MGM to Launch HD Channel on DIRECTV

LOS ANGELES, September 18:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) will launch its first wholly-owned channel in
the U.S., MGM HD, featuring classic and contemporary films in high definition,
on DIRECTV this fall.

The MGM channel is
currently available in nearly 120 countries across the globe, including an MGM
HD channel in Poland that launched last year. The U.S. launch of MGM HD was
spearheaded by Jim Packer, the co-president of worldwide television, and
Douglas A. Lee, the executive VP of worldwide digital media at MGM.

With the tagline “the way
movies were meant to be seen,” MGM HD will initially air Academy Award-winning
films such as The Black Stallion,
Usual Suspects, Leaving Las
Vegas, and West Side Story as well as other popular films like Hotel
Rwanda, Throw Momma From The
Train and RoboCop. In addition to classic MGM theatrical hits, MGM
HD aims to be the ultimate resource for serious movie fans, offering viewers an
array of original programming and new content. The new channel is backed by
MGM’s extensive film library, consisting of more than 4,100 film titles. MGM HD
will also feature exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of red carpet events,
sneak peeks at new films in production, seasonal promotions and world premieres
of newly re-mastered hits from the MGM library.

“The growth of the MGM
library and the further expansion of the MGM channels worldwide are the
studio’s primary objectives,” said Harry E. Sloan, the chairman and CEO at MGM.
“By converting MGM’s sizable library to high definition, we’ve developed a
sustainable business model for an MGM HD Channel in the U.S. We are also
fortunate to have Doug Lee, our digital media executive, who also has extensive
channels experience, to spearhead the HD opportunity for us. We believe that as
these new technologies and platforms emerge, they will be instrumental in
adding overall value to the studio.”