U.S. Carriage Deal Is Imminent!
First Canadian American Holding Corporation Reports on The Fight Network
Upstart Canadian Broadcaster Says U.S. Carriage Deal Is Imminent
First Canadian American Holding Corporation (OTC: FCDH) announces The Fight Network is currently only available on Rogers digital cable, but the upstart channel is looking to do something rare for a Canadian broadcaster. The Category 2 diginet devoted to martial arts and other fighting forms is in talks to be distributed in the United States -- initially on satellite TV and then on cable in select U.S. cities.
The Fight Network president and COO Mike Garrow tells Canadian Communications that the channel could be carried in the United States even before additional carriage agreements are in place with more Canadian distributors. "There's a good chance that The Fight Network will be in the United States first, before we have other Canadian agreements. I really believe that we will be in the U.S. in 2006," he says. He points out that there is no cable TV channel currently in the United States that is similar to The Fight Network, and that it acquired not only Canadian rights, but also U.S. rights, for its programming in anticipation of expansion south of the border.
"We secured options for the U.S. as part of a longer window, because we thought it would be some time before we expanded there. But we have now been approached [by a U.S. distributor], so we'll probably be exercising those options sooner," he states.
Successful expansion by The Fight Network into the U.S. would be a landmark move for a Canadian broadcaster. Generally, Canadian broadcasters partner with American players to gain access to their programming that is aired on jointly owned specialty TV channels here. For example, Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. runs Home and Garden TV Canada in conjunction with Ohio-based Scripps Howard Broadcasting.
Garrow says that the U.S. distributor became interested in carrying The Fight Network after American viewers began phoning and asking for the channel. Word of the channel has seeped south of the border, says Garrow, mostly through the specialty channel's web site. The Fight Network has gone to wrestling and boxing matches, bars where pay-per-view (PPV) fights are broadcast, and to places like the Molson Indy, where Garrow says there's a male demographic common to The Fight Network.
The specialty TV channel is also promoting itself on its syndicated radio show it operates in conjunction with Toronto's 640 radio station. As well, an announcement will be made soon that the channel will be running eight PPV events from different fight series in conjunction with a Canadian cable operator. Garrow says the PPV content will be used to promote The Fight Network and vice-versa, and he sees additional marketing opportunities through the channel's sponsorship of fights across the country.
The Fight Network is proving to be popular, he notes, because it is not a repeat channel. "Eighty per cent of the programming that we broadcast has never been seen in Canada before," he states. Garrow isn't worried that for the time being it is only being carried by Rogers, the provider on which the channel launched in September (CCR, Sept. 27/05).
"We're in this for the long haul. It's a marathon, not a sprint," he states.
The Fight Network is leasing the broadcast facilities of Toronto-based Channel Zero, and Garrow says the channel could be uplinked from there for distribution to the United States. The Fight Network is being financed privately -- details of which Garrow would not disclose. He adds that there are fewer rules, and no need for a broadcast licence, to win the right to operate in the United States. His channel has already notified the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of its intention to broadcast down south, he states.
More about The Fight Network:
The Fight Network is a cross-platform media brand with interest in television, radio, print and online content offerings.
The Fight Network is the first and only all combatant sports and entertainment channel that delivers the very best in boxing, pro wrestling, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles, along with top-notch "fight theme" movies documentaries and news 24 hours a day.
Check out TFN at: www.thefightnetwork.com to learn more.
About First Canadian American Holding Corporation.
First Canadian American Holding Corporation is a holding company with subsidiaries in a range of businesses. The Company's subsidiaries conduct operations in areas of digital television, radio and building and construction and natural resources. The company is actively looking at several other opportunities in many different industries such as additional natural resources, wireless, technology and biotechnology.
Safe Harbour
Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbour created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications that may arise could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
http://www.fcahc.com/
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