Post by dkennedy on Feb 16, 2007 8:59:37 GMT -5
Cable One to Launch HDTV Pay Package
Several niche high-def channels will be available for $5 a month.
February 15, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
CableOne, which has roughly 700,000 subscribers, will offer a $5 a month HDTV package of channels by the end of March.
That's according to an article by Multichannel News.
The publication says CableOne is negotiating to group Discovery HD Theater, National Geographic Channel HD, A&E HD, HGTV HD and Food Network HD in a special package that would cost $5 a month if you get the cable op's dual-tuner HD DVR.
The special package would be separate from CableOne's basic HD lineup which comes with the HD DVR service and includes TNT HD, ESPN HD, Universal HD and the local high-def channels at no extra charge. CableOne's digital cable customers can upgrade to the HD DVR for $10 more per month.
“Our philosophy is that if we can get the programming for free, then we provide it to our customers for free,” CableOne's Jerry McKenna told Multichannel News. “With these networks (ones in the pay package), we are being charged license fees, and so we put it together as a tier. Someday, we’d love to be able to fold that down and give it to our customers for free.”
McKenna said CableOne has been installing about 5,000 HD DVRs every month and now has about 70,000 high-def recorders
“It’s a pretty good number,” McKenna said. “We’re moving along pretty quickly.”
CableOne, which is owned by The Washington Post Company, has cable TV systems in roughly 20 states, mostly rural areas.
CableOne's decision to create a special HD tier was one of my predictions for the year 2007. Here's what I wrote on December 25, 2006:
"Most cable and satellite operators now offer their entire HD lineup for one monthly fee. But that's easy to do when you only offer 10 or 15 channels. When the TV providers expand the high-def lineups to 25-50 channels, they will begin separating them in different pricing tiers. For example, one HD package might include 10 channels and cost $10 a month; a second might include 25 channels and cost $20 a month; and so on."
Several niche high-def channels will be available for $5 a month.
February 15, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
CableOne, which has roughly 700,000 subscribers, will offer a $5 a month HDTV package of channels by the end of March.
That's according to an article by Multichannel News.
The publication says CableOne is negotiating to group Discovery HD Theater, National Geographic Channel HD, A&E HD, HGTV HD and Food Network HD in a special package that would cost $5 a month if you get the cable op's dual-tuner HD DVR.
The special package would be separate from CableOne's basic HD lineup which comes with the HD DVR service and includes TNT HD, ESPN HD, Universal HD and the local high-def channels at no extra charge. CableOne's digital cable customers can upgrade to the HD DVR for $10 more per month.
“Our philosophy is that if we can get the programming for free, then we provide it to our customers for free,” CableOne's Jerry McKenna told Multichannel News. “With these networks (ones in the pay package), we are being charged license fees, and so we put it together as a tier. Someday, we’d love to be able to fold that down and give it to our customers for free.”
McKenna said CableOne has been installing about 5,000 HD DVRs every month and now has about 70,000 high-def recorders
“It’s a pretty good number,” McKenna said. “We’re moving along pretty quickly.”
CableOne, which is owned by The Washington Post Company, has cable TV systems in roughly 20 states, mostly rural areas.
CableOne's decision to create a special HD tier was one of my predictions for the year 2007. Here's what I wrote on December 25, 2006:
"Most cable and satellite operators now offer their entire HD lineup for one monthly fee. But that's easy to do when you only offer 10 or 15 channels. When the TV providers expand the high-def lineups to 25-50 channels, they will begin separating them in different pricing tiers. For example, one HD package might include 10 channels and cost $10 a month; a second might include 25 channels and cost $20 a month; and so on."