MGM HD Expands Distribution in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, February 15: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has
expanded MGM HD’s footprint in the U.S. through a number of new carriage
agreements with local cable and satellite operators, led by a new deal with
RCN.

RCN was the first to launch MGM HD, doing so earlier this
month on its Chicago system. A cluster of systems have now been added to the
channel’s broadcasting roster, including ACE Communications Group in Houston,
Minnesota; Antietam Cable in Hagerstown, Maryland; Armstrong in Butler,
Pennsylvania; Bend Broadband in Bend, Oregon; Massillon Cable TV in Massillon,
Ohio; and Millennium Telcom in Keller, Texas.

The deals come on the heels of MGM’s recent announcement
that it had signed carriage agreements with DIRECTV and Verizon.

“The promise of high definition is becoming realized with
MGM HD at the forefront,” said Douglas A. Lee, the executive VP of worldwide
digital media at MGM. “Our new carriage agreements are a clear indicator that
there is grassroots demand for MGM HD’s great brand and proposition in today’s
competitive environment. Many cable operators today are bandwidth constrained
so it’s really great they have committed valuable capacity to us, which
underscores our belief in the viability of MGM HD’s value in the marketplace.”

—By Ned Berke