Metromedia International Group to Introduce Digital Cable TV and Internet Services in Moscow
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2000--Metromedia International Group, Inc. (AMEX:MMG), which through Metromedia International Telecommunications, Inc. ("MITI") is the owner of various interests in communications joint ventures in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and other emerging markets, today announced that it will launch digital TV services at Kosmos TV, its cable TV operator in Moscow.
Kosmos TV digital cable services, which will have the ability to reach all of Moscow's 3 million homes, will be available in October of 2000. The service will initially offer 60 digital TV channels, with the capacity to add an additional 40 channels as subscriber demand warrants. Kosmos TV offers programming with leading international cable channels such as Eurosport, Nickelodeon, CNN, CNBC and the Discovery Channel.
Digital TV will provide current and future customers of Kosmos TV a comprehensive array of flexibly priced services, comprising pay TV, pay-per-view, interactive TV, and Internet services, together with an Electronic Program Guide which will allow subscribers to obtain programming information and navigate effectively through the services. By the end of the year, Kosmos TV intends to add dial up Internet services, and later, high-speed Internet access, which will be transmitted through the same set-top box through which the TV services are provided, to tap into the fast growing Russian Internet market.
Stuart Subotnick, MMG's President and Chief Executive Officer said, "The digitalization of Kosmos TV offers MITI true convergence potential and the opportunity to maximize our relationships with other MITI companies in Moscow who can provide ISP and backbone Internet services."
"Upgrading the Kosmos TV network to offer digital cable services and Internet access gives us the ability to serve the broadest range of customers -- from those who want to see only local-market stations, to the high-end customer that demands a wide range of programming variety and high speed access to the Internet", added James Hatt, President and Chief Executive Officer of MITI.
Vyacheslav Misyulin, the General Director of Ostankina TV Tower, MITI's partner in Kosmos TV, said, "Digitalization will give us more channel capacity than any other operator servicing the Russian market and allows us to greatly increase our programming offering to meet the growing demands of a more sophisticated Moscow market." |
