Choice exec VP ankles
Distrib focusing on brand
Viewer's Choice is in the process of reducing the sales function in favor of a forceful drive to get out the word that "Viewer's Choice is the first place that people can go to get movies on television," said Mindy Herman, who became president and CEO of the company less than a month ago.
Bedell was unavailable for comment, but Herman said the new plan to focus on creating a brand identity for Viewer's Choice clearly would have reduced Bedell's role if he had decided to stay.
Herman said she plans to work with the company's shareholders to "figure out the best way to brand our service." She added that V.C. also will solicit opinions from other cable operators and from the Hollywood studios that supply the movies and the entrepreneurs who produce pay-per-view events.
"Movies and events are still our core product," Herman said. As more cable systems rebuild their plant and expand their channel capacity, V.C. will find more buyers for its full 36-channel service.
This expansion would fatten V.C.'s revenues, allowing it, Herman said, to compete better with video stores in getting movies to subscribers earlier than it does now. On some movies that price themselves low enough to sell through in stores, V.C. may have to wait three months to schedule the movie.
