AXN to Roll Out Sci-Fi, Crime Networks in Central Europe

BUDAPEST, July 11: Sony Pictures Television International
today announced plans to launch two new thematic channels in Poland, Romania,
Bulgaria and Hungary: AXN SCI-FI and AXN CRIME.

The ad-supported channels will be dubbed into local
languages in their markets and will also feature locally produced interstitial material. Both will deliver series on weekdays and
movies on weekends, and both new networks will be overseen by Stephen White,
the recently appointed general manager of AXN in Central Europe. “These new
thematic channels build on the success story of AXN in Central Europe since its
launch in 2003 and the move is supported by research and feedback from AXN’s
viewers which shows that there is a great demand for high quality sci-fi and
crime programming,” White said. “AXN is the first in the Central European
region to dedicate channels to these popular genres.”

AXN CRIME will offer up the SPTI series The Shield and the David Caruso police detective drama Michael
Hayes, among others, while AXN SCI-FI’s key
offerings will include Star Trek: Enterprise, Andromeda, Sliders, Charlie
Jade, Battlestar Galactica and Trucks.