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OXYGEN LAUNCHES TWO NEW NETWORKS ON VOD PLATFORM
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From Rock to Rattles
Air Karaoke and Oh! Baby to Air on Time Warner and Comcast
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA April 4, 2005 - Oxygen will launch two entirely new networks
available exclusively on VOD this June, announced Geraldine Laybourne, Chairman
and CEO of Oxygen. The two new brands- Air Karaoke and Oh! Baby - are both aimed
at Oxygen's target audience of women 18-49. The two new networks will be offered
on Time Warner this June and on Comcast later this year.
"We believe VOD is the next frontier on which to create and build new brands and
a great opportunity to get in front of millions of viewers with different kinds
of programming," said Laybourne. "Female-skewing audiences love the idea of
being able to watch wholly original content on their own schedule. There are
some kinds of programs that lend themselves to VOD as opposed to a linear
format. Oh! Baby and Air Karaoke work best on a platform that allows women to
view them whenever they want."
The two networks will be carried in ten million homes by the end of this year.
Air Karaoke
Get ready to become the next musical sensation. No talent required. Oxygen's new
VOD offering, Air Karaoke, turns everybody's TV into a karaoke jukebox. Always
available, always free, Air Karaoke will be available 24 hours a day (and night)
to anyone with a hairbrush microphone and a dream.
"When we created Oxygen, we set out to provide a home base for young women - a
place where they can relax and have fun. Now we're extending that philosophy in
a big way to the VOD platform with Air Karaoke," said Laybourne. "What better
way to let your hair down than to belt out a song in the privacy of your own
home - with no expensive equipment required!"
The network will rotate songs from a 15,000+ song library -- with sing along
lyrics and pulsating graphical backgrounds - in genres including rock, R&B and
classic oldies.
In addition to being able to sing along with Air Karaoke, viewers will have the
opportunity to submit their entries using High Speed Internet video e-mail.
Winning videos will also be available on the network.
Oh! Baby
Oh! Baby, Oxygen's VOD network for those who've gone parental, celebrates the
highs and lows of the incredible journey called parenthood. And who better to
serve as guide than the real childcare experts - other parents!
"As both a parent and a programmer it's always been my philosophy for kids to
remember to have fun and for parents to remember to have fun with their kids.
That's the guiding principle behind Oh! Baby," said Laybourne.
The network will launch with three new shows:
- Gone Parental - Every parent has a few stories that seemed like the end of the
world when it happened, and turned into funny anecdotes over time. War stories
from the frontline, real experiences told by real parents. In funny, themed
vignettes Diaper Diatribes, Play Dates from Hell and Potty Poopers.
- Oh! Baby You're on TV - Kids' random acts of hilarity caught-on-tape. Kids'
bloopers culled from more than 900 hours of submission tapes.
- Momsonline - ingenious tips from real moms who've written Oxygen. Viewer
emails are animated and voiced and Moms from all over share their pearls of
wisdom with others.
Oxygen also offers programming from its linear network to VOD viewers. Shows
including Girls Behaving Badly, Absolutely Fabulous, Snapped and Oxygen's Custom
Concerts are already available in Comcast, Time Warner and Adelphia homes. In
addition, Oxygen offers "Let's Talk Sex" with Sue Johanson - who answers
questions drawing on her wealth of knowledge and twenty-plus years of experience
as a sex educator. Sue answers the 25 questions you were always afraid to ask.
The network has hired Beth Harrison as Director of Cable Tech Initiatives.
Harrison will manage Oxygen's On Demand offerings and reports to Geoffrey Darby,
President of Production. She joins Oxygen from Time Warner's Interactive Video
Group, where she assisted in the development of Mystro TV.
A demonstration DVD featuring Oh! Baby and Air Karaoke will be available at
Oxygen's booth at NCTA's The National Show.
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