PAGE 20, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984, WHIT13Y FREE PRESS New specialized channels promise better Sentertamnment for cable television usrb s Local television viewers will soon be able to choose from one of the widest spectrums of specialized in-home entertainment ever of- fered. Rogers Cable TV an- nounced recently that it is making available to subseribers .in -most areas six new satellite specialty channels in addition to the new movie channel, First Choice/Superchannel. The emphasis will be on quality entertain- ment, s0 the overail package has been dub- bed "Front Row Cen- tre". The six satellite chan- nels ini the package in- clude four U.S. chan- nels, featuring The Arts & Entertainment Net- work, Cable News Net- work, The Nashville Network and The Lear- ning Channel; and the two new Canadian channels - The Sports Network and Much- Music - which specialize ln sports and music videos. Rogers vice-chairman and chief executive of- ficer, E.S. (Ted) Rogers said: "We have been able to select the satellite charnels which show quality program- ming and for which viewers have -shown a preference." "We know this is the choice viewers have been waiting for, at the price they have been waiting for'". Rogers also announ- ced that a "Full House" package - including the new movie charnel - will cost viewers only $19.95 a month for a total of seven satellite charnels. The "Satellite Six" selection - offering the six new channels, but not the movie charnel - will cost $9.95. Sub- scribers currently paying $15.95 for the movie charnel. can upgrade their service and receive the six new charnels for an ad- ditional $4 a month. "One way we've been able to keep the price to subseribers s50 low, " said Rogers, "is that there are comrnercials on! the six new satellite channels. But they will average. only eight, minutes of commercials an hour - or about a third less than what the conventional networks run. The movie charnel willc *ontinue to, bé commercial free. " "Single service sub- scription Will be available to only the two Canadiat chqnnels. The music channèl will cost $5.95 monthly, the spor- ts channel, $7.50. A package featuring the movie channel, The Sports Network. and MuchMusic will be available for $15.95 a month." "Obviouslyi the more you take, the more economical it; becomes," "The whole purpose of this new service is to emich viewers' television experience. It means they can have such a wide choice that they will be able to exercise control over the quality of the programming they wat- ch." "The variety offered is truly phenomenal, and when you consider it is sorne of the finest entertainment available in the entire world, the value is staggering" The six new charnels to be offered by Rogers are: Arts & Entertainment Network - Presenting major stage productions specially produced for cable, dramnatic variety series and mni'-series, comedy/variety pro- grams, music, dance, opera, and even double feature classic niovies. Each night of the week has a special program- ming ernphasis. For example, Sunday is the night for major stage productions, Wed- nesdays and Thursdays are devoted to the per- forming arts. A significant number of the quality programs on Lhis channel originate in Britain. Cable News Network - E'roviding live 24-hour coverage with un- :.recedented eapacity to 'go live" any hour of the day or night. CNN has* nine domestic bureaus, news exchange ngreements wihmoire sports and Interviews. In less than a year af- ters its launch In the U.S., The Nashville Network has more than 14 million subscrlbers. For the six hours Nash- ville is not broadcast, subseribers wll receive the Flnancial News Network, with features like personal invest- ment planning and ex- panded market data. The Learning Charnel - Presents learning and activity-oriented pro- gramming for adult viewers. Programs, deal with pastimes, income, learming and parenting. "How to" progranis might include such sub- jects as photography, gardenmng, auto repairs and basic bridge. Career programs cover such interests as money management and par- sonal time management. General Interest learning programs range from Spanish to, computers, while the parenting program is directed at parents, teachers and educators. Currently, The Learning Charnel is on air 70 hours a week. When the charnel is not broadcast, Country Music Television, featuring the top coun- try hits and artists in video format, will be seen. The Sports Network - Canada's first aIl-sports network, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. TSN will offer live coverage Of professional - and amateur games, and events from, Canada and around the world. Other programns will include personality profiles, background reports, in- depth reporting of spor- ting news, and sports magazine shows. MuchMusic- Canada's first and only music charnel with music videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Stereo music videos will be complemented' by news and interviews focussing on the music world. "With this line-up, says Rogers, "Cable TV has really coma of age. Front Row Centre truly offers something for everyone."1 Rogers stressed that the new services being offered will not eliminate any of the