Minding the Store: Comcast Shopping VOD Content to MSOs

Comcast is aggressively expanding its original VOD channels-no surprise there-but it’s also sharing them with other operators. The MSO continues to expand its Select on Demand magazine-style content, and on Fri it launched Discover Pittsburgh Country, which promotes the region in partnership with state tourism officials and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Both offerings are being shopped to other cable operators at break-even prices so as not to gouge Comcast’s cable brethren: Select on Demand content to any interested systems in the country, and Discover Pittsburgh Country to other cable providers in SW PA. Comcast could not be reached for comment. The goal is to shore up the cable industry’s VOD dominance and counter DBS’s mock VOD marketing. Matt Strauss, vp of VOD programming investments and the shopkeeper of its Select on Demand boutique, announced last week that he is boosting its stockroom from 12 offerings to more than 40 by the end of this year. He just added one more, featuring SOD’s 1st household name: Charlie Rose. Departing from Select’s generic categories of content to date, the venerable public television host interviews stars ranging from Mick Jagger to Morgan Freeman. – Shirley Brady