MGM Launches Digital Channel for U.S. Broadcast Market

LOS ANGELES, July 28:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios today unveiled THIS TV, a 24/7 linear channel
featuring films and TV shows from its library—as well as kids’ fare
courtesy of Cookie Jar Entertainment—that can be launched by local
stations seeking to generate ad revenue from their allotted digital spectrum
capacity.

MGM is partnering with
Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Company to bring THIS TV into the free-TV
market across the U.S. beginning this fall. Cookie Jar has been tapped to
handle all of the children’s programming, including FCC-approved educational
informational (EI) shows.

The move comes as the U.S.
market gears up for the February 17, 2009, analogue cutoff. THIS TV is intended
as a turnkey solution for local stations who want to take advantage of digital
multicasting, but who are finding the costs of additional content, advertising
and human resources prohibitive. The service will tap into the MGM library,
which consists of more than 4,100 films and 10,000 hours of TV programming. The
content will be overseen by Neal Sabin, the executive VP of Weigel Broadcasting
Company, who led the rollouts of the Me—TV and Me-Too classic television
formats on WCIU-TV's analogue and digital sub channels.
The rollout of THIS TV will begin immediately on Weigel broadcast
properties in Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend. Kim Bryson, the senior VP of
advertiser sales at MGM, will handle ad sales for THIS TV out of MGM’s New York
office.

“MGM is fortunate to have
one of the largest modern libraries in Hollywood, with many of our films
uniquely positioned to create a free TV digital network,” said Jim Packer, the
co-president of MGM Worldwide Television. “As our partner Weigel has proven with Me—TV, film and television content
properly marketed to a local TV audience can succeed in a multichannel
universe. MGM is also proud to be in business with Cookie Jar and we look
forward to securing many broadcast partners in the coming months.”

Sabin added: “We’ve built
a number of successful stations in competitive markets and having MGM’s rich
library of quality entertainment will provide our broadcast partners with a
distinctive advantage. The THIS TV name also gives us a number of on-air
marketing opportunities such as: ‘THIS is the place for movies,’ ‘THIS is the
channel!’ ‘Stay here for THIS’ and ‘THIS is what you’re watching’.”

Toper Taylor, the
president and COO of Cookie Jar, added: “Cookie Jar is uniquely positioned as
both an entertainment and an education company. We pride ourselves on being in
front of kids both at home and at school, entertaining and educating kids
throughout North America. We are pleased to be bringing our vast experience,
resources and library of world-class kids’ content to this venture with MGM.”

—By Mansha Daswani