CBS CORPORATION LAUNCHES "INNERTUBE" -- A NEW BROADBAND ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL
Advertiser-Supported Channel To Offer Free, Original Entertainment Programming Expressly For Internet Users
New Content Distribution Vehicle to Draw Upon the Creative Resources and Program Brands from CBS, CBS Paramount Television, King World and Showtime
CBS Corporation today announced the launch of "innertube," a new, advertising-supported broadband channel offering a wide range of free entertainment programming to Internet users.
Premiering today, innertube will launch with a line-up of original series produced expressly for the Internet, as well as new shows that are companions to popular CBS brands. The genres for the original Internet programs will range from reality to musical performance, from entertainment magazine style to talk format, and from sketch comedy to animation.
The formation of innertube creates a new distribution channel for original material and CBS Corporation content on the Internet with programming drawn from the vast creative resources at the company's entertainment programming divisions, including CBS Entertainment, King World, CBS Paramount Network Television, CBS Paramount Domestic Television and Showtime.
In the coming months, innertube will also become a distribution outlet for streaming encore episodes from CBS's prime time line-up and for webcasts of content from CBS Corporation's vast library of 2,600 titles and 100,000 hours of television programming. It will also become an alternative programming option for series broadcast on the Network that didn't reach a mass audience, but have a loyal, passionate following that lends itself to Internet appeal.
"Our company possesses some of the world's finest entertainment programming assets and brands, and we will continue on a strategic course to find as many distribution channels and new revenue streams for them as possible," said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. "With this broadband channel, we've essentially bypassed cable and created a general entertainment outlet utilizing existing creative and content resources."
"Innertube represents CBS Corporation's latest effort to capitalize on advertising, programming and promotional opportunities within the emerging digital world," said Larry Kramer, President, CBS Digital Media. "With Internet programming destinations now in place for news (CBSnews.com), entertainment (CBS.com) and sports (CBSSportsLine.com), CBS is at the forefront of extending our programming brands to new audiences, delivering new forms of exciting content to the consumer and creating new platforms for advertisers."
"This online channel presents exciting creative possibilities and great business opportunities for CBS," said Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group. "Creatively, we want this platform to be a content playground where new talent and ideas are discovered, and proven talent can bring their passion projects -- whether complementary or different to what's on the Network. And, on the business side, the innertube programming that is connected to the Network will help create more touch points for audiences with CBS programming brands and more opportunities for advertisers to engage with our shows."
Innertube, which can be accessed from the home page of CBS.com, will initially stream three shows daily. One new program will be posted on the channel each day, Monday through Friday, making at least five new offerings on the site throughout the week. Programming will be archived and can be accessed at any time with innertube's browse function.
The slate of original programming to premiere on innertube this month will include:
� GREEK TO CHIC, a college-based makeover reality series;
� BBQ BILL, a scripted sketch-comedy series starring Rick Najera ("In Living Color," "Mad TV");
� ANIMATE THIS!, in which celebrities narrate humorous events from their personal lives that are brought to life through animation;
� Pearl Jam's exclusive "Live On Letterman" webcast concert will broadcast live on CBS.com on May 4 after their appearance on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, and will then re-stream on innertube that weekend;
� BEYOND SURVIVOR, a behind-the-scenes look at how CBS's SURVIVOR is produced, including how producers come up with the weekly participant challenges; and
� Existing CBS.com fan-favorite talk-show SURVIVOR LIVE will continue to stream live on CBS.com and be re-streamed on innertube the following day.
Additionally, several all-new original series are scheduled to debut on CBS's innertube during the summer. They include:
� INTURN, in which a group of young hopefuls live together while going through "soap opera boot camp" with the ultimate goal of being cast on the CBS Daytime hit AS THE WORLD TURNS;
� THE GREEN ROOM, an entertainment magazine show that takes a somewhat irreverent look at CBS programming;
� HOOK ME UP, a unique twist on the online-dating world;
� SHOWTIME SHORTS, a selection of quirky and comedic independent short films that aired on Showtime's pay cable service;
� Repurposed episodes of FIRE ME� PLEASE, a hidden-camera reality series that first aired on CBS;
� THE BEST OF HOUSE CALLS, featuring highlights from CBS.com's "House Calls," the Internet talk show about BIG BROTHER, which will help viewers get re-acquainted with their favorite villains and sweethearts before this summer's BIG BROTHER: ALL STARS (working title) on CBS; and
� All new, original episodes of the CBS.com talk show HOUSE CALLS, which will continue to stream live on CBS.com and then re-stream on innertube the following day, five days a week.
CBS's innertube is an advertising-supported channel and the programming is offered for free to its Internet users. The national advertisers supporting shows on innertube include Brinkmann Corporation, Cadbury Schweppes, Chili's, Pier 1 Imports and Verizon SuperPages.com.
CBS Corporation is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Television and King World), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), theme parks (Paramount Parks), digital media (CBS Digital Media Group and CSTV Networks) and consumer products (CBS Consumer Products). For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.
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