Inside the New Voom

Cable World,  Oct 24, 2005  

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With EchoStar in his pocket, there's less pressure on Sapan to immediately cut a deal with another distributor. Kagan estimates EchoStar will add 4.8 million hi-def subscribers in the next five years, ending 2010 with 5.5 million, all of whom will get Voom's HD channels.

International Ambitions

And while Sapan's working on deals stateside, there are opportunities abroad through the new Rainbow International affiliate. Overseas, Voom will be part of an offering that includes Rainbow's popular AMC and IFC networks and Mag Rack.

Internationally "there's a huge void almost everywhere" when it comes to HD programming, says Glenn Oakley, SVP, business development, Rainbow. He sees most of the opportunity initially in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. "They are several years behind us in take-up of HD." (At press time, Rainbow announced a deal to deliver Voom programming to Mandarin Oriental hotels overseas).

If Sapan has his way, Voom could become the next Discovery-a stable of networks with household name recognition. But Voom won't get there without additional U.S. carriage.

Sapan, an advocate of creating original programming suited to new technologies, says taking the risk of developing such content-and carrying it- are worth it.

Such opportunities are "less provable as something that will create great content immediately," Sapan says. "They involve a little more speculation, and slightly more risk, but they can also develop the greatest reward."

Voom HD Networks: The World's Largest Collection of HD Channels
Channel          Genre
Animania HD      animation**
Auction HD       auctions and collecting
Equator HD       documentaries and nature in unique locales**
Gallery HD       fine art and architecture**
HD News          headlines, sports, features and weather **
Lab HD           free-form television
Rave HD          music series and concerts**
Rush HD          extreme action sports**
Ultra HD         fashion runway coverage**
WorldSport HD    world sports
Movie Channels
Divine           gay and lesbian
Family Room      family-oriented
Film Fest        art house and independent films
Kung Fu          martial arts and anime
Gunslingers      Westerns
GuyTV            action and comedy**
HaHa             comedy
The Majestic     retro favorites; early James Bond**
Monsters         horror, thriller and sci-fi**
Vice             cops and robbers; thrillers
WorldCinema      global classics
**Voom core network; carried on EchoStar.
Source: Rainbow Media

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