36 More HD Channels This Year - What Will They Be?

[phrelin]

Anyone else care to speculate on what the 36 new HD channels (150-114=36) will be?

We're still missing from the March 10 Charlie Chat:

Rainbow Group: AMC, IFC
Viacom Group: BET, CMT, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1

But the Rainbow channels are tied to the unresolved VOOM dispute and the Viacom channels aren't HD yet. The Viacom Group includes Comedy Central and Spike.

Maybe Charlie and Rupert had lunch and worked out their differences. Then we might see channels from a list that includes: Fox Business Network, Fox Classics, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fox Reality, Fx, SPEED Channel, Fuel TV and the various Fox sports channels.

I suppose we'll get some of the remaining 9 Showtime Package premiums added, hopefully including Sundance although CBS Corp sold it to Rainbow Media in March. If Charlie makes peace with Rainbow, they own WE. Of couse they also own VOOM.

And maybe up to 5 more Encore channels that are part of the AT250.

Of course they could just add some part-time sports channels, VOD, and that 36 will have been filled.

[HDRoberts]

I was thinking about this a bit myself today. I found an intersting (although not entirely accurate and exhaustive) list at wikipedia of HDs available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cable_and_satellite_televisi on_networks_in_High_Definition

Just looking at basic national channels, I see 21, plus 8 "coming soon" probably by the end o the year. Most are from 4 big conglomerates not yet represented well on Dish.

Viacom - 6 channels: MTV, VH1, CMT, Spike, Nick, and Comedy Central (Coming Soon)
Fox - 5 channels: FX, Fox News, Fox Business, Speed, and Fuel
Rainbow Media - 4 channels: AMC, IFC, Fuse, and WE
Comcast (et al) 3 channels: Golf/Versus separated, E! (Coming Soon), and MOJO (co-owned by some other cable cos)

There are several from nets they've works thing out with for a number of other channels:
NBC Universal - 3 channels: Chiller, Sleuth, and MSNBC, although none seem to exist yet.
Disney: ESPNU is out next month
Discovery: BBCAmerica is coming soon
Turner: truTV is coming soon
Crown Media: Hallmark is coming soon

I wonder if any of the agreements already worked out with these providers cover any of these channels soon to be coming.

There are also several independents:
Wealth
RFDtv
MavTV
Outdoor Channel

There are of course several premiums not yet carried: Moremax, several Showtimes, and TMC.

There are several RSNs not carried in HD, YES network, MSG, and others.

And Penthouse is supposed to be in HD.;)

So with basics, premiums, and RSNs, there are plenty of HDs available.

Hopefully they can bury the hatchet with Viacom, Fox, and Rainbow.