Cable/Satellite Programming Beats Broadcast Ratings

For the first week ever, more households tuned to basic cable and satellite programming during prime time than the four major broadcast networks combined, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The ratings reversal came during the week of June 22-28. The figures were released earlier this week. Some point out, however, the ratings came out during a slow period for the broadcast networks.

For that week, basic cable's prime-time schedule averaged a 23.2 rating/45 share, compared with a 23.0/45 for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC combined.

Cablevision's Rainbow Unit Prepares Local Content

Cablevision Systems' Rainbow Media unit will launch three new New York-area cable channels in August, selections that will offer arts and guides to cultural activities, instructional programs and traffic and weather information.

The new channels are expected to be cable-exclusive, delivered by fiber optic cable. Rainbow will spend $100 million to launch the three channels and is hiring about 150 persons for the start-up. Programming will be produced in an alliance with WNET, the New York public television station.

"We felt there was a vacuum in local television programming," said Josh Sapan, Rainbow chief executive. "There's almost nothing on that's local."

One channel, Metroguide, will offer arts and entertainment programming, focusing on non-profit performances in the New York region, and an electronic guide to entertainment, restaurants, nightlife, shopping and children's activities. Metro Learning Center will offer instructional programs to teens in the afternoon hours and to adults in the evening. Another channel will offer Metro Traffic and weather.

Rainbow said the channels will be included in Cablevision's basic offerings to 2.4 million subscribers in the area.

DirecTV Japan Denies Subscriber Loss Reports

DirecTV Japan denied a magazine report published earlier in the week that it was losing new customers by the tens of thousands to rival SkyPerfecTV.

"This is absolutely incorrect," said Gareth C. C. Chang, chairman of DirecTV Japan. "We are proceeding very well in converting SkyPort subscribers to DirecTV."

The Japanese monthly magazine "Foresight" reported in its June issue that 30,000 to 40,000 viewers offered free DirecTV tuners and dish sets had instead chosen to join SkyPerfecTV, partly owned by news Corp. and others.

The article reported that DirecTV was having trouble recruiting subscribers from another service, SkyPort, and that those subs were heading over to SkyPerfecTV. Chang said more than 50 percent of the subscribers of its satellite broadcasting partner had already converted to DirecTV. He expects 70 percent to 80 percent of SkyPort customers to shift to DirecTV by the end of September, when SkyPort plans to end its analog service.