NEW YORK, NY – (July 31, 2000) – MuchMusic USA, a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. and Sudden Industries (www.suddenindustries.com), a leader in production and development of broadband entertainment for Internet, cable and wireless distribution, announced today that they have reached an agreement to produce and televise a half hour television show featuring Vmationstm, full length net ready music videos. Rainbow’s MuchMusic is a critically acclaimed video music channel distributed to 18 million households across the United States. The agreement marks the first time that music videos developed for the Internet will be shown on a mainstream video music channel. It is also the first show to be produced entirely in Flash animation.
Vmationstm, trademarked by Sudden Industries, are full-length, net-ready music videos created with flash animation and digitized video optimized for web playback. Vmationstm marry cutting-edge visuals with interactivity to create a medium tailored for a networked environment and combine these visuals with artist information, lyrics, gaming and much more.
The agreement calls for Sudden Industries to produce a weekly half-hour television show featuring three Vmationstm per week. Online, Vmationstm seamlessly and transparently combine entertainment, advertising, promotion, commerce and interactivity. On TV, Sudden and MuchMusic will integrate television, broadband and Internet content to create unique programs and cross-promotional opportunities.
“MuchMusic is committed to presenting our viewers with the most cutting-edge programming available,” said Michael Goldstein, vice president of interactive programming for MuchMusic, a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. “Vmationstm perfectly compliment our mission as this new technology enables us to provide up-and-coming talent with an excellent vehicle for exposure.”
“Sudden Industries is eager to demonstrate how original web content can be adapted to television, instead of the other way around,” said Sudden Industries VP of Business Development Lars Murray. “Vmationstm have been particularly suited to the music industry’s promotional needs, and we’re looking forward to demonstrating how other industries can use this new medium to showcase their content and products.”
Vmationstm were originally designed as a net-compatible alternative to music videos, and therefore are particularly appealing to the music industry for their comparably low cost and their excellent online quality.
Sudden Industries
Sudden Industries is a market leader in the production and development of high-bandwidth entertainment for cable modem and Internet delivery. Sudden Industries helps its clients and partners realize the full potential of their content, to take advantage of the extended possibilities of high-bandwidth Internet delivery, resulting in new creative outlets and revenue streams. Sudden Industries provides a full range of development, production and publishing services that handle all aspects of online digital entertainment delivery. Founded in 1997, Sudden Industries is currently privately held and based in New York City. For more information about Sudden Industries, please contact Grayce Weber, director of marketing, at 212.353.1425 or via email at gweber@suddenindustries.com.
MuchMusic USA
MuchMusic USA is a state-of-the-art music television network featuring a diverse playlist with live, spontaneous, interactive programming. The all-music, all-the-time network provides an unprecedented showcase for emerging and established artists from around the world. Programming consists of musical series, concerts and videos for an eclectic audience ranging from rock, pop, and alternative, to blues, metal, rap, jazz and folk. MuchMusic produces up to 13 hours of live programming each day from its high-tech television facility and has established an international reputation for its pioneering approach to interactive programming, bringing music artists to a passionate audience.
Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.
Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation and NBC, is at the forefront of innovation in cable programming. Rainbow manages American Movie Classics, Romance Classics, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports, News 12 Networks and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications.
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