Knockout demos.
ERIC SMITH
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
Monday, JULY 25, 2005
WWE to Roll Out Spanish VOD Fare
BY R. THOMAS UMSTEAD
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n a play for more Latino viewers, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. will roll out several Spanish-language on-demand wrestling and sports-entertainment pay-per-view programs beginning this fall. WWE will offer five to six hours per month of mostly library content consisting of thematic shows, classic matches, wrestler biographies and historic in-ring moments, according to WWE Enterprises executive vice president Tom Barreca. He noted that the Spanish-language content would not be available simultaneously on the network’s WWE 24/7 subscription-video-on-demand service. Operators don’t need WWE 24/7 affiliate deals to secure rights to this transactional Hispanic product. Barreca said WWE will allow operators to set the purchase price for the content. He would not reveal whether the grap-
pling organization would receive a minimum fee for each buy. “We’re trying to do everything we can to demonstrate to the business that we’re delivering the WWE fan base to the on-demand platform,” he added. “We index well among Hispanic demos with our genre. They are among the most loyal groups of pay-per-view and WWE consumer-product buyers we’ve identified.” While W WE has yet to reach any carriage deals for its new ser vice, Barreca anticipates that operators on board with its SVOD ser vice might add the Spanish-language offerings. W WE 24/ 7’s roster includes Cox Communications Inc., RCN Corp., Insight Communications Co. Inc., Blue Ridge Communications, Sunf lower Broadband, Massilon Cable and, more recently, Rogers Cable Inc. in Canada. For more on WWE, please see R. Thomas Umstead’s story on page 12 of Monday’s issue of Multichannel News.
WealthTV Inks Insight Pact
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ifestyle and entertainment network WealthTV has completed a 10-year carriage deal with Insight Communications Co. Inc., the ninth-largest MSO. The contract covers distribution of WealthTV in standard digital and HTDV, as well as video-on-demand. The network has recently secured launches in cities such as Los Angeles and Stanford, Maine, from distributors such as Charter Communications and Champion Broadband.
E! Offers Affils Emmy Trips
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EXPO TV GETS CHARTER, MEDIACOM DEALS
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nfomercial-based video-on-demand service network Expo TV last week announced distribution deals with Charter Communications Inc. and Mediacom Communications Corp. The service — which offers merchandise
and services from categories ranging from electronics and technology to beauty, fitness and entertainment — also has deals with Bresnan Communications and Insight Communications Co.
said that more than 2,200 cable systems have signed up to participate in its “Emmy Extravaganza” affiliate campaign, which will award five affiliates a trip for two to the 2005 Prime Time Emmy Awards on Sept. 18. Affiliates that agree to run a minimum of 300 cross-channel spots for E! can participate in the campaign, which runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 18. E! said five trip packages will be awarded randomly by July 29. The packages include a trip for two to Los Angeles, three nights in a hotel, and tickets to the Emmys, a limo ride to and from the awards ceremony, makeovers at a Beverly Hills beauty salon, and dinner for two at a restaurant in Hollywood.
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
Monday, JULY 25, 2005 5
Wisdom TV’s Relaunches as Lime
BY R. THOMAS UMSTEAD
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merica Online Inc. cofounder Steve Case’s entry into the cable-television business will come with a twist. Case’s company, Revolution — which also owns Miraval Life in Balance Resorts — purchased Wisdom TV in April and will rename the service Lime. The relaunched service, though, will largely follow Wisdom’s tack of serving the health-and-wellness category, according to network CEO C.J. Kettler. Wisdom was initially founded by the late Bill Turner in 1999. Kettler, a former Oxygen Media sales and marketing executive, said the name and the network’s tag line — “healthy living with a twist” — correlates well with its mission of providing information and programming that reflects a more eco-friendly lifestyle. At the outset, Lime will retain much of Wisdom’s programming content, Kettler said, but it will integrate more of its own acquired and originally produced shows after the first quarter of 2006.
Lime will also inherit Wisdom’s 6.5 million subscribers through deals with such MSOs as Comcast Corp., Insight Communications Co. Inc. and satellite provider EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network. Kettler said the network hopes to pick up more subscribers prior to its launch, although she would not detail any negotiation specifics. She added that Lime will have appeal beyond traditional niche health-conscious viewers. Lime general manager Noreen O’Loughlin said the network will also offer a video-on-demand service and feature a Web site. O’Loughlin — the former AMC general manger who lost that job amidst alleged accounting irregularities at Rainbow Media Holdings LLC in 2003 and most recently was with New York consultancy Sullivan & Co. — said Lime’s multiplatformed approach will provide greater value to operators looking to better serve their subscribers. For more on Lime, please see R. Thomas Umstead’s story on page 64 of Monday’s issue of Multichannel News.
Cox to Light Fuse On Demand
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ox Communications Inc. will add Fuse On Demand to its lineup, the network said Monday. Fuse said its video-on-demand service is the first on-demand musicprogram service for digital-cable subscribers featuring hit music videos and other programming. Viewers can watch up to 75 full-length videos, in addition to artist interviews, concert footage and “What’s New on Fuse, with content updated biweekly. Fuse said it has also enhanced Fuse On Demand with exclusive VOD programming that allows systems to custom-tailor on-demand content for local markets, as well as adding interactive-gaming features
Oxygen Shows Its ‘Worth’
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Black Family Lands Verizon Deal
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lack Family Channel will get a slot on Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS TV service as part of a long-term carriage
deal with the telco. The African-American-targeted service will be available to subscribers of Verizon’s expanded-basic service when its video service launches later this year.
xygen is launching Worth It!, a customizable multimedia campaign, in partnership with Cox. The campaign, designed to market high-speed Internet to women who have yet to switch from dialup service, uses customizable TV, radio, print, direct mail and online advertising. The effort is built around Wolanda, a strong, savvy woman and an advocate for high-speed Internet. Wolanda uses her show, Worth It! With Wolanda, to teach women the value of high-speed Internet.
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
Monday, JULY 25, 2005
‘Turner South Tips’ Ride Again
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urner Network Sales will renew its “Turner South Tips” initiative in the third quarter. Turner South Tips are vignettes offering viewers Southern-style tips from three of the regional network’s most popular original programs: 3 Day Weekend, Junkin’ and Home Makers (right). TNS said the Turner South Tips campaign is completely customizable, allowing affiliate partners to target one local sponsor for all three featured Turner South shows or up to three different sponsors for each particular show. “Due to the overwhelming success of the first- and second-quarter Turner South Tips campaigns, we are very pleased to extend this promotion into the third quarter,” TNS vice president of strategic marketing Jennifer Mirgorod said in a prepared statement. “The campaign provides affiliates with a powerful way to leverage the valuable Turner South brand and three of its top-rated original programs in their local community,” she added.
AMC to Bond with Its Viewers
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MC is devoting August to a secretagent man. The network will run “The Complete Bond: 1962-1989,” featuring17 of the most popular 007 movies. The month-long marathon will kick off with Dr. No — the film that launched the Bond series — Aug. 8, and continue in order through 1989’s License to Kill Aug. 30. AMC said it will air the full-screen versions of each movie at 8 p.m. (EST/ PST), followed by the cable premieres of the restored, unedited letterbox versions at 10 p.m.
IFC to Debut Series on Web
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Yavello Upped at Discovery
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iscovery Networks promoted Greg Yavello to regional director of affiliate sales and marketing for the western region. Yavello will oversee distribu-
tion of Discovery’s 16 networks in 17 states from Discovery’s Los Angeles. Yavello previously was account director of affiliate sales and marketing for the northwest region.
he Independent Film Channel will debut its first-ever batch of scripted series online. The network said the debut episodes of HOPELESs Pictures, Greg the Bunny and The Festival — set to premiere on IFC Aug. 19 — will debut online (www.ifc.com) Aug. 12. Animated comedy series HOPELESs Pictures is about a dysfunctional Hollywood indie dream factory; Greg the Bunny is a comical series of puppet parodies; and The Festival is a satirical comedy told from the perspective of fictitious IFC documentarian Cookie.
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
Monday, JULY 25, 2005 7
GROUPS CALL FOR ADELPHIA CONDITIONS
BY TED HEARN
WASHINGTON — An array of left-of-center public interest groups is seeking merger conditions against Comcast and Time Warner after the two cable giants buy struggling Adelphia. Comcast and Time Warner intend to purchase bankrupt Adelphia and divide the spoils, a $17.6 billion transaction that also includes key system swaps design to bolster regional clusters. The deal requires
approval from the FCC and the FTC. In comments filed Thursday, the group demand several conditions from the FCC, including application of federal program access rules to cable VOD content and a requiement that the MSOs provide consumer with multiple Internet access providers or adhere to network neutrality rules with regard to the Internet content providers. The Media Access Project, a public interest law firm, filed to deny the merger on behalf the groups. To the extent the FCC approves the merger, the groups called for
Weather Channel Backs ‘Weekend View’ on Web
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TLC ‘Property’ Promo Promises ‘Riches’
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LC is offering affiliates nationwide the opportunity to help their subscribers climb the property ladder with its “Real Estate Riches” promotional campaign. Tapping into the hot real estate trend of “flipping” houses and the popularity of its new series Property Ladder, the promotion will help affiliates drive subscriber growth and generate local ad-sales revenue through an acquisition campaign and a sweepstakes that arms homeowners with the tools, experts, resources and, for one lucky winner, cold, hard cash. The campaign, beginning in August, will use direct mail pieces featuring special offers, as well as print, online and on-air resources, to illustrate to residents and new homeowners the value of choosing cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services. From September 6 through October 31, on-air spots will direct consumers to local participating retailers to obtain information about their chance to win TLC’s Real Estate Riches Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner gets a “leg up” on the property ladder with a home consultation of a lifetime and $5,000 to help put the team’s plan into action and make the home a more profitable investment.
he Weather Channel will support its new series Weekend View, premiering Sept. 17, with an extensive marketing campaign that will include integration with its Web site, weather.com. Viewers can submit questions to the Weekend View Web site that will be answered on-air by new host Dao Vu. The feature known as “Forecast for You” fits the program’s goal of extending the emotional connection with viewers such as with a bride who wants the forecast for her wedding day. Other integrated marketing will include a consumer “Watch and Win” promotion and a special content area on weather.com about Weekend View talent and topics. The Weather Channel will also support the new program with national print ads, outdoor advertising, affiliate cross channel support in select markets, radio advertising, and on-air promotions. Weekend View will run Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
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Messina reunion tour. When VH1 Classic began running the tour promotions a few years ago, the network would take “any tour we could get,” Sherman said. “We’ve gotten to the point this year where we have to turn away tours.” VH1 Classic sets aside about one minute per hour of ad time to promote the tours, Sherman said. Some artists ask the network to “frontload” 30-second spots promoting their concerts when tickets go on sale, while some of the smaller tours, which sell ducats over time, ask the network to spread out the promotions over a longer period, Sherman added.
VH1 Classic Barters With Bands
BY STEVE DONOHUE
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hile the marketing budget for a digital network with just 38 million subscribers may be relatively small, VH1 Classic has found a way to get its brand splashed at the venues of several major concerts this year without shelling out a dime. The network has cut deals with classic rock artists ranging from Pat Benatar to The Beach Boys, agreeing to run free commercials and other promotions that market their tours. In exchange, VH1 Clas-
sic gets plugs at the concerts in the form of banners or videos running before the shows. “It’s a barter deal,” VH1 Classic general manager Eric Sherman said. “Anything we can do to support artists in touring is great for us. It has helped us really brand ourselves among classic [rock] lovers.” VH1 Classic partnered with EMI Music Marketing and Tower Records to hype the release of Pat Benatar’s Greatest Hits. The network ran a “VH1 Classic Presents Pat Benatar Live in Las Vegas” sweepstakes, which drew 50,000 entrants, according to VH1. The
winner and a guest received a trip to Vegas for three nights at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, tickets to a Benatar concert and a collection of her CDs. In exchange for the VH1 promotion, the network is included in all print ads promoting the tour, including “As Seen on VH1 Classic” stickers affixed on all of Benatar’s greatest hits CDs in retail outlets. VH1 Classic is running similar promotions with an eclectic list of bands, including The Beach Boys, Al Green, Whitesnake, Donna Summer, Judas Priest and the Loggins &
i-Lifetv Sponsors Sound Of Light Tour
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igital net i-Lifetv will be a co-sponsor of the upcoming fall tour of Christian rock band Sound of Light. Sound of Light is also the title of i-Lifetv’s original music series. The series includes music videos from Christian artists, contests, artists’ interviews and an interactive Web chat. The 25-city tour runs from Aug. 10 through Nov. 5 throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, with stops in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North and South Car-
olina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Also sponsoring the tour is Compassion International, a relief agency.
VOD? Sí
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nglish-language Latino cable network Sí TV will launch a video-on-demand service on its affiliated systems starting in October, according to officials. The VOD content will include six hours of programming, with 25% refreshed each month.
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Monday, JULY 25, 2005 11
TNS Sets Toons Loose in Field
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urner Network Sales and cable operators across the country are letting cartoon characters loose in their markets with local screenings hosted by Adult Swim, Boomerang and Cartoon Network. Adult Swim’s Screening-in-a-Box, Boomerang’s Big Bash and Cartoon’s Toon Takeover will be co-sponsored by local advertisers and partner with local charities. Screening-in-a-box will include Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law; Sealab 2021; Venture Bros. and more; disposable banners; air fresheners; stress balls; magnets;
keychains; t-shirts; and a CD-ROM with customizable press release, ad slick, radio script and poster creative. Boomerang’s Big Bash will have classic cartoons; tattoo sheets; balloons; stickers; banners; taggable :20/:10 event spot & taggable :50/:10 radio spot; customizable marketing materials Toon Takeover includes a cartoon reel; taggable event and tune-on spots; signage; balloons; t-shirts; tattoo sheets; Frisbees; interactive CD-ROM with free downloads.
CARTOON AND AFFILS WALK FOR DIABETES
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GRANDE EXPANDS ITS ICTV ROLLOUT
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rande Communications will expand distribution of ICTV’s HeadendWare platform and services to more markets in Texas, the two companies announced today. In addition to the already-launched markets of Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos, Grande will launch HeadendWare in Corpus Christi, Midland, Odessa and Waco. Grande also is launching new content on its ITCTV-based subscription service: Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street Games; On the Farm from Flying Rhinoceros; and ToonGolf from TournamentOne. Grande also is adding KaraokeTV and LuckyGolfer from TournamentOne for older gamers. ICTV said The TvHead Games
Channel, which had been available to all subscribers, will be expanded to create a subscription channel. Premium games will be available on both a monthly subscription and pay-per-day basis. Grande’s basic level of interactive service, available to all subscribers, includes news, sports, weather and information services from Cloverleaf Digital, plus real estate, business and automotive classified advertising. “We’ve learned from our rollouts in Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos the great value of offering the best interactive TV available to serve our customers,” said Scott Ferguson, interim chief executive officer of Grande, in a statement. “ICTV delivers a package that includes a suite of attractive content from some of the biggest brands in interactive television helping us deliver new, quality products to our customers.”
artoon Network is teaming up with affiliate partners for the second year to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and its nationwide “Walk to Cure Diabetes,” starting this fall and running through 2006. In addition to a public service announcement featuring various Cartoon Network stars, local Walks by participating cable affiliates will feature appearances by Scooby-Doo and giveaways. “We are thrilled to offer — for the second year in a row — our cable affiliate partners an opportunity to get more involved in their local communities by supporting such an important cause,” said Jennifer Mirgorod, vice president of strategic marketing, Turner Network Sales.
Court TV Gets Smart
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ourt TV signed its first mobile-video deal, an agreement to provide content to SmartVideo’s 20-channel, $12.95-permonth video package. In addition to supplying its linear 24-hour TV feed, Court TV will provide rebroadcasts of its daytime-programming block; select video-on-demand and primetime shows and specials; and its “Web Clicks” news packages. Smart Video works on certain 3G phones and PDAs, supporting video frame rates between 24 and 29 frames per second.
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MULTICHANNEL NEWS
Monday, JULY 25, 2005
Cox Briefs Analysts on the Future
BY MIKE FARRELL
PHILADELPHIA — Cox Communications execs held an informal meeting for a handful of tech analysts Sunday in conjunction with the CTAM conference here, touching on subjects ranging from switched video and digital simulcast to interactive television and marketing initiatives. While the analysts were more concerned with technical issues, their interest also was piqued by Cox’s moves in HDTV, wireless and portability and in marketing initiatives. Cox CTO Chris Bowick kicked off the three-hour meeting, stressing that Cox’s current hybrid-fiber-coax infrastructure will be more than able to handle any new services that come down the pike.
Bowick focused on bandwidth recovery — switched video, digital simulcast, splitting nodes and reducing service groups (the number of homes served by an individual node) — adding that those measures will more than free up enough bandwidth for future services. On the interactive television front, senior VP of strategy and development Dallas Clement spoke of Cox’s plans for interactive programming guides and multi-room DVRs. Clement said that Cox already uses two IPGs — Scientific-Atlanta’s SARA and Pioneer Digital Technologies’ Passport. Multi-room DVRs are being trialed at Cox’s northern Virginia market. Clement said that Cox is working on a Mosaic product — a live display of chan-
nel groupings like news and sports — that will launch some time in the future. Senior VP of marketing Joe Rooney reiterated Cox’s successful bundling strategy — more than 900,000 customers were taking all three products in the bundle at the end of the first quarter and that number is growing. On the marketing front, Rooney said that Cox is focusing on individual markets rather than a national plan, and launched a new campaign in late May and early June featuring a 3-dimensional computer animated character — called Digital Max — to foster Cox brand awareness. Already 14 television spots have been delivered to the field and more are to come.
DAIMLERCHRYSLER TO DRIVE ‘CNN25’ PROMO
WHAT’S HOT HERE
Continued from page 1 Media) IPG. Also worth a peek: Gotuit Media’s VOD clips of young women trying out for the New England Patriots cheerleading squad. It’s burning up the servers in Portland, Maine, for Time Warner Cable, Gotuit said. Moxi’s demo shows how subscribers can use its media center to enable caller ID on the TV. Its next generation guide, available next year, will allow subscribers to listen to voicemail through their TV, and place outbound calls with the click of a remote. IPG newcomer Hillcrest Labs plans to show off its guide at a party it’s hosting Monday night. Conference sessions worth checking out Monday include the 9 a.m. keynote address from Ogilvy & Mather CEO Shelly Lazarus, and the 11:45 a.m. breakout session on “big ideas for fiercely competitive marketing,” featuring Harvard Business School professor Youngme Moon. For lessons that could be learned from competitive markets overseas, there’s a 7:30 a.m. breakfast panel featuring top executives from UPC, Rogers Cable, Japan’s J:COM and Spain’s Ono.
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urner Network Sales and DaimlerChrysler are teaming up on a promotion tied to Cable News Network’s 25th anniversary. As part of the “CNN25: Your Keys to Driving Auto Sales” promotion, customers who test-drive dealer-selected Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicles will receive a CNN25 commemorative DVD, while buyers will receive a DVD-go-anywhere kit. “This is a unique opportunity for our
affiliates to gain exposure on a local level through the national promotion with DaimlerChrysler’s sponsorship and celebration of CNN’s 25th anniversary,” TNS vice president of strategic marketing Jennifer Mirgorod said in a prepared statement. “The value to both our affiliates and DaimlerChrysler, while also driving consumers into local dealerships, is monumental,” she added.
AmericanLife Taps New Marketing Manager
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mericanLife TV named Torrae Lawrence as marketing manager for the network’s affiliate sales and marketing department. In her new role,. Lawrence will handle all affiliate marketing and Web site management to support affiliate sales. Prior to joining AmericanLife, she spent six years with Discovery, primarily in affiliate sales and marketing
COMCAST NET SALES ADDS RYNN AS VP
PHILADELPHIA — Sue Rynn has joined Comcast Network Sales as vice president for advanced-platform sales.
Rynn will oversee ad sales for Comcast’s national networks, including E!, Style, G4 and OLN. She will initially work on new advertising opportunities for on-demand programming services and branch into emerging technologies. Rynn had been vice president of ad-sales development at Time Warner Cable, responsible for implementing advertising features in the development of Mystro TV DVR service. She has also worked for In Demand, ReplayTV and Lifetime.