Network to Roll Out Extensive Multi-Platform Campaign Including Web, Mobile and fuse On Demand
Month of June Also Confirms Season Two for Pants-Off Dance-Off and Boasts Season Five of the F-List
New York, NY, June 5, 2006 – fuse, the nation's only viewer-driven, music network announced today the exclusive broadcast rights to the Vans Warped Tour 2006®, the summer's premiere festival dedicated to alternative music and extreme sports. Beginning on June 21st – August 23rd, fuse is kicking-off its most ambitious cross-platform programming initiative in the four-year history of the network, with a 10-week programming block, entitled Warped Wednesdays featuring a rich slate of exclusive Warped-related content accessible on-Air, on fuseMobile, on fuse On Demand and online at fuse.tv The network also announced today the second season, scheduled to premiere in third quarter of 2006, of Pants-Off Dance-Off, the network's recently launched successful dance/game show and the return of the fifth season of its popular music video countdown show the F-List. All three programs reinforce fuse's commitment to showcasing original interactive music programming with its tech-driven audience.
"fuse's priority and overall mandate is to provide our technologically advanced music fans the opportunity to experience music across multiple platforms, enabling them to discover both emerging and established artists," said Andrea Greenberg, President of Rainbow Media Ventures. "With Warped Wednesdays, the F-List, and Pants-Off Dance-Off, fuse is hard at work providing interactive, original music programming."
"Our viewers demand connection on every level and their desire to tap into the Warped Community will allow the sights and sounds of this great music event to live not only via television, but also on the web, On-Demand and on a host of other wireless devices," states Catherine Mullen, Executive Vice President and General Manager for fuse. "It's another expression of how we push the creative and technical envelope to deliver artists and their music to our viewers."
The Vans Warped Tour®:
The Vans Warped Tour® is one of North America's most successful concert events, featuring over 100 bands per show, playing mini-sets on 10 different stages. The summer-long spectacular presents an eclectic list of both established and emerging artists from a broad range of popular genres, including Punk, Emo, Metal, Rap and Alternative. Acts include: Anti-Flag, AFI, Buzzcocks, Joan Jett, Helmet, Motion City Soundtrack, NOFX, Less Than Jake, Sum 41 and Zebrahead during this 12th annual edition of the festival.
On-Air
Every Wednesday from 11 am – 3 pm, fuse will present Warped Wednesdays, a four-hour block of exclusive interviews and music videos from the biggest Warped bands of past and present. Viewers will receive reports from the road, showcasing many of the backstage antics that unfold during the 2006 tour. fuse's Warped Wednesdays will air beginning June 21 – August 23. Viewers who miss any of the Wednesday installments can catch up during fuse's Warped Weekends, fuse's eight-hour marathon of Warped content slated for the weekends of July 8, July 22 and August 5. In addition, popular network shows Tattoo Stories and F-List will feature a special Warped edition while Daily Download, fuse's late-afternoon countdown show will feature a weekly segment with correspondent Chris Demakes (Less Than Jake) who will give an exclusive "Road Report" from the tour.
On-line, On-Demand & On Mobile
The network's popular website, fuse.tv, houses a rich mini-site designed to give tour-goers and non-attendees the "inside scoop" on Warped. The site contains a rich array of clips from the Warped Wednesday block, along with photo galleries, blogs and more created by fuse's on-site VJs, producers and talent. The fuse community and tour-attendees are urged to get involved by uploading, commenting and rating a host of content including photos, videos and blogs-across all fuse platforms. Web and mobile users can also use fuse's popular TXT TV applications to issue comments that have the possibility of running on-screen during the Warped Wednesday programming block. Select Warped Wednesday content and extras will also appear on fuse On Demand.
Pants-Off Dance-Off – Season 2
fuse also announced today season two of Pants-Off Dance-Off, the network's dance/game show that initially premiered on April 18 at 10PM. The series has been picked up for a total of 30 new episodes, featuring a multitude of personalities including school teachers, little people, senior citizens and housewives, shedding their clothes as they dance to their favorite music videos. The series features SMS texting applications, encouraging viewers to vote online at www.fuse.tv/pants or via text for their favorite dancer. The winner of each night's competition is then entered into the Saturday night's official PANTS-OFF competition.
F-List – Season 5
June also marks the return of fuse's popular music video countdown show the F-List. On June 12th at 8PM (ET), Season 5 premieres with all new episodes and new host Alison Becker, the celebrated comedienne and former Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB) alumni. The F-List originally premiered on fuse in January of 2005.
About fuse
fuse is the nation's only viewer-influenced, music television network, featuring music videos, exclusive artist interviews, live concerts, series and specials. fuse reflects the rapidly changing interests and attitudes of its 12-34 year-old audience by uniting the media platforms at the center of their communication and entertainment – TV, Web, mobile technologies and interactive gaming and by incorporating their opinions and suggestions into the network's on-air and online programming. More information about fuse is available at www.fuse.tv.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands including popular national and regional television channels AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE tv, and three FSN affiliated regional sports networks managed by Rainbow Sports Networks. The company also manages Mag Rack and sportskool, two original on-demand networks; VOOM HD Networks, the largest and most diverse suite of high definition channels available anywhere; IFC Entertainment, its film distribution, production and exhibition division; Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales division; and Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company.