Telewest unveils digital TV platform
Active to offer services 'a la carte,' launches Oct. 29
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Many of Telewest's channels will be "a la carte," meaning customers can pick and choose individual services to which they wish to subscribe -- a feature the competition doesn't offer.
Platform, to begin rolling out Oct. 29, includes 50 channels showing first-run movies at 15-minute intervals. Telewest will soon also offer video- on-demand, which chief exec Tony Illsley calls the "killer application."
Active Digital's five basic packages begin with 18 channels with telephone lines costing £13.00 ($21.70) per month. From there, subs can add on any premium channel for about $3.00 monthly and access the pay-per-view services. The set-top boxes include a high-speed modem for Internet access.
Telewest expects to be able to reach 50% of the 4.3 million homes situated within its franchises by Christmas, 90% by June 2000.
Meanwhile, NTL -- the U.K.'s other cable company -- is reportedly in talks with the Trinity Mirror media group to acquire cable web L!ve TV.
If such a deal is consummated, NTL, which has had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with L!ve, might revamp the channel, if not replace it. NTL would not comment on the speculation.
The commercial rollout of NTL's digital platform has been delayed until next year, in part because of its agreed $13 billion takeover of the residential business of Cable & Wireless Communications.
An NTL spokesman said the operator's offerings would be far more comprehensive than those of the existing competition, SkyDigital and ONdigital, or of Active Digital.
