Verizon FiOS TV Launches New Channels


	Verizon FiOS TV Launches New Channels Posted by Eric Rabe in Video on July 01, 2008, 05:09 PM EST Add to: Del.icio.us \| Digg \| Reddit

A little less than a month ago, I gave PolicyBlog readers a preview of the new content coming to FiOS TV screens this summer. I said then that we’d start adding new HD and standard-definition channels in July. Today, we’ve announced the first in a series of channel launches that will give FiOS TV customers even more programming choices. FiOS TV customers in Fort Wayne, Ind., are the first to receive the new FiOS TV channel lineup that now includes 15 additional HD channels including Animal Planet, Big Ten Network, Versus/Golf, History Channel, Smithsonian Channel and the Weather Channel. We’ve also added seven new standard definition channels including RFD TV. The next series of content additions, which are coming soon to Fort Wayne, will include more HD channels and 16 new multicultural channels. Today’s press release has a list of the new channels that are now available and those that we’ll add next. Although not announced today, other content we hope to offer includes MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass and NHL Center Ice, among others. During the next few months, we’ll roll out the new channels to our other regions where FiOS TV is available. You can look for an announcement about the second market to get the new channels very soon. We will continue expanding the FiOS TV channel lineup this year, with a major focus on HD content, and by year end, Verizon will carry all available major HD programming. We are excited to bring this additional programming to our FiOS TV customers, and we’re looking forward to making good on our commitment to lead the industry in the scope and quality of our programming.

107 Comments

107 Comments


Can you please just try and get TBS HD before the MLB Playoffs this year?
Posted by: John on July 01, 2008, 08:16 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

I converted over to FIOS more than a year ago, and have been very happy. There is one question that I have never gotten an official answer for. It has been rumored that Cablevision, on Long Island NY, has a exclusive distribution arrangement with MSNBC. Is this true? Verizon FIOS offers MSNBC in other markets that they serve. Will Long Island ever get MSNBC?
Posted by: Marvin Kirschenbaum on July 01, 2008, 10:21 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Please work out a deal with those of us in the markets surrounding NYC to bring MSG HD before the start of the 2008-09 NHL Hockey Season. Thanks
Posted by: Tim on July 02, 2008, 08:44 AM EST \| Comment Permalink

It's great news that Verizon is finally rolling out some new HD channels. What I don't understand is, why not announce the dates for all the regions at once instead of one region at a time? It's painful to sit there watching certain channels in SD while wondering if the channel will be available in HD in a few days or a few months. Also, how does this delayed roll out of new channels affect the promise Verizon made last November about having 150 HD channels by end of 2008? I hardly think any of the customers will consider that promise being succesfully fulfilled if only one or two markets have all those channels by year's end. Is it just the analog shutoff that is taking the most time? And once that is completed will new HD channels get added a lot faster? I would think once all markets have lost analog, adding the remaining of the 150 HD channels would happen lickety split. So what can you tell us?
Posted by: drx on July 02, 2008, 10:08 AM EST \| Comment Permalink

Marvin, We are offering MSNBC in many parts of the NY Metro area where we're able to do so. For those areas that cannot currently receive MSNBC, we will offer the channel during the Olympic games so that none of our FiOS TV customers miss any of the Olympics action. As some of you already know, distribution rights currently are not granted to Verizon FiOS in markets where Cablevision is the incumbent provider. We have MSNBC on our lineup everywhere except the NY Metro area. Unfortunately, I can’t say when this restriction will end, but we hope to be able to offer MSNBC to our customers in the region as soon as possible. Eric
Posted by: Eric Rabe on July 02, 2008, 04:47 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Please get the BTN to all of the "Big Ten" States prior to the start of football season. I signed up for FIOS TV when you could no longer select verizon as a "Carrier to e-mail" on the site, which signaled that a deal had been reached. It would be a waste not to have it for football season. Everyone else in the Philadelphia area has BTN (Dish, Direct TV, even Comcast). If FIOS is going to be a leader in HDTV, why are you lagging last? The view of the race never changes unless you are first, so how long until you are the provider with the most HD content?
Posted by: Ken on July 02, 2008, 05:42 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Honestly its about time. I signed up for FIOS service in the Tampa area as soon as it was offered (first one on the block). I did so because I was told of the unlimited bandwidth which would allow for more HD channels. As it stands today there is no comparison in the number of channels between Verizon and DirectTV. If by the start of the NFL season Verizon has not signficantly increased their HD content...I'm off to DirectTV where I can get all the HD content available PLUS NFL Ticket. Get moving Verizon and get the HD channels/selections you advertised to get us to get us to switch providers.
Posted by: Jeff on July 02, 2008, 11:29 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

DRX, It’s great to see customers excited about the growing programming choices on FiOS TV. In the next several months, all of our markets will get the new channels we announced on July 1. We’re notifying customers by mail approximately 30 days prior to the launch of the new channels in their market, so watch for your notification. By the end of 2008, we will offer all available major HD programming in all our markets. We’ll have the capacity to offer 150 HD channels, as we estimated last November, but, of course, we rely on programmers to offer HD channels of interest to customers, so what’s available to us will determine what we are able to offer. For instance, in some markets, local programming may not be available in HD yet. But whatever the number, we will be the leader in offering exciting programming, and in HD, bar none. As you suggest, making the switch to all digital is a key part of adding new programming, and, once that process is finished, we will indeed be able to add programming more easily. Eric
Posted by: Eric Rabe on July 03, 2008, 03:02 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

You mention RFD-TV as an added channel, but I don't see it listed on any of the channel line-ups on www.verizonfios.com. Are you really adding this channel?
Posted by: Paul on July 04, 2008, 08:30 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Verizon's blocking _all_ of Northern NJ from receiving MSNBC, not just Cablevision-covered areas. I reside in Comcast territory yet am unable to receive MSNBC. Ditto for tens of thousands of others who are eligible for FIOS TV. Verizon is well aware of why and how this is being done ( to simplify rights management, instead of creating an additional channel map for those who are eligible, they send the same one with MSNBC disabled to all of Northern NJ). Stopping short of CV deal (NBC's to blame, not Verizon), VZ has to bite the bullet and create a different channel map for the eligible crowd. The CV deal has a list of affected ZIP codes. Using that and customer's service ZIP, it is no rocket science to set up non-CV subs for MSNBC.
Posted by: Rashid Karimov on July 05, 2008, 08:15 AM EST \| Comment Permalink

Eric, Above you wrote, "We are offering MSNBC in many parts of the NY Metro area where we're able to do so." That's not true. We in the Red Bank-Rumson area are blocked from MSNBC, even though our area was never serviced by Cablevision. We (and many of our friends and neighbors) have daily discussions about how much longer we will be willing to wait in this crucial election year before switching back to Comcast, just for MSNBC and their excellent political coverage. Bonnie
Posted by: Bonnie on July 05, 2008, 01:08 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Will verizon be offering the Big Ten Channels by Aug 30, 2008 (OSU football) in the Flower Mound, Tx area? Two of Ohio State's first 3 games are covered only by the BTN. We would prefer not to switch to a competing service as we are otherwise happy with Verizon.
Posted by: Joe McKinley on July 06, 2008, 12:26 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Eric, love your blog and love the HD picture I get with FIOS. One channel that I have been asking about since I got FIOS last November is our regional FOX Sports Net HD (FSN SD is channel 66, Mario's number, coincidence, I think not :-). With the Penguins doing so good, we would love to see them in HD in the Fall (866 maybe?). Can you give any update there?
Posted by: John Brown on July 07, 2008, 01:01 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Eric, one channel here in Pittsburgh (love FIOS's picture by the way, it is awesome) that we have not been able to get an update on is Fox Sports Net (channel 66) in HD. With the Penquins doing well, we would love to be able to see them in the fall in HD. I know you can't commit to anything, but can you give any kind of update?
Posted by: JB on July 07, 2008, 01:34 PM EST \| Comment Permalink

Joe, as we’ve said previously, customers will be notified 30 days before the new channels are added. Hope you can stick around as we're pushing hard to get these done.
Posted by: Eric Rabe on July 08, 2008, 10:02 AM EST \| Comment Permalink

Paul, RFD TV will be on channel 247 in Fort Wayne. You have to look at the online channel lineup specific to Fort Wayne to see it.
Posted by: Eric Rabe on July 08, 2008, 10:05 AM EST \| Comment Permalink

Rashid, We have made some progress in offering MSNBC in Northern New Jersey, and we’re already offering it to customers in some areas that are eligible for the channel. By “eligible,” I mean areas in Northern New Jersey that are outside of Cablevision territory. Over the next few months, we’ll make MSNBC available in other eligible communities, so watch for it if you’re not receiving it today.
Posted by: Eric Rabe on July 08, 2008, 10:20 AM EST \| Comment Permalink