The N, Time Warner Cable And Bright House Networks Partner To Unveil First-Ever Interactive Technology For A Scripted TV Series
�Degrassi Interactive Program� To Be Featured During The N�s New Degrassi Premieres In 13 Time Warner Cable And Bright House Networks Markets
NEW YORK, October 2, 2006 � The N, a programming arm of MTV Networks, is partnering with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to take the high-tech lead in giving viewers the exclusive opportunity to express themselves on a subject they are truly passionate about � their favorite hit teen drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation. This partnership marks the first time new interactive voting/polling technology will be offered to viewers during a scripted TV series. The new �Degrassi Interactive Program� will allow viewers who subscribe to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in select markets to use their remote controls and interact with the show in real time as they vote and express their opinions on their favorite Degrassi characters and storylines.
�We are thrilled to partner with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to offer this new technology to our viewers during the premiere of our most popular drama,� said Sarah Tomassi Lindman, Vice President, Programming and Production, The N. �Degrassi fans are multi-taskers who are obsessed with the plots and characters in the series and will definitely want to speak up using their remote controls.�
�We are pleased to continue bringing new interactive viewing experiences, such as the Degrassi Interactive Program, to our customers� said Bob Benya, Senior Vice President of On Demand Product Management for Time Warner Cable. �Features such as this highlight the power of our two-way digital platform and our partnerships with innovators such as The N.�
�We believe our young customers will enjoy being able to interact with this very popular program,� said John Rigsby, President of Bright House Networks Florida Group. �We are extremely pleased to partner with The N and Time Warner Cable in offering this new feature.�
The �Degrassi Interactive Program� will be offered to Time Warner Cable subscribers in the following divisions: Albany, Binghamton, New York City, Syracuse, and Rochester, NY; Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro and Wilmington, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Milwaukee, WI; and to Bright House Networks customers in Central Florida (Orlando) and the Tampa Bay area.
Four poll questions were included in the Degrassi hour-long premiere on Friday, September 29 and two poll questions will be included in each of the following half-hour episodes. Degrassi airs regularly Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. (ET). Viewers will see the poling results posted on air during each Degrassi telecast. The interactive voting will run throughout the entire fall season of Degrassi, beginning with the season six premiere and run through November 17 for a total of seven episodes.
The following are some sample questions from the Degrassi Interactive Program:
Episode 601: Here Comes Your Man Part 1
Emma should date:
a) Peter
b) Sean
c) both guys!
Who'd win in a catfight?
a) Paige
b) Darcy
c) A cougar
Episode 602: Here Comes Your Man Part 2
Who looks hotter in a white tank top?
a) Sean
b) Peter
c) It's a tie.
The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 52 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N's mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network�s web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
Time Warner Cable owns and manages cable systems serving 14.4 million subscribers in 33 states. Passing approximately 28 million homes, Time Warner Cable includes some of the most technologically advanced and best-clustered cable systems in the country, with nearly 85 percent of the Company's customers located in five geographic regions: New York, Texas, Ohio, the Carolinas and southern California. Leveraging its leadership in innovation and quality customer care, Time Warner Cable delivers advanced products and services such as video on demand, high definition television, digital video recorders, high-speed data and Digital Phone. Time Warner Cable is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX).
Bright House Networks is the nation�s 6th largest MSO with over 2 million customers in several large markets including Bakersfield, California; Birmingham, Alabama; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; Orlando, Florida (Central Florida Division) and Tampa Bay, Florida along with several other smaller systems in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The high-growth Tampa/Central Florida markets are contiguous and form one of the country�s largest cable clusters. Bright House Networks customers have Digital Phone, high-speed data (HSD), Video-on-Demand (VOD), Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) and the immensely popular, Digital Video Recorders (DVR) available to them. The company�s Florida operations currently deliver nearly 300 channels to customers and were among the first in the country to offer High Definition Television signals (HDTV).
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