LOS ANGELES, November 29, 2000 — Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.
announced today that it has renamed Romance Classics, WE:
WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT. Along with the name change, AMC
Networks’ President Kate McEnroe announced carriage agreements
with two MSOs, new programming and a move into feature film
production. WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT will be
gradually introduced as the new name for Romance Classics over the
next several months with April 1 serving as the official on-air
launch date.
"Women have changed significantly and with that change comes
a demand for a new kind of entertainment that offers inspiration,
relaxation and relief," said McEnroe. "WE:
WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT offers women the entertainment
alternative they have been missing with a brand they can value and
trust for their entertainment needs."
The re-branding of Romance Classics to WE: WOMEN’S
ENTERTAINMENT has been taking place over the past year to
effectively meet the changing interests and needs of women.
McEnroe added, "Through extensive research, we found that women
are seeking simplicity, inspiration and a time-out viewing
experience to help them disconnect from the stress in their everyday
lives. WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT provides this through
its original series, topical specials and the most comprehensive
library of women’s interest films."
"With the addition of this exciting programming, WE:
WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT meets the demands of the new and
evolving women’s market head-on," said Josh Sapan,
President and CEO of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. "Women have
long been a powerful, but sorely underserved, audience. The
reception WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT has received and
the growth in its subscriber base demonstrates the support from
cable operators to provide women with the high-quality programming
they deserve."
Adelphia and Charter Communications have
both signed carriage agreements with parent company Rainbow to add
WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT to their channel
line-ups. Adelphia will launch the women’s network on
80% of the entire MSO. Charter Communications has already
begun rolling out WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT to systems
representing over 3.2 million subscribers.
WE:
WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT targets the increasingly powerful
base of women who make-up more than 55 percent of the total
population in the U.S. and have become coveted consumers with
significant disposable income and purchasing power. Research
indicates that women now handle 75 percent of family finances and
make 80 percent of family purchasing decisions. Women yearn
for programming that offers entertainment and stress relief, while
providing them with ideas, inspiration and
relaxation.
Supermodel and actress Cindy Crawford and Academy
Award-winning actress Faye Dunaway joined actress/producer Debbie
Allen and international model Rachel Hunter as network spokeswomen
for WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT. All the women have
projects airing on the network.
WE: WOMEN’S
ENTERTAINMENT has cherry-picked over 700 films from the major
studios and independents to secure the most comprehensive library of
women’s interest films. New to the network in 2001 are
"Peggy Sue Got Married," "Soapdish,"
"An Officer and a Gentleman," "Desperately Seeking
Susan" and "Urban Cowboy."
To
complement its film collection, McEnroe announced plans to produce
original motion pictures. The network has given the green
light to the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning actress Faye
Dunaway, an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play, The Yellow
Bird. Production began November 24 on the film starring
Academy Award-winner James Coburn and Academy Award nominee Brenda
Blethyn. WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT has also
partnered with IFC Films, run by sister network The Independent Film
Channel, to develop future projects.
WE: WOMEN’S
ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING
Specials/Premieres
· FASHION FLASHBACK: Supermodel
and Actress Cindy Crawford hosts this 4- part series on the history
of fashion.
· WINNING WOMEN:
Actress/tri-athlete Alexandra Paul highlights the achievements and
challenges of women extreme athletes in a one-hour
special.
· THE YELLOW
BIRD: Academy Award-winning actress Faye Dunaway makes her
directorial debut with the film adaptation of Tennessee
Williams’ play, TheYellow Bird. The film
stars Academy Award-winner James Coburn and Academy Award nominee
Brenda Blethyn.
Series
· COOL WOMEN: Twenty-six episodes of the
inspirational and critically acclaimed series that profiles ordinary
women who do extraordinary things, directed and produced by Debbie
Allen.
· JOURNEY WOMEN OFF THE
MAP: A reality series that tracks the experiences of women traveling
alone in search of adventure.
·
STYLE WORLD: Hosted by international model and actress Rachel
Hunter, this series combines travel, style and design from around
the world.
· GREAT ROMANCES:
Twenty-six new episodes of this documentary series that explores the
world’s most fascinating couples, including John and Yoko Ono,
John and Caroline Kennedy, Paul and Linda McCartney.
· EVERYDAY ELEGANCE: Style guru Colin
Cowie returns for a third season to inspire viewers to turn any
occasion into a special experience.
· CINEMATHERAPY: Every night,
Cinematherapists Kate and Jessie prescribe movies to treat every
mood.
WE: WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT is a service of
AMC Networks which includes American Movie Classics, the premier
movie network featuring award-winning original productions and
American Pop!, the first digital entertainment network to offer
unified content for the web and digital cable platforms.
WE:
WOMEN’S ENTERTAINMENT features a mix of popular films,
original series and topical specials all relating to
women.
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, WE: Women’s Entertainment, 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. Rainbow also holds a majority
stake in Madison Square Garden Properties. In addition,
Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in FOX Sports Net.
Contact:
Jennifer Geisser
(516) 803-4356
Lynn Weiss
310-998-9307