TIME WARNER CABLE CUSTOMERS TO HELP CHOOSE NBC'S "LAST COMIC STANDING" WINNER
TIME WARNER CABLE CUSTOMERS TO HELP CHOOSE NBC'S "LAST COMIC STANDING" WINNER
NBC and Time Warner Cable to Further Offer Interactive Polling Experience
New York, NY � July 17, 2006 � Time Warner Cable customers will have the opportunity to help decide who will be NBC's "Last Comic Standing" and have their votes count by using their remotes.
Since the season's launch on May 30, Time Warner Cable customers have been able to interact with NBC's Emmy nominated show on a variety of topics, marking the first time a major broadcast network launched a synchronized interactive television application for a prime-time show. Time Warner Cable viewers have been tuning in and interacting with the laugh out loud moments as the comedy showcase searches for the funniest people in America. Now, they'll be able to help choose the winner.
Beginning Tuesday, July 18, (9-10 p.m. ET) and continuing through the end of the season, Time Warner Cable, through its use of Navic Networks' interactive television application, will allow digital cable customers in select markets to respond with their remote control to help choose the winner. The polling will appear as pop up screens generated by viewer's set-top boxes that will be synchronized to occur at precise moments during the one-hour show. Navic Networks' technology will compile the polling results and they will be included in the tally for each week's winner.
During the season as customers became more familiar with the application, viewer participation grew. This week, nearly 12 percent of subscribers participated and in select markets, the participation rate was as high as 15 percent.
Time Warner Cable markets participating include New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Cincinnati, OH, Milwaukee, WI, Wilmington, NC, Greensboro, NC and Charlotte, NC.
"Viewers have been very responsive to the polling throughout the season," said Jean-Briac Perrette, senior vice president of new media and chief financial officer, NBC Universal Cable. "We wanted to further their experience by making them a part of the show."
"We are very pleased to bring this unique opportunity to Time Warner Cable Digital Customers," said Joan Gillman, vice president of interactive television for Time Warner Cable. "Our customers are the only ones in the nation who will be able to vote and influence the outcome of a reality show using their remote controls. This highlights the power of Time Warner Cable's two-way interactive platform, as well as our partnership with innovators such as NBC U and Navic."
America will choose who ultimately wins the title of "Last Comic Standing," an exclusive talent contract with NBC and a comedy special on Bravo. "Last Comic Standing" is produced by Peter Engel Productions, Magical Elves and NBC Universal Television Studio. The executive producers are Peter Engel ("Saved By the Bell," "City Guys"), Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (Bravo's "Project Runway" and NBC's "Treasure Hunters") and Barry Katz ("Action," "Dane Cook's Tourgasm").
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable owns and manages cable systems serving subscribers in 27 states, which include some of the most technologically advanced, best-clustered cable systems in the country with more than 75% of the Company's customers in systems of 300,000 subscribers or more. Utilizing a fully upgraded advanced cable network and a steadfast commitment to providing consumers with choice, value and quality customer care, Time Warner Cable is an industry leader in delivering advanced products and services such as video on demand, high definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed data, wireless home networking and Digital Phone. Time Warner Cable is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX).
About NBC Universal Cable
NBC Universal Cable, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's preeminent media companies, drives the company's cable strategic development and growth including video-on-demand, pay-per-view, HDTV, TV EST (electronic sell-through), TV Wireless distribution and retransmission consent, and oversees the cable distribution, marketing and local ad sales of fourteen properties (Bravo, CNBC, CNBC World, MSNBC, mun2, NBC Weather Plus, SCI FI, ShopNBC, Sleuth, Telemundo, Telemundo Puerto Rico, Universal HD, USA and the Olympics on cable). NBC Universal Cable also directs and manages the company's cable and new media investments including A&E, The History Channel, History Channel International, The Biography Channel, National Geographic International, the Sundance Channel and Tivo.
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