UK cable TV consortium General Cable Plc, NTL Inc, Telewest Communications Plc and Diamond Cable Ltd has launched a new movies-on-demand service under the market name Front Row. The service is the first initiative by the UK cable industry to deal directly with the film studios, so breaking the virtual monopoly of Rupert Murdoch controlled satellite company British Sky Broadcasting Plc which owns the rights to major cable and satellite TV programs and sport in the UK. The companies have protested over the prices charged by BSkyB for its programming. Front Row will be available to all cable TV customers of the four cable companies and will launch in February with what the companies call competitive prices and a broad range of entertainment films. Subscribers to the service will be able to order films from the sofa, either via their remote control, or over the telephone. Customers will be provided with a special PIN number for ordering, to prevent unauthorized usage. They will be billed on a monthly basis for the films they watch. The consortium has signed non-exclusive film distribution agreements with Warner Bros, Columbia International Tristar Television and most recently Buena Vista International Television. Contracts with other major studios are being processed.
