Storm Clouds in our Future?

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Lzcutter
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Re: Storm Clouds in our Future?

Post by Lzcutter »

Had drinks with a couple of the staffers the other night and they are very upbeat about the future of the network. Due to the success of the channel, from what I understand, the channel is no longer part of the larger Turner empire portfolio but has gone back it to its roots of being a separate entity in the family of Time-Warner channels.

When TCM first started out and through the years Tom Karsch was the general manager, this was the business set-up that drove TCM successfully in the marketplace. After Karsch left the channel, the channel was managed by general manager that also managed TBS and TNT. In recent years, Jeff Gregor was the GM and after a initial immersion in TCM while handling the other Turner channels as well, became an effective and supportive GM of the channel.

Tom Karsch knew a decade ago that for TCM to survive it would have to expand its fan base and he and the staff worked hard to ensure that TCM appealed to both the older classic film fan as well as the younger, new to classic film fans. Subsequent GMs have continued to allow TCM to expand and grow. The staff has long known that TCM has become more than just a channel to its loyal fan base and they have worked hard to give that fan base more opportunities to connect not only with the channel but with other film fans with events like the Philharmonic screenings that Robert O and Ben do around the country, film screenings through out the country, the Film Festival and the Cruise.

The staff has also been aware of the changing technology that has engulfed the broadcast industry and they have also branched out into the streaming movies world with their WatchTCM app, making classic movies more accessible in more ways.

All of that has helped make TCM a prestigious part of the of Time Warner family and from the sounds of things, Time Warner is very aware of that as well as the channel's large and loyal fan base.

The new GM, Jennifer Dorian, will oversee only TCM, not the other Turner empire channels. TCM had a great deal of success when they were the stewards of their destiny and the staff I talked to is very much looking forward to having a GM that is solely devoted to the channel. She is big supporter of the channel, the staff and the events that TCM produces.

The staff is looking forward to working with her and coming up with new ideas to keep the channel innovative in the ever changing digital landscape we inhabit.

Here's hoping.......
Lynn in Lake Balboa

"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."

"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese

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movieman1957
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Re: Storm Clouds in our Future?

Post by movieman1957 »

THe storm clouds for TCM cover Verizon and Comcast. Earlier this year (and much earlier in other places) Comcast moved TCM to a Sports/Entertainment package. For another $10 a month you can enjoy what used to be part of a differnet package. THeir excuse is not enough people watch it often enough to make it worth their while to carry it as part of some of their plans. Too bad since I redid my contract a few months before they pulled it. (Seems unfair somehow.)

Verizon's problem (and my reason for leaving them years ago) was that while they carry it in most of their plans they never carried the HD channel. Makes watching The Big Country hard to see way down in the middle of the screen.

So, it is fork out the extra $10 or find another avenue and leaving COmcast behind. Somehow in this hellish year it didn't seem that important. Things change and not always for the better.
Chris

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Dan
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Re: Storm Clouds in our Future?

Post by Dan »

TCM seems to be hanging in post-AT&T takeover. I'm a Spectrum cable customer but access 'Watch TCM' in HD on my Roku using a my brother's Optimum cable login info. So I'm cheating a little. To receive TCM on Spectrum would mean paying for a bunch of channels I never watch. I can't believe that Verizon still doesn't offer TCM-HD.
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