New Viacom net spurs intrigue

April 21, 2008 Cable industry observers were left wondering whether the newly anticipated pay TV channel is for real or simply a bluff in continued negotiations between Showtime and the three venture partners, which have long-term movie output deals with the pay cabler. Another point of confusion has been exactly which cable tier the new network will be targeting; some statements by Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman alluded that the new outlet won't necessarily be a pay TV channel as the press release suggested. On Sunday, the venture partners hinted at a possible twist in the traditional pay cable business model that creates an approach different from that of HBO, Showtime and Starz.

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