Warner; AOL to launch Free TV Rerun on Demand Service using Warner Library

[Chelsea]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...111300683.html

Discuss

Launch roll-out: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/20...ols-in2tv.html

[Pavan]

This is very exciting! I can't wait!! 30 series (10 episodes each in January) will be offered in January:

The In2TV network debuts on AOL.com in January and will offer 10 episodes apiece of 30 series, including the hits Alice, Growing Pains and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. AOL.com expects to be offering 100 series and more than 3,400 hours of content by the end of 2006.

“This builds on what has been our programming focus for many years and aligns well with our move to the open Web,” says Kevin Conroy, AOL Media Networks executive VP. “Our focus is on building a media business and driving advertising revenue.”

Amidst a recent flurry of new-media initiatives, the move is the first to fully embrace an advertising model. Conroy says the model—likely four spots for each half-hour of content, with single 15- or 30-second spots replacing the traditional pod of three or four ads—allows Time Warner to bring more content online faster. That, in turn, means more eyeballs, he says, to drive ad revenues and additional content.

“There are reasons that there were decades of ad-supported TV before there was the first pay channel,” Conroy says. “We firmly believe the ad model is the way to build a market and business.”

In2TV’s six original channels are

* LOL TV (comedies such as Welcome Back Kotter, Perfect Strangers and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper),
* Dramarama (Falcon Crest, Sisters and Eight Is Enough)
* Toontopia (animated shows like Beetlejuice and Pinky and the Brain)
* Heroes and Horrors (Wonder Woman, Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman and Babylon 5)
* Rush (action shows such as La Femme Nikita, Kung Fu and The Fugitive)
* Vintage (Growing Pains, F-Troop and Maverick)

Two channels will be added next year for reality shows and cancelled series, the latter perhaps becoming a clearinghouse for unseen programs. “A [cancelled] show could be available almost immediately, [including] any unaired episodes,” says Eric Frankel, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable distribution.


List of In2TV Series at Launch*

Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Alice
Babylon 5
Beetlejuice
Chico and the Man
Dark Justice
Eight is Enough
F Troop
The F.B.I.
Falcon Crest
Freakazoid
Freddy's Nightmares
The Fugitive
Growing Pains
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Head of the Class
Histeria!
Kung Fu
La Femme Nikita
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Maverick
The New Adventures of Batman
Perfect Strangers
Pinky and the Brain
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Sisters
Spenser: For Hire
V
Welcome Back, Kotter
Wonder Woman

*More series will be added to this list over the course of the year.




Press Release:

These series will be offered in a new DVD quality video format called "AOL Hi-Q." This new technology, which builds upon AOL's industry-leading online video experience, enables high resolution, full-screen viewing. It will be made available free to any broadband user (along with standard-quality streaming). AOL.com is the first major portal to offer this kind of high quality video experience to consumers.

In2TV will leverage the unique capabilities of the online medium, allowing broadband consumers to experience, enjoy and interact with these series in a variety of ways. The In2TV site will organize the TV series into six genre-themed channels, listed below. (Additional channels will be launched at a later date.) Fans will also be able to search the series by show titles, cast names, and other key words and phrases. This programming will be combined with highly engaging and interactive editorial, promotional and game content. Fans can enjoy special interactive features, including:

-- "Starchives" - Episodes featuring stars before they were stars, including Brad Pitt on Growing Pains, and Jay Leno on Alice

-- "Punchlines" - Great viral comedy clips

-- "TV Karaoke" - Sing-alongs with favorite TV show themes

-- "Classic Creme de la Creme" - Showcase of the most memorable episodes of a given series

-- "Betcha Didn't Know!: The Ultimate TV Quiz" - Fans can test their TV trivia skills

-- "RetroRunway" - Fashion from TV series

-- "StarFavs" - Stars' favorite episodes

-- "Where Are They Now?" - Find out where your favorite stars are now

-- AIM interviews with cast members

-- Month long salutes to specific series, stars, and genres with extensive episodes available online and numerous interactive features. Examples could include "Kotter-thon" and "Teri Hatcher-A-Thon"

In2TV will also provide 88 interactive experiences in the first year built around specific shows. Examples of these interactive experiences could include unlocking additional material like a famous martial artist commenting on the mysteries of Shaolin in the Kung Fu series, or testing a viewer's intricate and arcane knowledge on subjects as diverse as the complex world of Babylon 5 or the 80's in conjunction with an iconic show like Growing Pains.

In2TV will provide AOL's advertisers with compelling video inventory for instream broadband advertising as well as opportunities for sponsorships and accompanying banner ads. Video ads, 15-second and 30-second spots, will be limited to a total of 1-2 minutes within each 30-minute episode as compared to 8 minutes of advertising on broadcast television.

The six channels, and a sampling of the shows fans can find within them, follow. A complete list of the series included in the program is attached.

LOL TV: Laugh out Loud with this channel that will feature Welcome Back Kotter, the Emmy-nominated series that launched the career of John Travolta and outperformed The Mary Tyler Moore Show and 60 Minutes. Even its theme song by John Sebastian climbed to #1. Fans will also find Chico and the Man, where Freddie Prinze broke new ground for Latinos on TV alongside Emmy-winner Jack Albertson, as well as Perfect Strangers, featuring the foibles of cousins Balki and Larry, in a show that helped to establish ABC's "TGIF" lineup and ranked #1 in every time period it aired. Plus, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, an ABC hit which ranked #1 in its time period on Tuesdays and again when it moved to Fridays, as well as Head of the Class, which debuted on ABC as a Top 10 sitcom.

Dramarama TV: This channel will showcase great dramatic series ranging from the five-time Emmy-nominated Sisters, starring Emmy winner Sela Ward, to Falcon Crest, one of primetime's juiciest soaps that was a Friday night staple on CBS for nine seasons. Drama fans will also find Scarecrow and Mrs. King, the Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy-winning series co-starring Bruce Boxleitner and former "Angel" Kate Jackson, along with TV icon Robert Urich in Spenser: For Hire, which was so beloved by fans that it spun off four made-for-cable movies. Plus, Eight is Enough, the Emmy-nominated series starring Dick Van Patten that ranked in ABC's Top 10 for season after successful season.

Toontopia TV: Top-rated animation comes to life with Beetlejuice, the animated adaptation of Tim Burton's hit movie that ran successfully for multiple seasons on both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. The channel will also feature animated favorites such as Daytime Emmy-winning Freakazoid, as well as fellow Daytime Emmy-winners Pinky and the Brain and Histeria!, both executive produced by the legendary Steven Spielberg. Plus, there's The New Adventures of Batman, featuring the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward from the live action series.

Heroes and Horrors TV: Sci-fi and horror fans will be riveted by this channel that includes Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which was a Top 10 program on ABC for three seasons, starring Dean Cain and Golden Globe-winner Teri Hatcher of Desperate Housewives, along with every episode of Babylon 5, the Emmy Award-winning syndicated science fiction series so popular that stations aired it twice a day. Plus, there's Freddy's Nightmares hosted by the maniacal Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), the star of the hit film series "Nightmare on Elm Street," and the adventures of Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter, which was consistently a Top 20 series across two networks, airing on both ABC and then on CBS. Plus V, where resistance fighters must stop "Visitors" from invading Earth.

Rush TV: This channel will feature action-adventure favorites such as La Femme Nikita, which enjoyed an enormous cult following as witnessed by over 300 websites dedicated to its star, Peta Wilson, and the show. Fans will also find the Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated series Kung Fu, which dominated Thursday nights in its broadcast run catapulting ABC to #1 in the time period with key demos. In addition, fans can re-discover The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, a fan favorite that built its time period on FOX and went on to be a Top 10 series on TNT for three consecutive seasons. Other series in Rush TV will include 2001's The Fugitive, Dark Justice and more.

Vintage TV: This channel will feature Growing Pains, the Emmy-winning sitcom that lasted an incredible seven seasons, turning Kirk Cameron into a teenage heartthrob (receiving 10,000 fan letters a month) and featuring a young actor by the name of Leonardo DiCaprio. Plus, there's Alice, which ranks among an elite group of sitcoms to air for nine successful seasons. Honored with multiple Golden Globe Awards, it consistently ranked as a Top 10 network series on broadcast and attracted a broad audience of both men and women. Plus, fans will also find F Troop, which became a top rated hit on Nick@Nite after a successful run on ABC, as well as Emmy-nominated Maverick, which was voted "The Best Western of the 1950s" by TV Guide. Other Vintage TV series will include fan favorite The F.B.I.

[vashti1999]

This sounds really cool. When I first saw the headline I assumed it was an On Demand cable channel on Time Warner (like what Comcast has), which would really be ideal for me. But this is the next best thing. Seeing these old shows online for free with minimal commercials will be good. I'm looking forward to seeing Alice, Eight Is Enough and others again, and of course Welcome Back Kotter.

[gilligan fanatic]

this has made my day. This is real neat. I can't wait to see the Fugitive. I hope it's the original

[tvfan0101]

I like this part the most:

Two channels will be added next year for reality shows and cancelled series, the latter perhaps becoming a clearinghouse for unseen programs. “A [cancelled] show could be available almost immediately, [including] any unaired episodes,” says Eric Frankel, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable distribution.

Sounds like a great idea. I just hope the initial response is positive enough to keep the service operating. And, more importantly, I hope some really obsure titles are offered.

[xmulderx]

Sounds Really Good. Scarecrow and Mrs. King is something i am dying to have on dvd though. I hope this doesn't prevent it from being released. Perhaps since they will have all these episodes available, why couldn't they have an option for viewers to also buy them on dvd? I think that would be something for them to look into doing.

[Chelsea]

One thing to notice: Initially, there will only be 10 episodes per series. (They don't want to convert their entire library to an internet-compatible format unless the venture will work). As time marches on, more episodes WILL be added.

Oh, and by the way: Even though they're planning to set the episodes to where you can't save them (like you can with a traditional VOD service), there are ways around just about any save-blocking method on the internet :-)

[TVJunkie101]

Wow, that's awesome...

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by Seth

Even though they're planning to set the episodes to where you can't save them (like you can with a traditional VOD service), there are ways around just about any save-blocking method on the internet

Well, send a brother a p.m. Some info is better when you share...

[Pavan]

Looking at the list of 30 shows, none of them are on cable TV right now (except the library stuff AmericanLife TV has). So, I guess these are "exclusive" to AOL.com, and explains why shows such as Full House, Fresh Prince, Night Court, Family Matters, Step by Step are not on here.

[spunkygirl]

OMG this is so awesome It will be great to watch Sisters again, and see the episodes of Lois and Clark I havent seen for awhile

[Pavan]

I hope we get the underrated drama Life Goes On sometime in 2006.

[Pavan]

You can view clips here:
http://www.thenewsmarket.com/CustomL...1-d241ddf82c48

[Pavan]

In2TV Fact Sheet

• Service Name: In2TV
• Parties Involved: AOL and Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution
• Consumer Launch Date: Early 2006
• What is In2TV?
o In2TV will be the largest offering of long-form episodic television programming ever made available online.
o In2TV is a new broadband network that will make thousands of full-length episodes from classic hit TV series available free and on-demand for the first time, wrapped with layers of interactivity including games, quizzes, polls, trivia contests and more.
o More than 14,000 episodes are cleared to date.

• In In2TV’s first year, we will offer:
o More than 3,400 hours of programming
o More than 100 different series
o Approximately 4,800 different episodes
o Six different channels to start, themed by genre; two more channels to come in 2006
o At least 300 episodes each month

• New series and new episodes will be added to In2TV each month.

• Channels:
o LOL TV (Comedy)– Welcome Back Kotter, Chico and The Man, Perfect Strangers, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Head of the Class
o Dramarama TV (Drama) – Sisters, Falcon Crest, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Spenser: For Hire, Eight Is Enough
o Toontopia TV (Animation)– Beetlejuice, Freakazoid, Histeria, New Adventures of Batman, Pinky and The Brain
o Heroes and Horror TV (Superheroes and Super-Villains) – Lois and Clark, Babylon V, Freddy’s Nightmares, Wonder Woman, V
o Rush TV (Action) – La Femme Nikita, Kung Fu, Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr, The Fugitive, Dark Justice
o Vintage TV (Classics) –Growing Pains, Alice, F Troop, Maverick, The FBI
o Additional channels to be added will cover the game show/reality genre and shows that were great, but canceled.

• Interactive Features:
o “Starchive” - Viral videos of stars before they were stars”: Leo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt, Jodie Foster, Gary Busey, William H. Macy, and Jay Leno for example.
o “Punchlines” - Viral videos featuring funny scenes from favorite shows
o “TV Karaoke” - Sing-along to your favorite themes with these viral video clips
o “Classic Crème de la Crème” – Programming stunt showcasing most memorable episodes of a given series each month
o “Betchadidn’tknow” – The ultimate TV trivia quiz
o “Retro Runway” – Fashion montage and gallery featuring cast of In2TV shows
o “StarFavs” – Cast members introduce via video and AIM interviews their favorite episodes
o “Where Are They Now?” – Find out where your favorite stars are now
o Show Product Pages – Bios, photo galleries, show histories, and downloads
o Thons – Month long salutes to specific series, stars, and genres with extensive episodes available online and numerous interactive features. Example: “Kotter-thon,” “Terri Hatcher-A Thon”




• Industry Research:
o Percentage of Broadband users viewing the following online in the past month:
 28% short movies
 44% movie clips or trailers
 31% live performance (concert, comedian)
 29% travel videos
 34% sports events/highlights
 29% cartoons
 44% news videos
 27% business videos
 31% full-length movies
 30% current TV programs
Source: FORRESTER RESEARCH *** CONSUMER TECHNOGRAPHICS® NORTH AMERICA, November 2005. Survey: Consumer Technographics Q2 2005 Media & Marketing Online Survey
o When asked which of the following would you be interested in doing on a laptop computer, broadband respondents replied:
 Watch pre-recorded TV shows (i.e., from my Tivo, PVR, DVR) = 30% of BB users
 Watch live TV programs over the air = 34% of BB users
 Watch short video clips (e.g., animation (JibJab), music videos, news clips, sports highlights) that I have downloaded from the Internet and stored on my PC = 33% of BB users

Source: JupiterResearch/Ipsos Insight Consumer Survey (3/05), n = 2,337 (US only)

o Online Video Consumption – A Mass Market Behavior:
 51% of Internet users have watched video at least once in the past month
 27% watch at least once a week
 5% watch daily
 35% of online video viewers watch frequently at home; 16% at work
 44% of online video viewers have taken action based on an in-stream advertisement
 Of those watching weekly:
o 2 hours 38 minutes per day of total time spent online
o 2 hours 46 minutes per day spent watching TV

Source: Online Publishers Association, Drivers & Barriers to Online Video Viewing, February 2005; Arbitron, Internet 12 The Value of Internet Broadcast Advertising, January 2004; Jupiter Research

o While TV households are trending flat through 2009, video streams are projected to increase fivefold over the same period (to nearly 1.1B viewing events per week), driving dramatic growth in associated streaming ad revenues.

Source: Nielsen, Accustream, Jupiter, AOL Internal Data

o Interest in flat-screen/plasma TVs:
 AOL users 18+ are 21% more likely than the average US adult 18+ to have a flat screen/plasma TV.
 AOL users 18+ are 17% more likely than the average US adult 18+ to be very likely or somewhat likely to buy a flat screen/plasma TV in the next 12 months.

Source: 2005 MRI Doublebase

 In year-to-date 2005 (January - September 2005), US consumers purchased 550,868 plasma TV units. AOL users purchased 136,278 plasma TV units during this period, accounting for 25%.

Source: AOL Audience Product Consumption Tracking, The NPD Group / NPD Techworld, Q3 2005




---------------

And from what I heard, In2TV is free on AOL.com, but you have to actually have AOL to view the videos. I hope this is not the case, but this is what I found out from Warner.

[whatchatalkinabout?]

Other than TV Land, American Life TV, In2TV, and Comcast's Tube Time -- are there any other networks that do or will (in the near future) cater to Boomers?