Video-on-demand vendor SeaChange International last week reached an agreement to incorporate Nielsen Media Research’s television audience measurement tools onto SeaChange’s VOD platforms, which should be available for cable operators to use in the beginning of next year, a SeaChange spokesman said. “Through our partnership with Nielsen we will make it possible to present VOD data in the context of the business of ad-supported television,” said James Kelso, VP and GM of SeaChange’s broadband systems, in a statement. “Ads have always paid for television and they will be instrumental in VOD services.” A Boston-based production company is getting ready to launch XY TV, billed as “the first channel dedicated to the world of Gen X and Gen Y.” Targeting 18- to 27-year-olds, the reality-based network is currently shooting and streaming four live programs on its website at www.xy.tv: The Roomies, following five strangers who moved in together in July; Common Ave., a man-on-the-street strand; Dinner, in which the Roomies rehash their collective day; and Video Lounge Live, which serves up viewer video requests. In the wake of increased competition from satellite, credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has tightened its financial ratio guidelines for cable operators’ credit ratings. S&P, which is sponsoring a conference this week on its cable industry outlook, said it believes “slightly more financial cushion is needed to mitigate increased competition.” That competition, along with operator rate hikes, has led to the basic cable subscriber erosion several operators have experienced in recent quarters. BET‘s new fall season launches today; highlights include the 9th Annual BET Walk of Fame concert special featuring inductee Aretha Franklin (Oct. 28), the premiere of The Parkers on the network and new comedy spin-off Coming to the Stage…. Time Warner Cable Albany added free VOD channels from PBS Kids, TechTV and Court TV; Time Warner Cable Houston launched NBA TV at no additional cost to digital subs of its Sports Extra tier…. FX moved the basic cable premiere of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon from Oct. 14 to Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT…. OlympuSAT is collaborating with Wilen Media to help operators market their local market Hispanic offerings…. Scientific-Atlanta‘s WebSTAR DPC2100 cable modem has received DOCSIS 2.0 certification from CableLabs. The DPC2100 can triple the maximum upstream data capacity now possible with DOCSIS 1.1, raising the throughput to 30.72 Mbps…. Comcast Corp.‘s move to get a preliminary injunction to stop the tactics used by the city of San Jose, Calif., in its cable franchise renewal negotiations was denied by Judge Richard Seeborg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last week.

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Thursday–April 25

Title II Returns: Same Show, Different Cast

The slow march to the FCC’s Title II vote came to an end Thursday as commissioners voted 3-2 to reclassify broadband as a common carrier service with no real surprises along the way.

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