Gemstar-TV Guide Announces
Re-Branding of ''TV Guide Channel'' as
''TV Guide Network''
TV Guide Network Debuts June 4, 2007
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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemstar-TV
Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST),
a leading media, entertainment and
technology company, announced today that
effective June 4, 2007, it will re-brand
its television entity, TV Guide Channel,
under a new name, TV Guide Network. The
move reflects the continued evolution of
the Channel from primarily a utility
service, to a more fully developed
television guidance and entertainment
network with a continued commitment to
high quality programming. Distributed to
more than 80 million homes nationwide on
cable and satellite, TV Guide provides
unique programming that is dedicated to
the world of television. The network
will continue to provide valuable
guidance and recommendations about
current television programs, as well as
a TV listings service that delivers
localized or national information to
viewers across the country.
“TV Guide Network is on the rise and our
new name better reflects our business
today as we have evolved to become a TV
destination with high quality
entertainment programming,” said Ryan
O’Hara, president of TV Guide Network. “Over the past 18-24 months, we have
green-lit productions, launched new
shows, and orchestrated deals that
define our network as the ideal source
for entertainment, news and information
for fans of television.”
TV Guide Network produces, markets, and
distributes more than 14 hours per week
of new and original content from its
studio in Hollywood. One of the
network’s signature series is IDOL
TONIGHT, the exclusive pre-show to
American Idol, hosted by former Idols
Justin Guarini and Kimberly Caldwell and
Popstars winner Rosanna Tavarez.
Other signature programs include, WATCH
THIS, THE 411, and THE FASHION TEAM. The
network is also well-known for its live
coverage of television’s biggest events. The network recently signed TV star and
fashion maven Lisa Rinna, as the lead
host of its live Red Carpet coverage at
major industry award shows.
This summer, TV Guide Network will
launch two new series, AMERICA’S NEXT
PRODUCER, a 10-episode reality
competition series from the executive
producers of Project Runway and Top
Chef, and MAKING NEWS: TEXAS STYLE, a
13-episode series that will give viewers
an inside look at the inner-workings of
a local news station in Midland, Texas. Earlier this month, TV Guide Network
acquired the highly rated “Surreal TV”
collection of reality shows – The
Surreal Life, Flavor of Love, My Fair
Brady, and I Love New York, among
others. T hese programs will help drive
the network’s late-night program lineup
starting in July 2007.
TV Guide Network’s reach and
length-of-tune, a metric that measures
how long viewers are tuned in to a
particular channel or show, are up
year-to-year. TV Guide Network reached
seven percent more households in the
first quarter of 2007 versus the first
quarter of 2006 and the length of tune
in is up 14 percent for the time frame,
suggesting that the network’s
programming is resonating with
audiences. And, TV Guide Networks’
ratings for its Red Carpet pre-show
coverage at the Golden Globes®, Academy
Awards® and Grammy® Awards were up an
average of 33 percent in households and
50 percent in women 18-34 and 18-49
compared to 2006, while Live at the
Screen Actor’s Guild™ Awards, the latest
addition to the network’s Red Carpet
coverage which premiered in 2007,
improved the network’s rating in the
applicable time period by 33 percent
over the prior year. TV Guide Network’s
programming is also attracting younger
viewers. Ratings for “Idol Tonight” are
up 200 percent with persons ages 18-34,
and up 67 percent in households
year-to-year.
Distribution for TV Guide Network is at
an all-time high. In addition to its
widespread cable carriage, the network
is also distributed on satellite via
DirecTV (channel 237) and DISH Network
(channel 117), which both deliver TV
Guide Network programming in full
screen. TV Guide branded programming is
also available via our on-demand
service, TV Guide SPOT, on Comcast, Time
Warner, Bright House and Insight
Communication, Cox Communications,
Cablevision Systems and Charter
Communications; and through TV Guide
Broadband on TVGuide.com, AOL Video,
Google Video, Brightcove.com and Veoh.