DIRECTV NewsA Blog on Satellite TV News

Travel Channel has acquired exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the long-running CBS’s Emmy Award-winning reality show “The Amazing Race.” The Travel Channel has secured the rights to broadcast Season – 12, 13, 14. Season 12 of The Amazing Race will be on air on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. ET.

“The Amazing Race is an iconic American television series that really taps into what exploration is all about—not only the incredible riches that the world has to offer travelers but the incredible trans formative powers that travel brings about in people,” Patrick Younge, Travel Channel’s president and general manager, said in a statement.

“The Amazing Race is simply the best travel reality format in the world, and it will nicely complement our stable of popular travel offerings such as Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and Samantha Brown’s Passport series.”

NBC Universal (NBCU) has selected Ensequence and DISH Network to transform NBCU’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games into a fully interactive experience. NBCU has chosen Ensequence to provide a separate interactive application on DishHOME on DISH Network Channel-100. NBCU’s 2008 Beijing Olympic Games experience wraps interactivity around live programming on DISH Network.

DISH Network will offer NBCU’s 2008 Beijing Olympic Games coverage through its Interactive TV mosaic, a multiple-screen showcase, available to more than 12 million iTV-enabled DISH Network subscribers from August 8 – August 24, 2008. The iTV mosaic will broadcast from six NBCU channels: CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, USA Network and two Olympic highlight channels. DISH Network subscribers can watch all six screens simultaneously or select one channel to watch in full-screen.

NBCU and Ensequence are teaming up for the second time to deliver interactive television to viewers. DISH Network viewers are able to use their remote control to instantly access athlete profiles, learn more about Beijing and the event venues, learn more about featured sponsors, read late-breaking news, see the team USA Report, track each country’s medal counts and view video highlights of the day’s events.

“NBC Universal and DISH Network continue to set the pace for the entire industry with interactive television and we’re excited to be partnering with them to create and deliver the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games interactive television experience,” said Dalen Harrison, Ensequence CEO. “The world’s most innovative programmers such as NBC Universal are realizing that interactive television delivers the engagement and accountability of the internet, giving them the best of both worlds.”

Time Warner Cable subscribers in North Texas will be offered with 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as Time Warner Cable has announced that they reached an agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) to bring more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo and Universal HD. Time Warner Cable North Texas is offering to its customers Free On Demand and HD services, as well as broadband content from NBCOlympics.com via a link from the Time Warner Cable Road Runner website.

Time Warner Cable’s HD sport-specific channels will be offered to subscribers in the upgraded HD areas including Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Flower Mound, Double Oak, Highland Village Lewisville, Coppell, Grapevine, Irving, Mesquite, Bedford, Colleyville and Euless.

Time Warner will also deliver more than 800 hours of HD coverage on select NBCU HD networks

NBC HD Local – 225 hours of HD coverage

NBC Universal HD – Channel 742 – 379 hours of simulcasts and re-airs of CNBC and MSNBC

CNBC HD+ – Channel 742 – Simulcast, 95.5 hours

USA HD – Channel 743 – Simulcast, 165 hours

HD sport-specific channels: NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and NBC Olympic Basketball Channel, approximately 12 hours per day during the Games.

“We are pleased to be offering our customers NBC Universal’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games which showcases the power of Time Warner Cable’s digital video and Road Runner High Speed services,” said Robert V. Moel, division president Time Warner Cable North Texas. “We hope everyone enjoys this programming, which includes an unprecedented amount of high definition, On Demand and broadband Olympics-related content, all made easily accessible for no additional charge to our HD digital video and Road Runner subscribers.”

Charter Communications has reached a distribution agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) on Aug 05, 2008 to broadcast 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This agreement will allow Charter to broadcast more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo, Universal HD and USA Network.

Charter Communications broadcast feature of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games:

High Definition

Video On Demand

High-Speed Internet and

Foreign Language TV Coverage

High Definition

Charter will deliver two high-definition sport specific channels for the Olympics :

NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and

NBC Olympic Basketball Channel

Charter will also deliver hundreds of hours of NBCU’s Beijing Olympic Games HD coverage on NBC HD and Universal HD for Charter HD customers.
Video On Demand

Charter to offer more than 60 programs on Charter VOD which will include “Beijing 411,” “Meet the Athletes” and “Team USA Preview.”
Charter Digital customers will be offered with Charter Video On Demand (VOD) at no extra charge and will be delivered with Olympics programming and also In-Games package will feature access to the best events each day.

High-Speed Internet

Charter to provide a fast and reliable Internet connection to view NBCU’s 2,200 hours of 25 events streamed live, plus full-event video replays, extensive highlights, including daily recaps of key events, best-of montages, commentator analysis and athlete-specific clips each day for High-Speed Internet customers.
Foreign Language TV Coverage

Charter also planning to offer its customers NBC’s foreign language coverage from Beijing with commentary in one of the host country’s native language, Korean as well as Mandarin for approximately six hours per day for each language during the Games.

Ted Schremp, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Charter said “Our customers will experience all the athletes’ emotion and accomplishment in stunning clarity with Charter’s high definition. And with the convenience of Charter’s On Demand and High-Speed offerings, our customers can watch all the highlights, drama and excitement anytime.”

Comcast has announced that they reached a distribution agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) to broadcast 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Comcast will bring 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with more choices and will be delivered over the company’s advanced fiber optic network. The cable operator is planning to provide more than thousands of hours of NBCU’s wide-ranging coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Comcast has a link to NBCOlympics.com through http://www.comcast.net/olympics/beijing/.
The features of Comcast Coverage of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games :

High-Definition Programming (HD)

Comcast Video On Demand (VOD)

NBCU’s comprehensive and diverse Olympic experience and 2,200 hours of broadband content available on NBCOlympics.com

High-Definition Programming (HD)

Comcast’s agreement with NBCU will ensure the cable operator to offer Olympic Games coverage of more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo, Universal HD and USA Network. Comcast also provides high-definition programming of more than 700 hours of HD coverage on networks including NBC HD, Universal HD, and USA HD.

Comcast Video On Demand (VOD)

Comcast to offer more than 60 programs on Comcast VOD which will include “Beijing 411,” “Meet the Athletes” and “Team USA Preview.” Comcast Digital Cable customers will be offered with Comcast Video On Demand (VOD) at no extra charge and will be delivered with Olympics programming, daily highlights, events and more.

http://www.comcast.net/olympics/beijing/

Comcast link to the Olympic game website directs to NBC’s 2008 Beijing Olympic Games site and the website will provide all information about Opening Ceremony, rich in content and previews and, during the Games, will deliver 2,200 hours of 25 events streamed live, plus full-event video replays, extensive highlights, including daily re-caps of key events, best-of montages, commentator analysis and athlete-specific clips each day.

“We are excited to offer this unprecedented cross-platform experience and give our customers unparalleled access to NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,” said Matt Bond, Executive Vice President of Content Acquisition, Comcast Corporation. “Our customers now have front row seats to one of the most exciting events in the world, along with the ability to watch what they want, when they want to.”

DISH Network and NBC Universal (NBCU) have reached an agreement to bring 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in various platforms. DISH Network will deliver Beijing Olympic Games in HD on speciality channels solely dedicated to the Olympic games.

NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and

NBC Olympic Basketball Channel

are the channels available on channel 99 and 98 respectively on DISH programming line-up which will bring Soccer and Basketball games 24 hours a day during Beijing Olympic Games. DISH Network will also broadcast the games on Video On Demand. The satcaster will bring 800 hours of Olympic game content on NBCU network channels and VOD. DISH Networks will bring Olympic games on different channels like NBC HD – 225 hours, USA HD – 165 hours, CNBC HD – 95.5 hours and Universal HD – 379 hours.
DISH Networks Olympic channels could be called with “OLYMPB” on program guide.

Bright House Networks has reached a distribution agreement with NBC Universal to deliver NBCU’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Bright House is also to offer the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in various platforms like video-on-demand (VOD), high-definition (HD), broadband, and
more. Bright House to broadcast more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Mojo HD and Universal HD, Bright House plans to offer customers with Free-On-Demand and HD services, as well as broadband content. Subscribers will also enjoy NBCU’s two HD sport-specific channels for soccer and basketball.

Bright House Networks also plans to offer more than 800 hours of HD coverage on select NBCU HD networks like

NBC HD – 225 hours

Universal HD – 379 hours of simulcasts and re-airs of CNBC and MSNBC

HD sport – NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and NBC Olympic Basketball Channel

We are pleased to offer our customers NBC Universal’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics which showcases the power of BHN’s digital video and Road Runner High Speed services,’ said Buz Nesbit, division president. ‘This programming includes an unprecedented amount of High Definition, On-Demand and Broadband Olympics-related content, all made easily accessible for no additional charge to our digital video and Road Runner subscribers.’

Comcast Corporation has announced the launch of seven new high-definition channels in Massachusetts and Hampshire markets. Following are the new HD channels launched in Hampshire and Massachusetts markets areas :

ABC Family HD

AMC HD

Disney HD

Science Channel HD

Showtime 2 HD

The Movie Channel HD and

TLC HD

Paul D’Arcangelo, Vice President of Comcast’s Metro Boston Region said “Comcast is committed to providing our customers the ultimate High Definition viewing experience, We currently deliver our customers more than 500 HD choices at any time, and are thrilled to add even more HD programming with the launch of seven new HD networks available right now.”

Verizon Communications has announced the launch 100 High-Definition channels in the New York area. Verizon said in a press release on Monday, July 28 that the service will offer 100 HD channels, giving customers more HD than Cablevision or Time Warner Cable. These new HD channels offered are to existing FiOS TV markets in the New York metropolitan area, including parts of Long Island, the suburbs just north of the city, and northern New Jersey.

Verizon’s 100 HD Channels Available in New York City are :

ABC Family HD

A&E HD

ABC HD

Action Max

Action Max West

Animal Planet HD

At Max

Big Ten Network HD

Bio. The Biography Channel HD

Bravo HD

CBS HD

Cinemax HDTV

Cinemax West HD

CNBC HD

CNN HD

CW HD

Discovery Channel HD

Disney Channel HD

ESPN HDTV

ESPN2 HDTV

ESPNews HD

Five Star Max

Food HD

Fox Business Network HD

FOX HD

Fox News Channel HD

FX HD

Hallmark Movie Channel HD

HBO 2 HD

HBO 2 HD (West)

HBO Comedy

HBO Comedy West

HBO Family

HBO Family West

HBO HDTV

HBO Latino

HBO Latino West

HBO Signature

HBO Signature (West)

HBO West HD

HBO Zone

HBO Zone (West)

HD Net

HD Net Movies

HD Theater

HGTV HD

Lifetime HD East

Lifetime Movie Network HD

Mav TV

MGM Channel HD

MHD

More Max

More Max West

MY NETWORK HD

National Geographic Channel HD

NBC HD

NFL Network HDTV

Outdoor Channel 2 HD

Outer Max

PBS HD

Planet Green

QVC HD

SCI FI HD

Sho2 HD

Sho2 HD West

Showcase HD East

Showcase HD West

Showtime Extreme East

Showtime Extreme West

Showtime HD West

Showtime HDTV

Smithsonian HD

Speed HD

SportsNet NY HD

Starz Comedy HD

Starz Edge HD

Starz HDTV

Starz Kids & Family HD

Superstation WGN HD

TBS HD

The History Channel HD

The Learning Channel HD

The Movie Channel HDTV

The Science Channel HD

The Travel Channel HD

The Weather Channel HD

Thriller Max

Thriller Max West

TMC HD – West

TMC Xtra East

TMC Xtra West

TNT HDTV

Toon Disney HD

Universal HDTV

USA HD

Versus / Golf HD

Wealth TV HD

Wmax

World Fishing Network HD and

YES HD

DirecTV has announced that the satcaster will add 44 new HD local channel markets in August. With this expansion the satcaster will provide local HD broadcast channels in 121 cities, representing more than 88 percent of U.S. TV households.

DirecTV will launch local high-definition channels to the subscribers with TOTAL CHOICE programming package, which offers local channels and the local HD channels will be delivered in primary broadcast networks where ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC local channels are offered. Apart from these HD expansion DirecTV also has plans to launch new satellite “DIRECTV 12″ in 2009 and with the help of the satellite the satecaster will deliver 200 national HD and 1,500 local HD channels.

Following are the new markets areas :

Augusta, Georgia

Bangor, Maine

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas

Boise, Idaho

Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, New York

Butte-Bozeman, Mont.

Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Illinois

Charleston, South Carolina

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colorado

Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri

Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island, Illinois

Dayton, Ohio

Des Moines-Ames, Iowa

Dothan, Alabama

El Paso, Texas

Evansville, Indiana

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Greenville-New Bern-Washington

Harrisonburg, Virginia

La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Lincoln-Hastings, Nebraska

Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Macon, Georgia

Mich.– Harlingen-Brownsville, Texas

Mobile AL-Pensacola, Florida

Moline, Illinois

Myrtle Beach-Florence, South Carolina

Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia

Palm Springs, California

Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois

Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia

Rochester, New York

Rockford, Illinois

Savannah, Georgia

Sioux Falls, S. Dakota

South Bend-Elkhart, Indiana

Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts

Syracuse, New York

Tallahassee, Florida

Toledo, Ohio

Traverse City-Cadillac, North Carolina and

Youngstown, Ohio