Friday Night Primetime Blocks to Begin 28 January 2011
New York, NY – 7 January 2011 – Sundance Channel will expand its profile in Belgium with a branded block on Acht (8). Available to subscribers of Belgium’s cable and IPTV operators, Telenet, Numericable and Belgacom, Acht is an entertainment channel that specializes in high-quality imported television series. Acht is set to begin airing Sundance Channel programming weekly, beginning 28 January 2011, and will preview the new primetime block with a special week of nightly Sundance Channel programming between 17 and 21 January.
The primetime block will feature critically-acclaimed Sundance Channel original series, including: Iconoclasts, which pairs together such iconic visionaries as Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron and UN Messenger of Peace and primatologist Jane Goodall in discussions of their lives, influences, passions and creative processes; the Peabody Award-winning, Forest Whitaker-produced Brick City, which takes an in-depth and no-holds-barred look at the immense challenges facing the city of Newark, New Jersey and its outspoken and charismatic mayor, Cory Booker; Man Shops Globe, which goes on the road with the buyer-at-large for the innovative specialty retailer Anthropologie; and The Lazy Environmentalist, in which eco-entrepreneur and author Josh Dorfman convinces an offbeat roster of conservation skeptics that a green approach can easily translate into any profession or lifestyle.
"We are very pleased to start off the New Year by giving additional viewers in the Belgian market a chance to sample Sundance Channel," said Harold Gronenthal, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Rainbow Media Global. "These four unique series have garnered both critical acclaim and an enthusiastic following in the States, and will provide a good taste of what the Channel has to offer."
For Acht, the deal with Sundance Channel means an important expansion of its already prestigious documentary programming schedule. "Our collaboration with Sundance Channel is also a logical next step in the success story of a new TV station targeting an upscale audience," said Vincent Loozen, Acht’s Channel Manager.
Beyond its new block on Belgium’s Acht, Sundance Channel is carried as a 24/7 linear channel and VOD offering in Belgium (Telenet), France (Free, Numericable and SFR), the Netherlands (Caiway), Poland (UPC Polska), South Korea (Skylife and KT) and Singapore (SingTel’s mio TV).
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, imaginative and uncompromising, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries and original programs. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media owns and operates some of the world’s most popular and award-winning entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv, Wedding Central and IFC Entertainment (IFC Center, IFC Films, IFC In Theaters, IFC Midnight and IFC Productions). Additional information about Rainbow Media’s multiplatform brands is available at www.rainbow-media.com.