N@N

RCN Adds The Ski Channel to Its Free ON DEMAND Lineup

^{Published on 2009-12-14 07:37:41 - Market Wire}
 

HERNDON, VA--(Marketwire - December 14, 2009) - [ RCN Corporation ] (NASDAQ: [ RCNI ]) has added [ The Ski Channel ] to its free RCN ON DEMAND lineup so its customers in some of the best markets for skiers in America can now watch the channel's free programs when they want. In a related announcement, The Ski Channel said that the 2009/2010 ski and snowboard season will be the greatest on record.

"Our goal is to deliver high-quality programming that our customers want and expect. Because The Ski Channel is extremely targeted to our customer base, it is a perfect fit and we're pleased to provide this exciting channel to our customers," said RCN's Strategic External Affairs and Programming Senior VP Richard Ramlall. "Now, they can watch their favorite The Ski Channel shows when it's convenient for them by selecting the VOD button on their remote or tuning to Channel One."

RCN is a leading provider of all-digital and high-definition video, high-speed internet, and premium voice services to residential and small-medium business customers, as well as high-capacity transport services to carrier and large enterprise customers.

The Ski Channel will now be available on RCN's free Video ON DEMAND in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Lehigh Valley and New York City. "There are more skiers per capita in these markets than nearly anywhere else in the country," said Chairman and CEO of The Ski Channel Steve Bellamy. "As this is going to be an incredible ski season, we look forward to deeper penetration into these areas with such a heavy concentration of skiers."

Additionally, The Ski Channel announced that this ski and snowboard season will be the best on record. "Yes Mother Nature is unpredictable, but because of a significant amount of contributing factors happening simultaneously, we at The Ski Channel are predicting that this will be the greatest ski and snowboard season of all time," said Bellamy. "There has never been a time when weather, facility, equipment and awareness have all been in perfect harmony at such a high apex."

 -- Conditions -- Resorts across the country have set historical early season openings due to unseasonably cold weather and, in some instances, staggering amounts of snow. That coupled with the fact that El Nino should bring significant amounts of snow during the season to most of the country should mean an incredible ski season. The Farmers Almanac has also forecasted an extremely snowy season. -- Olympics -- The upcoming Winter Olympics are in North America, and there will be more stories than ever emanating from Vancouver this season. Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn have already become household names. But, also Julia Mancuso, Erik Fischer, Ted Ligity and others have bona fide medal shots. There's also a Jamaican skier and a skier from Ghana competing, which will add a lot of intrigue. -- Facility -- The overwhelming majority of large resorts have made significant infrastructure improvements over the last five years to the tune of billions of dollars. New villages, trams, gondolas, base camps, lodges and hotels are largely finished now, creating incredible destinations for consumers. -- Equipment -- Ski, snowboard and clothing manufacturers are producing the best products with the best technologies in the history of their businesses. These will make the experience a lot better. -- Deals -- Never before have resorts been so aggressive with pricing. Not knowing where the economy was going, most resorts likely overreacted creating never before heard of price points for skiing and snowboarding. -- Television -- Besides the fact that the Olympics will bring a staggering amount of skiing, snowboarding and winter sports to prime time, The Ski Channel will likely have the same impact as The Golf Channel and The Tennis Channel had on Golf and Tennis. With 10s of millions of households being able to have a television destination, many people on the sidelines will get motivated to ski, snowboard and participate in mountain sports. 

About RCN Corporation

RCN Corporation (NASDAQ: [ RCNI ]), [ www.rcn.com ], is a competitive broadband services provider delivering all-digital and high-definition video, high-speed internet and premium voice services to residential and small-medium business customers under the brand names of RCN and RCN Business Services, respectively. In addition, through its RCN Metro Optical Networks business unit, RCN delivers fiber-based high-capacity data transport services to large commercial customers, primarily large enterprises and carriers, targeting the metropolitan central business districts in the company's geographic markets. RCN's primary service areas include Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley (PA), New York City, Boston and Chicago. (RCNI-G)

About The Ski Channel

The Ski Channel [ http://www.theskichannel.com ] is an original, free ad supported network delivered on cable, satellite and IPTV services, web, wireless and other means of distribution. It is the only television network devoted to the wide variety of year round mountain activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, backpacking, climbing, etc, along with many off-slope activities. The Ski Channels' content will inspire and inform audiences with magazine shows, movies, events, news, weather and programs that focus on destination travel, equipment, instruction and real estate.