Time Warner, networks discuss instant reruns

from yahoo

TimeWarner Cable talks Hits channel with networks

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc.'s Time Warner Cable said on
Monday it is in talks with the four big U.S. television networks to
create a "Hits channel" that would let viewers watch instant reruns of
the most popular TV programs.

The company is in high-level discussions with the production units of
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox about offering viewers on-demand access to hit
shows that they may have missed on their first run, said Time Warner
Cable spokesman Mark Harrad.

Stan Brown...

Why don't they just put more shows into On Demand? Every time I miss
a show and go to the On Demand channels, what is available is only a
small fraction of what was broadcast.

Jack Bauer's Spunky Sidekick, Ian J. Ball...

Yep. Just put 'em on On Demand, with commercials if need be, and make
'em free.

These top-rated shows would be available on the proposed Hits channel
immediately after their first broadcast or the day after, he said. He
declined to confirm a report in the New York Times that said the
monthly subscription fee for access to 20 top-ranked programs would be
around $10.

"It's just another outlet for customers to do time-shifting," Harrad
said. "It wouldn't necessarily substitute for and could complement
DVRs (digital video recorders)."

The proposed new service would be separate from Time Warner's "Start
Over" trial in Columbia, South Carolina. Start Over allows viewers who
miss part of a live program to start from the beginning if the show is
still in progress.

Harrad said the cable company was trying to generate new revenue
streams, comparing the initiative to Comcast Corp.'s deal with CBS
Corp. and NBC's with DirecTV to give viewers access to several
prime-time shows on a next-day, on-demand basis.