AOL, Warner Bros. Craft Oldies Broadband TV Service

AOL, Warner Bros. Craft Oldies Broadband TV Service

Alan Breznick, Principal Analyst, Heavy Reading

November 15, 2005

1 Min Read
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Been dying to watch "Kung Fu," "Perfect Strangers," "Chico and the Man" and other old TV shows on your PC? If so, then AOL and Warner Bros. have just the ticket for you. Earlier today the two Time Warner Inc. divisions unveiled a new venture, In2TV, that will deliver thousands of "vintage" TV series to broadband users over AOL's popular Web site, starting sometime in January. The free, advertiser-supported service will allow online users to watch full-length episodes from such old series as "Welcome Back Kotter," "Falcon Crest," "Spencer: For Hire" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" on an on-demand basis. In its first year, plans call for In2TV to stream up to 4,500 hours of video programming from 107 shows produced by Warner Bros. The venture will not offer any current TV programs, at least not at first. Nor will it offer any shows from Time Warner's own WB Network. In fact, only programs that are so old that they're no longer offered in broadcast syndication will be available. If the venture proves successful, AOL and Warner Bros. executives eventually hope to serve up first-run TV programming and even original shows exclusive to the broadband medium. But don't your breath just yet. First, let's see how much broadband demand there really is for reruns of "Eight is Enough."

About the Author

Alan Breznick

Principal Analyst, Heavy Reading

Alan Breznick is a business editor and research analyst who has tracked the cable, broadband and video markets like an over-bred bloodhound for more than 20 years.

As a senior analyst at Light Reading's research arm, Heavy Reading, for six years, Alan authored numerous reports, columns, white papers and case studies, moderated dozens of webinars, and organized and hosted more than 15 -- count 'em --regional conferences on cable, broadband and IPTV technology topics. And all this while maintaining a summer job as an ostrich wrangler.

Before that, he was the founding editor of Light Reading Cable, transforming a monthly newsletter into a daily website. Prior to joining Light Reading, Alan was a broadband analyst for Kinetic Strategies and a contributing analyst for One Touch Intelligence.

He is based in the Toronto area, though is New York born and bred. Just ask, and he will take you on a power-walking tour of Manhattan, pointing out the tourist hotspots and the places that make up his personal timeline: The bench where he smoked his first pipe; the alley where he won his first fist fight. That kind of thing.

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