OnScreen Media Summit: Cox focuses on VOD platform

FROM MCN: Operator would be 'fast-follower' to TV Everywhere

By Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News -- Video Business, 10/21/2009

OCT. 21 | FROM MCN: For Bob Wilson, senior VP of programming Cox Communications, television is still about the small screen, rather than the computer screen.

Citing statistics indicating that 98% of viewing still takes place on TV, Wilson said Cox will continue to invest its attention on "TV Anytime," rather than "TV Everywhere" models that are consuming much of the industry's focus these days.

Wilson, speaking at the second annual Broadcasting Cable/Multichannel News OnScreen Summit here Wednesday, said Cox is "listening to the TV Everywhere discussions," but isn't inclined at the moment to expend a lot of resources there. He hedged that position by noting that "if we have to react, we will be fast-followers."

Rather, Cox remains invested in its My Primetime video on demand platform, which gives the operator's digital subscribers access to 50-60 shows from 20 networks for up to five weeks, following their linear debuts. As such, up to 250 episodes are available for screening, with subscribers unable to fast-forward through the commercials.

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