November/December Programming Update for Exclusive VOOM HDTV Channels

[Gregg Lengling]

VOOM--


    --  Exclusive VOOM HDTV Channels Delivering Unparalleled
        Programming and Picture Quality Nationwide

    --  Package of VOOM Exclusive, Commercial-Free HDTV Channels Break
        New Ground with Fashion, Arts, Lifestyle, Music, Animation,
        Sports, Movies and More in High-Definition

    It's TV unlike anything you've ever seen. Hendrix plays your
living room. Churchill is reincarnated. A motorcycle flies through
your wall. Snow White makes your jaw drop. Beyonce stops by for a set.
Milan's top designers make your den their runway. And the monsters
actually ARE under your bed.
    It's HDTV...delivered. And it's available exclusively on VOOM, the
new satellite television service and the first television service to
offer a comprehensive array of high-definition (HD) programming to
viewers throughout the United States.
    VOOM features an exclusive VOOM package of 21 brand-new,
commercial-free HDTV channels created expressly for today's rapidly
growing, but underserved HDTV audience. The 21 new HDTV channels,
which launched exclusively on VOOM in October, deliver to viewers a
diverse array of compelling programming with eye-popping HDTV picture
quality and powerful sound. A November and December programming update
for each of the 21 exclusive VOOM HD channels is attached.
    "More than 40 million consumers in the US are expected to own HDTV
sets within the next few years and the early adopters, representing as
many as six million households by year-end, shouldn't have to wait any
longer for the kind of innovative TV networks and programming that
drove the success of the cable industry," said Joshua Sapan, president
and chief executive officer of Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC, creators
of the exclusive VOOM HD channels. "Our exclusive package of 21 HDTV
channels delivers a breadth of new, revolutionary TV programming
created for the emerging HDTV platform with spectacular images,
powerful sound quality, compelling content, and a sense of immediacy
not experienced on conventional TV."
    According to Forrester Research, as many as six million households
will have HDTV-compatible televisions by the end of 2003 - double the
number of the previous year. That figure is expected to double again
by 2005 and, according to analysts, by 2007, more than 40 million
consumers will own HDTV sets.
    According to a recent study by the Consumer Electronics
Association (CEA):

    --  Consumers are overwhelmingly unaware of existing HDTV content
        - 71 percent of those surveyed said they were not very
        familiar or not at all familiar with HDTV programming;
    --  Among potential HDTV purchasers, almost 30 percent of those
        surveyed cited lack of HDTV content as an inhibitor to
        purchasing an HDTV set;
    --  An even larger percentage of consumers surveyed lack basic
        information about how to receive the full benefits of HD
        programming;
    --  74 percent of consumers were unaware that they need a set-top
        box to view HD programming; and
    --  54 percent weren't aware that owning HDTV hardware would
        enable them to view programs in HD only if the programs were
        broadcast in HD.

    Consumers across the continental United States can sign up for
VOOM at more than 1,600 Sears stores. The first national retailer to
display HD programming on its sales floor, Sears has doubled the
number of plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) TV models it offers
in 2003, and now carries 21 models from nine manufacturers.
    Consumers can also sign up by calling 1-800-GET-VOOM or visiting
//www.voom.com. During an initial preview period, as new channels
continue to be added to the service, charter members who sign up
between now and December 31, 2003 will pay no monthly programming fees
through January 31, 2004.

    About VOOM

    VOOM is the first and most complete service of high-definition
programming for the rapidly expanding home entertainment market. By
February 2004, VOOM will offer 39 premium high-definition channels to
consumers across the continental United States, including an exclusive
VOOM package of 21 brand-new, commercial-free channels such as
WorldSport, Epics and Animania. VOOM is provided by Rainbow DBS, the
satellite services division of Cablevision Systems Corporation.
Consumers may purchase the VOOM equipment and sign up for the service
through local Sears retailers, by calling 1-800-GETVOOM, or by
visiting //www.voom.com.

    NOTE TO EDITORS: To receive hi-resolution images of logos for each
of the 21 exclusive VOOM HD channels, please contact Mike Rosen or
Justin Perras of Bratskeir & Company at 212-679-2233.

               NOVEMBER/DECEMBER PROGRAMMING UPDATE FOR
                     EXCLUSIVE VOOM HDTV CHANNELS

    Featured this November and December on the exclusive VOOM package
of 21 HDTV channels:

    --  HD Cinema10: Ten different film channels that offer the
        largest selection of HD movies available anywhere.

        --  Featuring 70 movies each month in a variety of genres --
            the most wide-screen, high-definition movies available
            from any source.

        --  Upcoming Highlights include:
            --  Comedy: Mr. Mom, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Much Ado
                about Nothing, La Cage aux folles, Trail of the Pink
                Panther;
            --  Action/Adventure: The Usual Suspects, Rocky V,
                Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold;
            --  Drama: Star 80, Live Flesh, The Sheltering Sky;
            --  Crime: The Long Goodbye, Breathless, State of Grace,
                Theives Like Us, Company Business;
            --  War: Behind Enemy Lines, Salvador;
            --  Classics: Father of the Bride, Whatever Happened to
                Baby Jane; Lassie Come Home; and
            --  Musicals: April in Paris, High Society, Tea for Two,
                Hair, Clambake.

    --  Monsters HD: Scary movies taken to the next level by the power
        of HDTV. Highlights include:

        --  November: Feature Films -- More than 100 feature films
            with a dozen making their world premiere in nail-biting,
            hair-raising HD. Movies include George Romero's classic
            horror films, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the
            Dead and Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson's Dead Alive.

        --  November 27 (Thanksgiving Special): GIANT "MANSTER"
            MARATHON -- a parade of Giant monster men attack on
            Thanksgiving including cult favorites The War of the
            Gargantuas and The War of the Colossal Beast.

        --  November 28: THRILLBILLY MARATHON -- it's all about
            chainsaws and maniacs. Movie marathon includes the
            original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Texas Chainsaw
            Massacre 2, Motel Hell and Madman.

        --  December 10: WHEN MONSTER ANIMALS ATTACK -- nature runs
            amok in a movie marathon featuring monster bears
            (Grizzly), sharks (Tintorera), bugs (Bug) and octopus
            (Tentacles and Octaman).

        --  December 25 (Christmas Special): ZILLA THRILLA CHRISTMAS
            -- a double, double feature with Japan's favorite
            radioactive monster, Godzilla, and Japan's favorite flying
            turtle, Gamera. Titles airing include Godzilla vs. The
            Thing, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, Gamera: Attack of Legion
            and Gamera: Revenge of Iris.

        --  December 31 and January 1: NEW YEAR'S EVIL MARATHON --
            it's a Super Psycho Bowl of horror films featuring movie
            maniacs Michael Myers (Halloween 4 and Halloween 5), Jason
            Voorhees (Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Friday
            The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, and Friday The 13th Part
            VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan), and Leatherface (Texas
            Chainsaw Massacre, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and
            Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3).

    --  Epics HD: A cinematic celebration of the silver screen with
        magnificent stories and music, all about heroes, noble
        journeys and the triumphant human spirit. Highlights include:

        --  November: The Madness of King George -- an Oscar-winning
            costume drama re-telling the story of King George III
            following the loss of the American colonies with
            Oscar-nominated performances from Nigel Hawthorne and
            Helen Mirren. See in high-definition why it won the Oscar
            for its gorgeous Art Direction-Set Decoration.

        --  November: Jimi Hendrix at the Isle of Wight -- the HD
            premiere of the classic Hendrix performance from the
            United Kingdom's legendary Isle of Wight Festival.

        --  December: Featured Films -- the world HD premiere of the
            Oscar-winning best foreign film, The Official Story. Plus
            The Eagle Has Landed, the truly Epic story of Winston
            Churchill and

[StarvingForHDTV]

Well it certainly sounds like they are up and running.  According to their website:  http://www.voom.com/index.jsp  The free programming has been extended until 2/29/04...

I don't know how many more empty promises and lies I can take from Dish network...

Thanks for the info Gregg.

Starving