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OUTtv goes bankrupt? Is this New..?
Oh, we were going to take the world by storm, weren't we? We were wealthy, obsessed with ourselves and ready to buy into our own TV station. Ha. Canada's queer television channel has suffered yet another setback. Xtra reports that "Shaw Communications, a western cable and satellite company, had obtained a judgment allowing it to seize OUTtv's cable subscription revenues." Uhm, that would be a sizable chunk of cashflow, since OUTtv doesn't seem to be very advertising-heavy, eh.
"On Jan 12, the gay cable channel submitted a Notice Of Intention (NOI) to file a proposal for restructuring under Canada's Bankruptcy And Insolvency Act. The notice allows OUTtv to protect itself and its subscription revenue.
"Bill Craig, the president of OUTtv, says the channel and its more sex-oriented sibling Hard On Pridevision, are struggling to build their business and Shaw's actions were potentially disastrous.... According to Craig, Shaw is claiming OUTtv owes $25,000 a month for providing a feed to cable stations across Canada from their satellite service StarChoice. Shaw did not respond to Xtra by press time."
Comments
ANOTHER NEW CLIP FROM SUNDANCE >>>
http://planetout.com/video/article.html?id=1913&navpath=/entertainment/sundance/
NEW VIDEO FROM SUNDANCE.. "BRUNCH"
http://www.gay.com/video/article.html?id=1911&navpath=/channels/entertainment/sundance/
Photo of SUNDANCE "QUEER LOUNGE" Program being passed out..
Q on cover..
http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/dawnjuan/86630.html
AUDIO FROM HOWARD STERN >>>
Here is a clip if you haven't heard it.. It's pretty funny..
Howard & Gearge Takei talking to Arnold Swarzenneger
about gay marrige bill veto... FUNNY AS Shit..
No mention of Q
http://65.36.225.227/audio/george_takei_vs_arnold_schwarzenegger.mp3
TRADES....
1:00:06 PM Trade 0.0002 50000
1:00:06 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
1:00:06 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
1:00:06 PM Trade 0.0002 45000
1:00:02 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:57:08 PM Trade 0.0002 3710000
12:57:04 PM Trade 0.0003 3710000
12:51:38 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:51:34 PM Trade 0.0002 95100
12:51:18 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:51:18 PM Trade 0.0002 5000
12:51:06 PM Trade 0.0002 6400000
12:51:02 PM Trade 0.0002 5300000
12:49:22 PM Trade 0.0002 2700000
12:49:22 PM Trade 0.0002 300000
12:49:20 PM Trade 0.0003 300000
12:48:46 PM Trade 0.0003 1500000
12:48:24 PM Trade 0.0003 80000
12:48:20 PM Trade 0.0003 5300000
12:47:30 PM Trade 0.0003 300000
12:47:26 PM Trade 0.0002 300000
12:42:44 PM Trade 0.0003 1730000
12:42:26 PM Trade 0.0003 2140000
12:42:22 PM Trade 0.0002 2140000
12:40:48 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:40:32 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:39:28 PM Trade 0.0002 1000000
12:39:04 PM Trade 0.0003 500000
12:38:22 PM
INVESTOR PAGE UPDATE AGAIN...
/10/2006 - The Financial Times 1/10/06 www.ft.com
Main page content:
Gay cable TV is in the pink
By Joshua Chaffin
Published: January 9 2006 18:46 | Last updated: January 9 2006 18:46
ImageWhen Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom, endorsed the notion of a gay and lesbian cable television network, viewers soon got Logo. With the backing of Viacom’s MTV Networks, the largest and most powerful collection of channels in the cable universe, it was beamed into millions of homes around the US.
ADVERTISEMENT
An unexpected beneficiary of Mr Redstone’s pronouncement two years ago was Frank Olsen, a little-known broadcasting entrepreneur from Seattle. For more than a decade, Mr Olsen had been toiling to start his own gay cable network. Despite spending $12m from his own pocket, there was not much interest until Mr Redstone chimed in.
“You would be amazed how many people listen when Sumner Redstone speaks,” Mr Olsen recalls. “The whole thing changed.”
Indeed, after launching last July, Mr Olsen’s network, Q Television, is now emerging from the muddle of independent cable networks desperately seeking distribution. Q is available in over 3m homes, and is expecting to lock up distribution deals for 15m to 20m more by the end of this year.
A turning point came in November, when Time Warner Cable, one of the largest operators, awarded Q a so-called “hunting licence”, which has allowed the network to approach its 30 regional divisions around the country to seek distribution. So far, that has brought Q to such diverse markets as Manhattan, Houston and – as of this month – Lincoln, Nebraska.
“I think probably even the Q TV people were surprised they got such a nice response here,” says Beth Scarborough, the president of Time Warner Cable in Lincoln.
One could point out that Mr Olsen, who has dubbed himself the “king of gay media”, had been working on Q for more than three decades. After selling the family bakery, Mr Olsen used the windfall to buy radio stations in the early 1970s. In addition to rock and roll, and news and talk radio, Mr Olsen also began to run gay programming.
The shows were reasonably popular, he claims, even though the broader environment was not hospitable. “The advertisers were always worried about how many customers they would lose for every one they attracted,” says Mr Olsen.
A lot has changed since then. The mainstream media is now full of gay characters and gay programming, from television’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Will and Grace to the film Brokeback Mountain, a cowboy love story that has become an unlikely Oscar front-runner. Companies such as Volkswagen have launched advertising campaigns specifically geared toward gay and lesbian customers.
The economics of cable have also evolved. As the industry matures, operators are looking for niche networks that can add incremental subscribers who might later be enticed to buy add-on services, such as internet connections.
“Cable operators see themselves as supermarkets, and they have to stock their shelves for everyone,” explains Carol Hinnant, vice-president of sales and marketing.
Rather than shooting for a broad audience, Q is only hoping to sign up 1 to 2 per cent of the households in which it is available. Unlike Logo, it is not available as part of a basic cable package. Instead, viewers must request it for $7.95 per month, as they would HBO. “It’s very important that we be invited into the home,” Mr Olsen says.
While it does not offer pornography, that distinction allows Q to be more risqué in its approach than Logo, which Mr Olsen dismisses as “a little vanilla”.
A third gay network, Here, also launched last year, selling its programming in a video-on-demand format.
While gaining access to the New York and San Francisco markets was a milestone for Q, some of its best success has come in smaller markets, such as Portland, Maine, which has never been known for having a high gay population.
Far from being surprised, Mr Olsen notes that more than 60 per cent of his target audience lives in rural areas. Q is all the more appealing to them because its coverage can link them to Gay Pride parades in San Francisco they might not otherwise attend. “We can be a bridge,” he says.
As it enters new markets, Q has also relied on local gay and lesbian networks and grass-roots marketing to try to reach its modest subscription goal.
In November, when it launched its service in the university town of Syracuse, New York, for example, the company threw a party at a local gay bar. The event, which coincided with the university’s annual Homecoming Weekend, honoured a Q presenter, Scott Withers, a Syracuse alumnus who had been elected the university’s Homecoming King in 1995.
“What a difference 10 years makes,” the invitations read. “Syracuse’s Homecoming King is now the queen of gay television!”
OMOG >> 3 day spike Could be fun...
CHART>>>
http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.web?c=OMOG,uu[w,a]daclyyay[dc][pb50!b200][vc60][iUf!Lc20]&...
SNUS .. How much higher can we go... Any on good at charts..
http://stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SC.web?c=SNUS,uu[w,a]daclyyay[dc][pb50!b200][vc60][iUf!Li14,3]&am...
At least we own the creative rights to this...
http://65.36.225.227/images/q-holidays-hi.wmv
Cha Ching$$$$
Kmetko to go gay all the way
I don’t know if this is old news,
but I just learned of it for the first time this weekend…Former E! News anchor Steve Kmetko will follow up his stint as a guest host of QTN’s nightly news broadcast last November by becoming the network’s full-time anchor in January.
The move was announced Friday evening at the gay network’s studios during a party for the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association of Los Angeles.
Fortunately for Kmetko, who appears to have put on a few pounds since we last saw him, nobody gets QTN…though he better’d watch out! Q is expanding into the San Diego and Houston markets now. Oddly, however, those who produce the content for QTV in their Burbank studios cannot get the network in Los Angeles.
http://boifromtroy.com/?p=4993
ANY Los Angeles FOLKS FEEL LIKE PICKETING THE STUDIOS..
I've Got nothing better to do all next week after xmas..
I got 2 Sony DV production cameras... We can film it.. And start submitting it to other outlets....
Franks not the only one with acess to production facilities...
When you start stealing from the people that are the back bone of this industry... Shit tends to hit the fan... Since I'm one of em'..
You can bet He just might find someone in his review mirror one day... Looking for an explantion or a peace of his ...
Welcome to LA
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Seems to be working in NEW YORk...
Need some help for some banner slogans
any suggestions...
ANY Los Angeles FOLKS FEEL LIKE PICKETING THE STUDIOS..
I've Got nothing better to do all next week after xmas..
I got 2 Sony DV production cameras... We can film it.. And start submitting it to other outlets....
Franks not the only one with acess to production facilities...
When you start stealing from the people that are the back bone of this industry... Shit tends to hit the fan... Since I'm one of em'..
You can bet He just might find someone in his review mirror one day... Looking for an explantion or a peace of his ...
Welcome to LA
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Ho Ho Ho .... FRANK O MUST GO....
Seems to be working in NEW YORk...
Need some help for some banner slogans
any suggestions...
Lets play a $$$ #'s Game for fun PROFITS....
QTN GAY GAMES AD REV..
with the info from earlier article post ... this article says we get these numbers...
1 billion - advertising revenue
16 days of Games Coverage for NBC
= equals
62 million $ in advertising revenue /day
$725000 per 30 sec spot
=equals
86 - 30 sec commercials a day
Costs for NBC.. = 793 million just for the Broadcast rights...
NBC Production Costs = 100 million
NBC only Hoping to Profit 50 Million Total
QTN paid 1.7 million for the broadcast rights
GAY GAMES ONLY 7 days..
No Tape Delay
More Live coverage
More hours of daily programming covering games..
So conservativly... First lets cut the 1 billion in half because it's half as long ( 13days / 7days)
Then divide by 5 because of the demo graphic
Leaves QTN with 100 million in AD revenue.
-minus 1.7 million for broadcast rights
Leaves QTN with 98 million... or so
-minus 25 million production costs.. (extremely high imo)
leaves us with 73 Million..PROFIT
Obviously advertisers arent gonna pay $500,000.00 for a 30 sec commercial...
Or will they...????? WORLDWIDE ADVERTISE
73 million $$$ profit sounds fun to me.... for 6 days of work...
ADVERTISING DOLLARS.... Very $$$ Intresting article on OLYMPICS NBC ADVERTISING REVUNUE from 2004.
NBC: We've got
the Olympics covered
Ad inventory is about sold with one day to go
At least one thing seems to be running smoothly for NBC in the run-up to an Olympics plagued by uncertainty.
After weeks of wavering interest on the part of advertisers in the remaining Olympic inventory, NBC over recent days has been able to sell all but the last bit, and it expects that to be sold by tomorrow.
As recently as two weeks ago, NBC still had 10 percent of its ad inventory for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games unsold.
****
But with one day to go before the Olympic torch makes its dramatic re-entrance into Athens, the network has sold 98 percent of its ad inventory for a total of nearly $1 billion, up from $900 million in 2000.
****
NBC blames the lull in ad sales on advertisers’ concerns that the Greek government would not complete final preparations in time.
****
NBC is commanding between $700,000 and $760,000 for a 30-second primetime spot, and it contends it has been able to hold firm on pricing through the final weeks.
****
The network has a huge investment to recoup, having already spent a record $793 million for the U.S. rights to the Aug. 13 to 29 Games. That's four times what it generally spends on all other sports combined. It has also spent another $100 million in production costs.
NBC hopes to realize a profit in the range of $50 million.
NBC is reportedly guaranteeing advertisers an average 13.9 household rating in primetime, having learned its lesson the hard way from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
That year the network guaranteed between a 16 and 17 household rating, but was only able to average a 13.8, leading to huge make-goods for the Games.
Sydney made for the lowest overall Olympic ratings ever.
That was because of the lack of medal winners in U.S. women’s gymnastics, the biggest ratings draw of any of the Summer Games, as well as to the 15- to 18-hour time delay between Sydney and the U.S.
In what is clearly a rebound attempt, NBC will provide unprecedented coverage of this summer’s Games, totaling 1,210 hours across seven ad-supported networks: NBC, USA Network, Bravo, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo.
Primetime coverage on the broadcast network will be taped because of the seven-hour time difference between New York and Athens. But as much as a third of cable coverage will air live.
But despite such demonstrated optimism in this year’s Games, an undercurrent of worry has plagued NBC’s coverage plans. In some cases, the network has had to commit to cash refunds to advertisers in the event the Games are interrupted or canceled because of security threats.
Tomorrow’s opening ceremony, airing at 8 p.m., will be overseen by co-hosts Bob Costas, primetime Olympics host, and NBC News’ “Today” co-anchor Katie Couric.
MSNBC unofficially kicked off the Games yesterday, covering a preliminary women’s soccer competition.
http://advertising.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://69.20.6.242/news2004/Aug04/Aug09/4%5....
Well if good news drives PPS Down..
Then we should sky rocket tommorrow...
Bust out the Printing Press for that acquistion...
OH WAit.... Good news...
It's already out... Just Press "PRINT"
YEAAAA!!!
How can LOGO say the Have 18 million Subscribers... When there non - Subscription based... I thought that was the whole point of their channell..
This is from recent posted COX article about LOGO
HOW IS HOUSTON A FLUFF PR
NEWS >>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
For Immediate Release:
Q TELEVISION NETWORK TO MAKE DECEMBER 13TH LAUNCH ON TIME WARNER CABLE HOUSTON
Premium 24/7 GLBT Channel Now Available in Five of Nation's Top 10 Markets
BURBANK, CA & NEW YORK, NY - December 8, 2005 - Underscoring its continued
expansion throughout the United States, Q Television Network (See OTCBB Other:
QBID) has announced its launch on the Time Warner Cable Houston system. Houston
area digital cable subscribers will be able to access QTN's live, original gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) programming as a 24/7 premium network,
Channel 537, effective December 13, 2005. With this move-QTN's fifth Time Warner
carriage deal-the network now has distribution in five of the nation's top 10
markets.
"We are pleased to offer QTN's diverse and refreshing lineup to our customers,"
said Greg Calvert, Time Warner Cable Houston's Director of Marketing. "With so
many quality live and original GLBT programs to choose from, QTN was the natural
choice in serving this growing segment of our viewing audience."
Just a few weeks ago, Q Television announced its launch throughout Time Warner
Cable of New York and New Jersey, with previous launches on Time Warner's
Rochester, Syracuse and Maine divisions all within the last four months.
Added Carol Hinnant, QTN's Vice President, Affiliate Sales & Marketing, "It is
our continued goal to reach out and entertain GLBT communities where they have
been underserved in the past. Time Warner Cable has done a fabulous job of
connecting with all segments of its customer base, and we look forward to
working with them to serve the Houston market."
In addition to movies, documentaries and original series, Q Television currently
offers its customers five hours of live programming daily, including such hit
shows as "Brunch," "QueerEdge with Jack E. Jett," "The Reichen Show," "On Q
Live," "Q on the Move," "QTN World News," "Xcess/Access," "On Topic" and "Flesh
and Threads."
About Q Television:
This 24/7 premium television network is organized to create, develop and feature
television programming for the gay and lesbian community, including live &
interactive content every weeknight, plus sports, information and entertainment.
While the company expects much of its subscriber base to be comprised of members
of the gay and lesbian population, management also believes that quality
programming about the gay and lesbian experience, designed to entertain, educate
and inform, will attract many other segments of the viewing public. The
company's programming is available on a subscription basis to those desiring to
subscribe. The network is telecast 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Providing
distribution via satellite ensures availability of the network across the United
States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Q Television Network is the
official network of Gay Games® VII. The network is also ad-supported. For
further information on programming and subscriptions, please visit
www.qtelevision.com.
Half day has always been incharge of the GAY GAMES PRODUCTION..
Shes is incharge of PRODUCTION CREW... FOR THE BROADCAST..
SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH QTN EXCEPT THAT...
ALPHATRADE WRONG.. sLOWW
Looks like someone pushed the wrong button on the other end..
Hope that is not what is to come.. WEIRD
WTF.. Now there gone
Great article on future of Tv and High Def Channels and bandwith availblity..
Written by Mark Cuban...
http://blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000967068793/
The Coming Golden Age of Television
Over the last 10 years, since the advent of digital cable and satellite, we have seen ratings for top TV shows decline. Ratings for top 10 shows today, wouldnt have cracked the top 20 ratings back in the 1980s and early 1990s. Call it the longtail affect. More choices allow people to be more selective in their viewing, hence lower ratings for the top shows.
The satellite and cable companies have been brilliant in leveraging new technology to create more value and lock in their customers. They have used technology to offer more and more channels. The services offered by each have continued to expand, as has the profitability that comes with offering, telephony, High Speed Data, Video on Demand, Subscription Music Services and more.
Technology marches on. BusinessWeek proclaimed this week ”The End of TV (As you know it).” My perception of the article is that they wanted to drive home the point that technology is expanding how viewers receive content and the number of content choices will result in ongoing decline in audience sizes. The drop could, in turn could destablize the TV business as we know it.
I think they are wrong. They are leaving out two key technological issues that will completely change the dynamics of TV, but for the better….for those that recognize what is happening.
First, as i have written in the past, I think its great news for any TV network that Bob Iger broke the links to the past and opened new revenue streams by selling hot shows while they are hot. People want content, where and when they want it. Its found money that will just improve the ability of networks to invest in content. I also think these revenue streams will end up being driven by out of home, mobile devices rather than being downloaded for viewing at home.
Thats not to say that downloading of content being offered today wont be watched from media center PCs, laptops, Ipods, PVRs and other devices when connected to TVs. They will. Because today, DVD quality, or anything close is good enough for 90 pct of homes.
That will change. Quickly. Very quickly.
Some simple observations to consider:
HDTV pricing is falling like a rock. You can go to Best Buy and get a 27” HDTV for under 400 dollars. Those prices will continue to fall. Within the next 2 years, analog TV will have gone the way of black and white. It will become unusual to see them in stores in all but tiny sizes.
HDTV viewers love HD quality. The more HD you watch, the more important HD quality becomes to you. HDTV viewers arent accepting by programming type. Once a viewer goes HD, he/she wants all programming in HD.
Now some may question this. I have heard it many times that DVD quality is “good enough”. Back in 1998, VHS quality was good enough. Its not good enough now. Would you accept VHS quality on the DVD of a movie you just bought ? Of course not. Nor will you accept DVD quality in a few years when you have expectations of HD 1080i quality for the shows you watch or buy.
HDTV viewers watch more TV. The increases are in HD channels, with decreases in standard definition viewing.
Now some may say this is no big deal. That all the cable and satellite networks out there will just naturally migrate to High Definition.
Those same people may say the same thing about video on demand. That the content will just migrate to HD. No big deal. Insteading of downloading DVD quality video, the content will be upgraded to HD quality and we will download HD quality.
Thats not going to happen and here is why.
Of all the advances in technology that will occur over the next 5 years in hard drives, CPUs, HDTVs, PDAs and other mobile technology, the one area that we will see the least amount of improvement is in bandwidth to the home.
Over the past 5 years, bandwidth to the home has grown from 300k for broadband to 5mbs, and in some cases even 10mbs. But that bandwidth is not dedicated per user. That bandwidth is shared. The number of users sharing that bandwidth has increased even faster than the size of the pipe. Thats not going to change. Sure we will see optimizing efforts from network providers, but the average bandwidth available to the home isnt going to change. In fact, there is every chance it will decrease because the number of homes, the number of users per home, and the number of tuners in PVRs that are recording simultaneously will increase.
So what does this have to do with HDTV and the future of television ?
Simply put, using all the compression tools and best codecs available today, the amount of bandwidth required to transmit an HDTV show vs the amount of bandwidth required to transmit a DVD quality show is about 8mbs to 1mbs. Thats for download and doesnt take into account shows that require more bandwidth, like sports and movies.
For broadcast, again, using compression, it takes 2 to 3mbs to transmit a standard definition show, and 10mbs to transmit an HDTV, non sports program at quality that is equal to what is available from over the air HDTV broadcasters like CBS and NBC.
Which leads to point. Bandwidth to the home is not expanding as fast as the bandwidth required to transmit content. So something has got to give.
Satellite companies have recognized their expanded need for bandwidth and have purchased launched multiple satellites.
Cable companies are doing everything they can to improve bandwidth. Going to IP driven, switched networks. Using statistical multiplexing techniques. All provide help,but not enough to solve the problem. Plus, they have another HUGE problem.
Basic cable TV networks, USA, TNT, TBS, CNN, all the networks that have full penetration and reach 95pct plus of cable homes are carried through your cable provider on analog channels. This means they use 6mhz each. 6mhz is the equivalent of about 38mbs. Thats a lot of bandwidth.
Now common sense might say, why not just switch them to digital and send them using 3mbs for standard definition and 10mbs for High Definition. Well the problem is that not all homes have digital cable, which means that if the networks were willing to give up their 6mhz of spectrum, they wouldnt be able to reach the 50 plus percent of cable users that dont get digital. Which means that its not going to happen anytime soon. In fact, in response to this problem, some cable systems are trying to go “pseudo digital” , but thats going to take years and years to rollout.
So in a nutshell, at the very point in time when a rapidly growing number of consumers are going to be expecting programming at the highest possible High Definition bitrate, there isnt enough bandwidth to deliver it.
THats unbelievably good news for the cable and satellite companies and for cable networks like ESPN, HDNet, TNT and Discovery that have invested in high definition.
As i said earlier, consumers are going to expect more and more High Definition programming. They will be buying 10s of millions of High Definition sets over the next couple years and the more HD content, they get, the more they will want.
Cable and satellite companies are going to have to compete in a high def world. People with high def sets are going to buy their video content from providers who provide the most high def content. Having the 5 or so broadcast networks that only broadcast in HD 70pct of primetime, plus 2 or 3 cable networks in HD is not going to be enough.
So why wouldnt every cable network just switch to broadcasting in High Definition ? For 3 reasons; cost, licensing problems and because a lot of their content is worthless in high definition.
It costs millions of dollars to build or convert a network to High Definition. Given that you can count the number of independently owned networks on one hand, that means that all the major media companies have multiple networks that they have to convert. If they own a news network.. The cost is enormous. Thats a sunk cost that cant be recaptured.
What makes a program worthless in High Definition ? If it was shot or mastered on tape. Shows from the 1980s, 1990s, and even some shows today, are shot using standard definition tape. Other shows and movies were shot using film, (which is high resolution and can be nicely converted to HD), but were edited and had special effects added using tape as the master format. Why is it worthless ? Because standard definition video doesnt have enough resolution to look good in high definition. To up convert it to HD would be like upconverting music from mono to 5.1 Surround Sound. You can fake it and improve it a little, but when compared to music captured in Surround Sound or even stereo, its obviously inferior.
If you go through the schedules of many cable networks, some are made up completely or substantially of shows shot or mastered on tape. The networks that are full of music videos from the past 20 years. Networks with comedies from the 1980s and 90s. Science Fiction created for syndicated TV (Most primetime scifi was shot on Film and then HD). THere is nothing their owners or licensors can do to make them look good in HD. I dont think they will even try. Which in turn means we are going to see some of those cable networks that are dependent on these shows just disappear.
Then there is the cost of converting shows that can look good in HD into High Definition quality. There are two ways to convert programs that were not created in High Definition into high definition content.
The cheapest is called upconverting. Quick and easy, a standard defintion master tape of a show is just run through some software which tries to create pixels and resolution that are not there through and render out a higher resolution version . The problem is that it looks like crap once its converted. The only reason is still exists is that some current networks that are broadcasting in High Definition dont feel the need to spend the money to do it right. Probably because they dont think the audience size is big enough. Personally, I think they are killing their brand equity with HD viewers. The difference in quality is obvious. The recurring comment I hear is “whats wrong with XYZ show on XYZ network it doesnt look near as good as HDNet” So for that reason, I hope they continue upconverting content although they are making a huge mistake doing so.
The more expensive option is for shows that are shot on film, to go back to the master elements, clean them up and telecine them to high definition. From there they can be touched up even further to look really good. Unfortunately its not cheap. The cost can start at 20k for a movie and go up from there. The good news is that this is happening more and more because some smarter content companies are preparing for converting to HD and because they realize the same HD version can be used as a master to sell a DVD today, and an HD version of that DVD in the near future.
But not all the networks can afford to pay the cost to convert. If they licensed 100 eps of a single show that was shot on film, at 10k per hour minimum, thats 1mm dollars for a single show ! Mutliply that by all the shows and all the episodes involved , and it can turn into millions of dollars per network.
Then there are the licensing problems. A lot of programs were licensed as part of long term deals before High Definition was even contemplated. In some cases the High Def rights were split apart from the standard definition rights. Which means that some networks either have to go back and procure the HD rights, or they cant get them at all.
Add all of this up and it creates a very unique dynamic in the TV world. There are some networks where it doesnt make any sense for them to even try to go High Def. Whether its cost, licensing issues or lack of HD quality, its just not going to happen. Which in turn is going to lead to a CONTRACTION in the number of total TV channels in the HD universe.
Then you have the issue of available bandwidth on cable and satellite providers. Because HD versions of networks take 4x to 5x as much bandwidth as their standard definition counterparts, even with full compression, there isnt enough bandwidth available for all the networks that feel like they can and have to go High Def. Which will result in any of three outcomes
1. There will be a standard definition ghetto created on cable and satellite. Just as talk radio and niche stations are now on the AM radio dial, there will be an analogous area where networks that cant or wont go HD can reside. Of course the bad news is that with just a few exceptions, these networks will be considered 2nd class networks and the rates they receive and can charge advertisers will be far less than their HD counterparts
2. Cable networks will trade the bandwidth being consumed by “cant go HD” networks and/or analog carriage for bandwidth for their biggest networks who got to the HD party late.
3. Five or so years from now, those networks who didnt think HD was important will find themselves on the outside looking in, realizing that there isnt enough bandwidth and they will have to pay for carriage.
There are going to be fewer networks being broadcast in the future. Not more. That should lead to ratings expansion, not contraction as some would have you believe.
But wait, there’s more. In an HD universe, not only will there be fewer channels to compete with in the lnng term, but because the adoption of HD will happen faster than most people realize, the ratings for those networks that do broadcast in HD will EXPLODE in the next two to three years. The next few years will still have a limited number of HD channels available to viewers while conversion and bandwidth issues are worked out. Which means in HD households, rather than a 150 channel universe, there may only be a 30 channel HD universe. Thats a goldmine for those networks in HD.
Not only that, but the HD universe has several advantages for advertisers over the standard def world, which of course is money in the bank for networks and their distributors.
First is that 99 pct of the PVR/Tivo devices already installed in homes that go HD, dont support HD programming. Which means no skipping commercials in HD programming until they upgrade.
More importantly, with more resolution, a wide screen and 5.1 audio, advertisers have a bigger and better pallete to work with and get creative with. Which just might enable commercials we like to watch for a while.
Then there is the competition from the internet that is supposed to make things so difficult for tv networks.
Unfortunately for the internet, offering high definition downloads isnt cost efficient. Its down right expensive. And its god awful slow. Sure, companies like Redswoosh.net will provide better bandwidth solutions, and we have tested it at HDNet. But its still going to take 10gbs to deliver a movie, and its going to take over night downloading to deliver that movie on 99 pct of home connections. And its not going to get any better for a long long time. Which in turn makes downloading High Def content a very small internet business. Which in turn means that all the prognosticators who think that internet download to the home will replace the rental business and rival cable or satellite are just plain wrong.
In fact, I think that smart rental companies like Hollywood Entertainment and Netflix will embrace HD on DVD. Whether its for the Xbox 360 or PS3 which will both be inexpensive HD playback devices, or on future HD DVD and Blu Ray Devices, rentals for HD content will bring people back to the stores because of higher buy to own prices of the disks.
So when you add it up.
Consumers are going HD. HDTV will replace analog tv as surely as DVDs replaced VCRs. Those consumers will demand HD programming. The distributor that can provide it, will get their business. That competition will push networks to go HD, but for a variety of reasons, not all can or will, which means there will be fewer networks competing for viewers and some of those networks will be “AM band”, reducing the competition for viewers and advertisers even more.
HD technology will also bring more viewers to watch programming on HDTVs because its so new and different. Which in turn will bring advertisers and will extend the life of the 30 second commercial.
The impact of the internet on inhome viewing will diminish until bandwidth to the home can increase by the same 4x or 5x that HD programming bandwidth increased. I dont see that happening for a long time.
And I didnt even get into the demand creation for HD programming that HD gaming and its devices support of playback of HD content will have
We are entering the Golden Age of Television. Television like you have never seen it before, and of which you will want more more more
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Horrible News for LOGO... IMO..
Would turn logo basically into pay channel... HA HA!!
FCC Open to à la Carte Cable
The U.S. cable and satellite industries gird for a brawl with federal regulators.
November 30, 2005
Responding to calls from conservative groups for tighter standards for decency in broadcasting, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has raised the option of allowing pay television viewers to pick their own channels, setting up a potentially costly brawl with the cable and satellite industries.
Chairman Kevin Martin offered the option in a speech to the Senate Commerce Committee on Telecommunications and Transportation, reversing a well-established FCC position that favored bundling channels as the most cost-effective option for consumers.
The so-called à la carte programming option is a pay-per-channel plan in which consumers would pick the channels in their cable package. That approach could replace the basic and expanded bundles now offered by cable and satellite TV operators.
The cable industry has battled any suggestion that the industry go to the à la carte model, which they say would raise prices, reduce choice, and violate the U.S. Constitution.
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À la carte is generally seen as the most extreme of all the options available to the government and the industry for fighting indecency or extreme violence in cable programming. Yet Mr. Martin highlighted à la carte as one of the first options during his speech on Tuesday.
“Cable and satellite operators could offer an exclusively family-friendly programming package as an alternative to the ‘expanded basic’ tier on cable or the initial tier on [satellite TV],” he said. “This alternative would enable parents to enjoy the increased options and high-quality programming available through cable and satellite without having to purchase programming unsuitable for children.”
The cable industry responded almost immediately, promising a challenge to any à la carte imposition on constitutional grounds.
"We can’t comment on any new FCC à la carte report until it’s released… but previous and recent analyses were consistent in their findings that government pay-per-channel regulation would be likely to hurt consumers by increasing prices, decreasing choice, and reducing diversity in programming, and it would do so in a way that violates the First Amendment,” said Kyle McSlarrow, chief executive of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.
Mr. McSlarrow, who is growing in visibility, believes the cable industry is protected by free speech rights, but he also believes the imposition of à la carte unbundling of channels would make individual channels more expensive and kill specialized programming.
“We have 390 channels with programming for every taste. They survive because of bundling. If you take that away, you will violate the First Amendment and hurt the very customers you are planning to help,” he told RedHerring.com before Mr. Martin's speech (see Cable TV Faces Decency Rules).
Conservative Pressure
But there is a lot of pressure on the FCC coming from conservative consumer rights groups and the conservative wing of the Republican Party to move drastically to rein in cable and satellite TV operators. Cable and satellite are the only segments of the entertainment media beamed to the American home that are not subject to decency regulations and fines.
“Parents could then be permitted to ‘opt out’ of cable programming, requesting not to receive certain cable channels and having their package price reduced accordingly,” said Mr. Martin. “Another option would be to allow consumers to choose a specific number of channels from a menu of available programming for a fixed price—e.g., 10 channels for $20, 20 channels for $30, etc.”
But the cable industry sees any attempt by the FCC to determine how it should bundle its channels as an intrusion on its business model that should be outside the reach of the commission.
“Such a massive government intrusion into how a broadband service like video is marketed, offered, and priced would undoubtedly chill the needed innovation and investment necessary to build out capital-intensive networks that rely on the marketplace to determine the most economically effective way to provide a return on investment,” said Mr. McSlarrow.
Mr. McSlarrow said an à la carte system would serve to kill channels that address subjects that don’t currently have grassroots popularity among consumers like the Golf Channel. But these channels gain popularity as consumers are exposed to them. Switching to an à la carte system would produce fewer viewing options.
HA HA BEAT YOU BY 10 SECONDS
qtn press RELEASE australia
BABY
Audit Out Wednesday @EOD IMO... Heres why...
This is all assuming FRANK is still on our side !!!
FRANK has always said he has wanted to Mess with the MM's and the Day traders... Not that there has been many daytraders as of recent..
STRATEGY SESSION 101 says...
RELEASE YOUR GOODS WEDNESDAY LATE AFTER LUNCH..
MOST TRADERS Will be leaving to go home for THANKSGIVING by lunch...
The few MM's that are here wont be able to hold down the surge of sales that come in before EOD .. FROM ONLINE TRADERS
MM's/TRADERS would come back to work on MONDAY and have to cover after it has surged a good 100%.. TOO late HUGH GAP on MONDAY... BYE BYE MORE NEWS OUT MONDAY BYE BYE.....
WELL SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME>>>
HAPPY T-GIVING ALL
Airwaves open in the name of diversity
by Wendy Butler, 11/20/2005
The network was designed to give a platform to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
On Tuesday, Cox Communications’ Eureka/Arcata digital cable customers will be given the opportunity to subscribe to Q Television Network on digital premium channel 399.
This will be the only GLBT network carried in the region by Cox and it marks QTN’s first Cox distribution.
Frank Olsen founded Burbank-based, nationally distributed QTN just over a year ago.
“Our founder and CEO just really believed there should be a television network that truly was the voice of the gay community,” Affiliate Sales and Marketing vice president Carol Hinnant said.
She said QTN’s programming is different than other comparable networks, such as the movie channel here! or Logo, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks division.
QTV airs sports, information and entertainment shows. About 65 percent of the network’s programming is original and the remainder is acquired from other sources.
“We don’t think that cable television or broadcast television has truly serviced the community in the past,” Hinnant said. “We’re kind of on a unique mission.”
Original daily programming includes “Brunch,” a live morning daily talk show created specifically for the GLBT and gay-friendly progressive community.
It is part talk show and part sitcom and hosted by Honey Labrador of “Queer Eye for the Straight Girl” and Scott Withers.
QTV offers five hours of live programming every day.
Network producers often go out into communities to cover events of regional or national significance and, using a talk show format, highlight those communities.
“We do give a voice to the gay community (and) we give air time to gay talents from a news perspective and from an entertainment perspective,” Hinnant said.
She said that the opportunity to launch QTV in Humboldt County came as a result of a Cox representative phoning the network.
She said a Cox corporate network affiliation agreement had previously been signed, which didn’t guarantee any Cox distribution.
Cory Sher, director of QTV’s Western Division Affiliate Sales and Marketing, traveled to Humboldt County to discuss the viability of offering QTV.
One of the people contacted was Todd Larsen, who, along with his partner Michael Weiss, operates the Web site queerhumboldt.org.
Larsen feels that QTV’s programs will make the gay community seem more real to a wider audience, rather than “this crazy isolated community.”
“They are going to provide entertainment, movies, politics (and) news,” Larsen said. “You’ll meet people in the gay community (who) are much more closeted (and it) helps them come out in life and not have to be so closeted.”
Cox Communications Marketing and Public Affairs director Wendy Purnell said that Cox felt it was important to include QTV in its lineup.
“Cox embraces diversity,” she said. “We feel it’s important to offer programming which appeals to the entire community.”
However, Cox was concerned that some residents might not want to turn on their TVs and have QTV there.
QTV is a premium service which will cost individual subscribers $10 each month.
Cox had originally planned to launch QTV in its New Orleans-area system, but Hurricane Katrina caused a change in plans.
The Eureka/Arcata system covers approximately 52,000 households and provides to about 32,000 of those, Purnell said.
Cox will pay QTV based on the number of new subscribers and that number will dictate whether Cox will continue to offer the network.
“Based on the number of phone calls that we’ve been receiving, I believe the service will do very well in this market,” she said.
Cox recently announced that it had reached a definitive agreement with Cebridge Connections Inc., a company managed by Cequel III LLC, for the purchase of Cox cable television systems serving approximately 940,000 basic cable subscribers, including those in Humboldt County.
Purnell said the sale, due to close the second quarter of next year, should not affect the decision to carry QTV.
“We don’t anticipate any changes in programming at this point in time,” she said.
http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=5860
FROY WHY ARE YOU HERE>>> You spew nothing but negativity.. Your Usless uneducated insight as always is pointless..
why don't you just SHUT THE F*** UP until you have proof of your claims..
You are as useless as my shares of QBID...!!!!
I love the announcer from the On Q live Video clip...
He says when the show opens.. As he is About to intro Hosts
I quote.. "ON Q live...recentely voted the Best New Show on TV"
Who voted.. GREAT CLAIM THOUGH!!!
NY YORK POST COVERAGE... STARR REPORT...
STARR REPORT
By MICHAEL STARR November 15, 2005 -- Kmetko connection Former E! host Steve Kmetko, who left the network in 2002, has resurfaced on Q Tele vision's "QTN World News," where he'll guest-anchor all this week (7 p.m.). QTN, tar geted at the gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender com munity, launches on TW
Cable's digital tier (Ch. 326) Thursday in New York and New Jersey. QTN joins LOGO and here! as the net works targeting that particu lar demo. All three air on Time Warner.
* * *
http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/54160.htm
500 million in just over 2 hours ...NICE.. I'm done buying lets go..
even 10mil long and strong..
only wish I didn'y pay $13 grand for them..
year and half of cost averging has finally gotten me
10 mil @ .0013 average
NO MORE MONEY TO BUY, NO MORE MONEY TO LOSE,
STICK A FORK IN ME I"M DONE...
QBID STOCK PRICE TODAY is a....
1. GIFT FROM GOD
2. JOKE FROM DEVIL
3. JOKE FROM GOD
4. GIFT FROM DEVIL
It just comes down to..
DOES HOMO-SEXUALITY GO AGAINST GOD ?
IS THE DEVIL PUSHING THE GAY AGENDA?
WHO IS FRANKS REAL BOSS ?????..
GERALDO RIVERA is on the case...
Great pics Skunk..NICE
Yea.. Well stupid is as stupid does... It's like being addicted to crack..
I just can't stop myself...
I'm thinkg of stealing quaters from my mom's purse next..
Starting new club..
GAY STOCK ANOMYMOUS