This Just In.(Black Entertainment Televisionm, Hip Hop Awards)(Home Box Office Inc talks about distributing a broadband internet channel to cable operators)(A&E Television Networkschannel market share)

By Staff

NFL Net T-Day GameLeaves Some Fans In Cold

Staff

New York - The NFL Network kicked off coverage of its first live league game on Thanksgiving night, but Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and Cablevision Systems subscribers were expected to be shut out from the Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos contest.

At press time Wednesday afternoon, all indications were that the parties would not bridge the gaps in their entrenched stands over placement and price. The network wants analog or digital-basic carriage, while operators advocate tier positioning for the National Football League's in-house channel, which is now offering eight live games. The asking price: about a 70-cent monthly subscriber fee.

According to a spokesman, the NFL Network did not execute a last-minute local advertising blitz against operators not carrying the network.

Meanwhile, American Cable Association president and CEO Matt Polka faxed a pre-Turkey Day missive to NFL Network head Steve Bornstein requesting a change in the service's game plan.

'Currently, your network allows big cable companies like Comcast and Cox to offer the NFL Network in a variety of tiers and packages to consumers in urban areas,' the letter said in part. 'At the same time, NFL Network is refusing to allow the same flexibility to ACA member companies and their customers. - Your network's actions to tie independent cable operators' hands and require carriage of your expensive service only on analog or digital basic forces cable consumers to bear the cost of a service that not all consumers want.'

Polka called on the network to change its 'discriminatory and anti-consumer policy.'

The letter was also sent to all NFL teams and owners, the Federal Communications Commission and many prominent members of Congress.

NFL Network officials declined comment about ACA's letter.

HBO Eyes Broadband ChannelFor Original Series, Movies

Staff

New York - HBO is talking to U.S. cable operators about distributing a broadband Internet channel containing its original series and movies, CEO Chris Albrecht told the Financial Times on Friday.

'What we're hoping to do is to use the brand and to use new products similar to HBO On Demand to help [operators] drive their broadband penetration,' Albrecht said.

Unlike rival Showtime Networks, HBO does not sell individual episodes of programs such as Entourage and The Sopranos on Apple Computer's iTunes store and other Web outlets. HBO executives have said previously that offering a la carte programming would devalue its premium channel, which costs most subscribers about $15 monthly.

But Albrecht told FT HBO is exploring the idea of offering Internet viewing options to existing subscribers of its pay TV channel.

History's Pilgrims CompleteFantastic Ratings Voyage

Staff

New York - The premiere of The History Channel's three-hour special about the Pilgrims' voyage across the Atlantic and arrival in the New World was the service's most-watched program in 2006.

Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower generated a 2.2 average audience household rating on Nov. 19 from 8-11 p.m., attracting an average of 2.9 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

Network officials said the show ranked first in that metric in ad-supported cable that night and was second among adults 18 to 49 (1.3 million of those viewers) and adults 25 to 54 (944,000). Among men 25 to 54 and 18 to 49, Mayflower finished first and second in the medium that night.

MTV Tr3s, Bela BroadcastingAgree to Distribution Deal

Staff

New York - MTV Tr3s has inked a distribution pact with Bela Broadcasting giving the Latino-targeted youth and music service carriage on full-power broadcast stations in Los Angeles and Phoenix, beginning on Nov. 27.

The affiliation agreement, terms of which were not disclosed, will place MTV Tr3 on KBEH in Los Angeles, a station reaching about 94% coverage of the nation's No. 1 Hispanic market, said Lucia Ballas-Traynor, senior vice president and general manager of MTV Tr3. The network also has a pact with Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications and Cox Communications in the Los Angeles area.

She said distribution on Bela's KMOH-TV and KEJR-LP extends the network's coverage to a similar level in Phoenix, where the service is also carried by Cox.

In both markets, MTV Tr3, which is deploying a hybrid distribution strategy that also includes cable, satellite, broadband and Internet Protocol TV delivery, will air on those stations for 18 hours.

Ballas-Traynor said the Bela deal boosts MTV Tr3's chances of attaining its goal of reaching 50% of the 11.2 million Latino TV households in this country by year-end or early in 2007. The network, which is now in all of the top 50 Hispanic DMAs, is carried by 32 broadcast stations in 19 markets and also has affiliate contracts with Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network, among others.

BET 'Hip Hop Awards' Draws 3 Million Viewers

Staff

New York - Black Entertainment Television continued its streak of strong performing music awards shows as its inaugural Hip Hop Awards Nov. 15 garnered a 2.93 rating (3.44 million viewers).

The show, which featured such rap artists as Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Yung Joc, also scored well among BET's target 18-34 year old African-American demo, grabbing a 32.3 share with that group, a ratio surpassed only by the BET Awards last June, according to the network.

In other BET news, the network last week conducted a soft launch of several series, including DMX: Soul of a Man, American Gangster, Beef the Series, Comic View, Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown and BET J's The Christies: Committed on Apple Computer's iTunes platform. BET said an official announcement on the video downloading deal is expected next week.

Vehix, Honda Drive Cross-Platform Deal

Staff

Denver - Automotive Web portal Vehix and Comcast Spotlight have parked a cross-platform deal with Honda.

The deal, touting the automaker's 2007 models, encompasses online, on-air and for the first time on-demand elements in 90 Comcast markets.

Honda's integrated campaign, which began last week and will continue through Jan. 31, 2007, features an interactive Honda Showroom on Vehix.com, and a sponsorship of VehixTV, which is located on Comcast's On Demand platform. Car shoppers will be able to browse new models, search for inventory, watch test drive videos and receive offers from Honda. The online hub can also be accessed via Comcast.net.

The initiative is also gaining exposure from promotional spots that Honda began running in Comcast markets on Thanskgiving and will appear through year-end. The promos direct Comcast Digital Cable customers to view the Honda Showroom on Vehix.com or on the Searchlight section of the Comcast On Demand menu. There they will be able to experience test drives, review buyer's guides and find other data about Honda's line. Vehix is also running ads in support of the campaign.

The pact, in the making since May and an outgrowth of Vehix's six-year relationship with RPA, Honda's advertising agency of record, was also fashioned by Comcast Spotlight, the cable operator's ad sales unit, which concluded the VOD aspect. Vehix is owned by Comcast and giant automobile dealership Garff Enterprises.

'This is biggest single buy on Vehix.com and is the largest VOD campaign ever for a six-week span,' said Vehix CEO Derek Mattson.

He believes the campaign will be a model for a number of deals with other cable operators and auto manufacturers in 2007.

'We met with 10 other [original equipment manufacturers] at a J.D. Powers symposium in May. There is great interest in this from automakers and cable operators,' he said, noting that the agency, client. Comcast Spotlight and Vehix will meet a couple of times per month during the campaign to monitor its progress in effectuating sales.

Mattson said that the parties will be able to analyze metrics across the Internet, TV and on-demand to gauge lead-generation data, click-through levels and sales as a means for Honda to enhance its knowledge of the purchase cycle.

Mattson noted that the addition of a VOD option to the sales pitch is another means by which cable ad sales executives can further divert local auto dollars from newspapers, and as a means to protect those budgets from jumping to the Internet.

- Mike Reynolds