Backchannelmedia

San Gabriel Valley Tribune

By Kevin Smith, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Calif.

Jul. 5--If movies are your thing, Rod Perth's your man.

Perth is the president of ReelzChannel, a new network that will debut to more than 28 million subscribers nationwide.

The network -- previously known as Moviewatch -- won't show movies.

But it will probably tell you everything you'd ever want to know about them. It will focus on films that are available right now -- from theatrical releases to DVD, Video-on-Demand, rental, and pay channels like HBO and Showtime.

"This is a new cable and satellite channel dedicated to being an entertainment authority on everything about movies," said Perth, who lives in San Marino. "As sports is to ESPN and food is to the Food Channel, movies will be to ReelzChannel. We're going to develop programming that's entertaining and helps you decide what movies you want to see -- either in theaters or any other window of release."

The network will feature such offerings as movie trivia games, round-table discussions about current films, behind-the- scenes information about movies in production and features on actors struggling to make it in the business, Perth said.

ReelzChannel has affiliation agreements with Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight Communications, Mediacom Communications, and Time Warner Cable, which includes Bright House Networks.

Pulling the project together has been a long and complicated process, according to Perth.

"This took a long time because we had to wait until we could secure distribution agreements with as many cable and satellite operators as we could to get as many eyeballs as possible," he said. "In our business, that's the toughest of all challenges. And there are only a handful of decision makers around with all of the industry consolidation that's occurred."

The work, he said, has been well worth the effort.

"It's incredibly satisfying," he said. "I lived through a stage of immense anxiety because of the time frame in which we had to build and deliver this," he said. "Now we're in the build-it-as-fast-as-you-can mode. Every single day, I come home exhausted. But at the same time I'm satisfied that we have moved our objective forward by a couple of miles."

Stanley E. Hubbard, CEO of Hubbard Media Group, which founded the network, figures ReelzChannel will provide viewers with a movie experience unlike any other.

"In this environment of ever-expanding movie options, at home and in theaters, ReelzChannel will be the only channel dedicated exclusively to movies," he said in a prepared statement. "Our programming will be entertaining, informative and always fresh."

Perth has lots of experience in the entertainment industry.

He spent several years as president of USA Network Entertainment and as executive vice president of programming. Before that, he was senior vice president of late night and non-network programming at CBS Entertainment and was instrumental in bringing David Letterman to the network.

Currently based out of the Los Angeles office of ReelzChannel, Perth is humble about his success and attributes much of it to the corporate executives who have helped to move the project forward.

"We've built up a team that is hard-working and capable," he said. "We're building a culture that is inclusive, fun and honest. We're convinced that we're doing something that is unique."

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Copyright (c) 2006, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Calif.

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