Verizon has signed a programming and distribution agreement
with Turner Broadcasting System as it prepares to ratchet up pressure on
its cable and satellite competitors.
The deal will make CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies
available through the Baby Bell’s fiber-to-the-home
“Our customers will enjoy the quality programming from Turner Broadcasting
that appeals to so many different types of viewers and continues to sustain
top-of-the-charts ratings,” Terry Denson, vice president of video
programming and content marketing, said in a statement.
Denson, a former executive at Insight Communications, MTV Networks and ABS,
was hired by Verizon in September to negotiate
deals like this one.
Verizon apparently didn’t have a problem negotiating with Time Warner, TBS’s
corporate parent, which also owns Time Warner Cable.
Verizon expects its TV-over-fiber initiative, dubbed Fios TV, will
eventually carry hundreds of digital channels, high- definition programming,
video-on-demand and interactive programming guide.
The New York-based carrier is constructing its fiber networks — which will
also carry voice and high-speed data services — in half the states where
it offers landline communications.
In May, Verizon and SBC suffered a setback when Texas
lawmakers adjourned
without passing a bill designed to accelerate TV- over-fiber rollouts.
The measure would have allowed the Baby Bells to petition the public
utilities commission for a statewide video franchise license rather than
negotiate deals with each community, a process that can take between six and
18 months.
Verizon and SBC are now focusing their efforts on federal legislation.