Discovery Readies More HD Launches

[Gregg Lengling]

New media president Ford exits just as his hi-def plan starts to cook

By Shirley Brady and Jon Lafayette


Discovery's hi-def guru, John Ford, is stepping down this week--just as the network is expanding its HD Theater channel.

Between 25 and 30 systems are set to launch the HD network in the next few weeks, according to Discovery VP of new media Clint Stinchcomb. The programming lineup for the HD service is set to triple this year to more than 300 hours, led by TLC's Trading Spaces.

Stinchcomb also said that broadcast networks have approached Discovery about airing HD Theater content. Discovery is considering making a limited amount of programming available to broadcasters in order to promote the subscription service offered through cable and satellite operators, Stinchcomb said.

"A large number of consumers at this point receive HD with an over-the-air antenna--that is, they don't have a cable HD set-top box," he noted. "Potentially there's some real value for DHDT and our affiliates if we can convince these people to install an HD set-top box."

Discovery hopes within weeks to name a replacement for Ford, who ends his 13-year run at the network this week. Ford is president of new media for Discovery Networks U.S. and has overseen HD Theater since its launch last June. He also served as the first GM for the Learning Channel and launched Discovery Health.

Ford said there wasn't much more for him to do at Discovery now that the hi-def service is up and running. "The timing is right for personal reasons," Ford said regarding his decision to resign, adding that he has no immediate plans. He said he enjoyed working with Billy Campbell, who was named president of Discovery last May, a post for which Ford had been a candidate.

HD Theater, Ford said, is "really poised to succeed. We're getting great response from consumers."

Discovery HD Theater had been picked up by EchoStar's Dish Network, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, which owns a stake in Discovery. Charter offers HD Theater for $4.99 in the 19 markets where it provides HDTV service. Charter is also starting a new HD tier made up of HDNet, HDNet Movies and Discovery HD Theater for $9.99 a month. Cox offers HD Theater in three markets (Dallas, Las Vegas and Fairfax, Va.) for $5 to $6.99 a month. Shrewsbury Community Cablevision, a municipally run service in Massachusetts, also signed up in November.

The service was also launched by AT&T Broadband in Chicago, now part of Comcast. A Comcast spokesperson confirmed that the company is in talks with Discovery (and other programmers) about expanding its HD lineup.

Discovery is also in talks with Time Warner Cable, according to a TWC website, and last month published reports said a deal with DirecTV was imminent. Discovery execs declined to comment.

Discovery charges operators a license fee for HD Theater if an operator offers programming with an HD set-top box. The two parties split revenue if the service is carried a la carte.

THE NEXT QUESTION:
At what point will Discovery reach critical mass with ops before offering its HD service to broadcasters?
Will other ad-supported networks go forward with HDTV channels of their own?
February 10, 2003

[AndrewP]

What I think that extra charge for HD content will never work and is not helping HDTV now.
I can't even imagine to subscribe for every HDTV ch., like Bravo, Hallmark,...
ESPN HD is an easy and probably the only examption of course.

Andrew