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Gospel Music Channel joins Comcast(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 28--Maybe prayer helped. When two Atlanta entrepreneurs launched the Gospel Music Channel a year and a half ago, they faced an uphill battle. Getting a new TV network off the ground is nearly impossible in today's market. But Charley Humbard and Brad Siegel have landed deal after deal to grow their network, which is a kind-of VH1 for the Christian market. The network today will announce its biggest coup yet -- a deal with Comcast, the largest cable operator in the country, and distribution in two major Comcast markets, Atlanta and Nashville. "This is, by far, the biggest thing that has happened to us," Humbard said. Cable operators, who already offer consumers a seemingly endless array of network choices, want to conserve most remaining bandwidth for services like video-on-demand. Therefore, it can be difficult for a new network to get picked up. It is especially hard for entrepreneurs, who must compete with the latest offerings from established companies like Discovery and Scripps. Gene Shatlock, regional senior vice president for Comcast in Atlanta, said he typically adds just one or two networks a year. "The way we look at it is, 'What do networks who come to talk to us bring to our customers in Atlanta?' " he said. He said he likes that the Gospel Music Channel shows many different genres of gospel music, therefore appealing to a broader swath of Comcast customers. In Atlanta, the network will launch on the premium digital tier, known as Digital Plus, on April 3 on Channel 189. About 37 percent of Comcast subscribers get Digital Plus. Jack Myers, editor of MediaVillage.com, said the Gospel Music Channel is succeeding because it offers something different from other networks. "They serve a core constituency who aren't getting their favorite kind of music anywhere on TV," Myers said. The Gospel Music Channel, which has been on the air since October 2004, airs music videos from big-selling gospel acts like Casting Crowns, as well as biography shows about popular performers and a talent show in the vein of "American Idol." The network has a sophisticated, commercial feel, more like MTV, VH1 or Country Music Television than stereotypical religious television. It features a broad mix of musical genres, from country to hip-hop to soul. You won't find preaching or solicitations for donations. The network makes money from advertising and cable fees, like other commercial networks such as Lifetime and ESPN. Founder Charley Humbard, son of well-known televangelist Rex Humbard, grew up singing with his family on television in the '70s. He left religious television behind for a successful career in mainstream cable television, rising to the level of senior vice president at Discovery Networks. In 2001, he left Discovery in search of an entrepreneurial venture, eventually deciding to combine his childhood passion for gospel music with his professional experience in cable television. Brad Siegel, who formerly headed up TNT, TBS and the other entertainment networks at Turner Broadcasting System, joined as vice chairman. Because of their industry experience, Humbard and Siegel knew they faced a tough challenge. The first big hurdle was raising money, and Humbard spent more than a year wooing investors before signing a deal with two New York investment firms. The next step was landing deals for distribution. Cox Communications was the first big cable company to sign on, and later Charter Communications did a deal. (Cox Communications, like The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a unit of Cox Enterprises.) When the network launched at a party in Atlanta, Humbard said his one disappointment was that he hadn't landed a deal in Atlanta on Comcast yet. He did plenty of things to woo Comcast. In addition to pitching executives locally and at Comcast headquarters in Philadelphia, he tried to stir up passion in mega-churches and on Christian radio in Atlanta. If he could persuade gospel fans to call Comcast and request the network, Comcast would feel the pressure. In January 2005, he held a luncheon for local ministers, showing them programming from the network and asking for their help. His strategy worked. He said Comcast in Atlanta has received more than 30,000 requests. In a couple of weeks, Atlanta will hold the National Show, an annual trade show put on by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. Starry-eyed entrepreneurs will set up booths, distribute business plans and plead with cable operators for distribution. Humbard and Siegel know how the entrepreneurs feel. They introduced their network to the industry at the National Show in 2004. Not willing to spend the money for a booth, they did their PowerPoint presentation in a hotel suite. This year, they'll use the event as an opportunity to celebrate their successes, with gospel artists performing every hour on a stage at the network's large booth. The journey, however, is far from over. The network still needs a deal with the satellite operators, DirecTV and EchoStar Communications, and with No. 2 cable operator Time Warner. They also want to add a beverage company and a fast-food company to their blue chip list of advertisers, which already includes Ford, Kraft and Unilever. "This next 18 months, we have to be selling it hard," Humbard said. "You have to use this kind of momentum." |