Telewest Broadband sets out its telly vision

TV-on-demand expansion and analogue switchover plans confirmed

May 12, 2005 - London, UK - Telewest Global, Inc. today announced plans   to transform its TV service, giving consumers greater access to, and control   over additional digital programmes. Key elements of the transformation include:

• Completed rollout of TVOD by early 2006
• Significant expansion of on-demand programming; and
• Phased analogue switchover

The cable company outlined the expansion of its television-on-demand (TVOD)   service, following its initial launch in January, confirming that it intends   to complete the national rollout of TVOD to over one million digital TV customers   by early 2006.

Telewest Broadband is also widening the range of on-demand programming available, boosting the existing movie service, which now shows over 200 current and library titles. The extended TVOD service will include the best of the previous week's programmes, including 60 hours of BBC content, at no extra cost to customers.

There will also be a mix of free and subscription services including popular TV series, music videos and niche content. Additional agreements are confirmed with Flextech, Nickelodeon and adult programming (including Playboy and TVX Fantasy channels), while negotiations with other programmers continue apace.

Following the initial launch of TVOD in Bristol, Telewest Broadband will make the service available region by region throughout the second half of this year, starting with 26,000 customers in Cheltenham who are set to receive the service in early July.

Telewest Broadband also announced a phased analogue switchover programme, aiming to migrate its remaining 171,000 analogue TV customers to digital by the end of 2006, supporting government plans to switch off the national analogue TV signal by 2012. Telewest Broadband has the highest percentage of TV customers taking digital, currently 87%, of any cable company in Europe and North America.

Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest said: "We are transforming TV as we know it by giving consumers both a superb choice of programmes and the flexibility to watch them whenever they want. We don't ever want to hear our customers say there's nothing on the box or that   they have missed their favourite programme.
 
"And while digital TV goes from strength to strength, analogue has finally had its day."

Out of those customers who already have access to the TVOD service, over half have already watched a movie. Saturday evening is the most popular time to choose a movie and the top selling films to date are The Stepford Wives, 50 First Dates and King Arthur. The highest selling evening to date was Valentine's night, when our romantics in Bristol chose The Ladykillers as their number one movie choice!

The TVOD service gives customers instant access to a vast library of films and TV programmes, available via the remote control and existing set top box. It provides the same controls as watching a DVD or video - once a programme is selected, customers can watch it when they want, pause, fast forward and   rewind.

Telewest Broadband is investing around £20 million in the development of TV-on-demand and personal video recorder (PVR) services in 2005. Telewest Broadband's 160Gb PVR service, which includes three tuners and is HDTV compatible, will be available in the second half of 2005.

Consumers can find out more about Telewest Broadband's bundle of digital TV, broadband internet and telephone services at www.telewest.co.uk.