(This is from Carol:)
Yoo Hoo, David!
On May 19th '97 you wrote to DAWN BIDOT:
 DM> DB> Hi, I don't know who had orginally posted about the Disney Channel
 DM> DB> putting 'commericals' during the movies,
 DM>
 DM>         Hey-- aren't channels of that type PAY TV? Why are there
 DM> commercials at all, then? That's rude! That's unfair!
Anything Disney does can be "fair", to Disney.  After all, they own the
channel and can do what they want with it.
Here's what's happening with the Disney Channel:
Disney is negotiating with cable companies all over the US to put the
channel on basic or enhanced basic programming tiers rather than on
premium "pay extra" such as HBO and Cinemax are.  The reason is that
Disney Channel wants to compete with Nickelodeon, which is a very top
rated (in terns of number of viewers) cable channel and that channel's
commercial appeal is to kids and families.  Current Disney Channel
management, BTW, does come from Nickelodeon.  Nickelodeon has
commercials to help support itself, so I suppose that the Disney
Channel will do likewise if it can get clear on enough cable systems.
On a lot of cable systems right now Disney Channel is "free" on a
basic cable tier.  In our metro area Cox Cable offers it "free" while
Time-Warner Cable still charges for it.  The "free" or "charge for it"
comes when the individual cable system, not necessarily Disney, makes
a contractual decision whether it will make more money per cable
subscriber if they offer Disney Channel "free" or "charge for it".
--Carol Koster: CKoster@neosoft.com or Fido c/o Rich Koster 1:3828/1.3
  FidoNet Disney Echo Moderator
--- April V1.0+
(1:3828/1.3)
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