![]() It introduced an entry-level digital package, restructured rates and rejiggered its channel lineup.īut a software bug and other snafus resulted in a barrage of telephone calls to the cable operator. In September, Cox rolled out several new products and instituted other changes in Phoenix. To date, Qwest has signed up 50,000 to 55,000 subscribers in Phoenix, according to a telco spokesman who couldn't break out how many of those were former Cox subscribers who switched. Steve Rizley, regional vice president of CableRep in Phoenix, has stepped in to serve as interim general manager. Shortly thereafter, in August, veteran general manager Gregg Holmes left the Phoenix system. In July, shares of Cox and other MSOs dropped when stock analysts grew concerned about Cox's competitive woes, particularly in Phoenix.įor the second quarter, Cox's cash flow and revenue growth trailed analysts' expectations, in part because of high marketing costs in Phoenix, the MSO's largest system and most competitive market. Phoenix is a key battleground for Cox, and one that Wall Street is keeping its eye on. CableRep will sell national and local advertising for the network. The all-news Spanish-language channel will be jointly managed by Schwartz and Fran Mallace, general manager of CableRep, the ad-sales arm of Cox Communications in Phoenix. And he isn't aware of anything similar in any other part of the country. Mas! Arizona is certainly the only Spanish-language news channel in the Southwest, according to Belo senior vice president Skip Cass. Roughly 20 people will be hired for the fledgling Hispanic news operation, officials said. "It's been very well received."īut Qwest officials noted that their Phoenix system does offer a variety of Spanish-language services.Īlthough Mas! Arizona will be based at KTVK, it will have its own on-air look and staff. "Nobody else in this market has that package," Johnson said. So far, 5,000 subscribers have taken the TeleLatina tier. The tier debuted with nine Spanish-language networks and recently added a 10th, the Hispanic Television Network. To court these viewers, Cox in July launched TeleLatina, a digital tier of Spanish-language services. "One of our focuses is to meet the needs of the very significant and growing Hispanic customer base in Phoenix."Ībout 20 percent of residents of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, are Hispanic. "This is helping to differentiate us from our competitors," said Ivan Johnson, Cox's vice president of community relations and televideo in Phoenix. With both Arizona NewsChannel and Mas! Arizona on its lineup, Cox officials in Phoenix think the system has a nice leg up on both of its local rivals-Qwest and the direct-broadcast satellite providers. U S West, now owned by Qwest, began offering video over telephone lines in Phoenix in 1998, using very-high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) technology. To date, Cox has upgraded 75 percent of its hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network in Phoenix, where it offers high-speed Internet access, telephony and video-the same services that rival Qwest Communications International Inc. It will eventually roll out to all 615,000 homes in the cluster. 16, Mas! Arizona will be available to 456,000 expanded-basic subscribers in the upgraded portion of Cox's Phoenix systems. "We know it's an arrangement that works very well." "This kind of arrangement is not new to us," said Sue Schwartz, general manager of independent KTVK, the top-rated broadcaster in the DMA. The cable operator and broadcaster are building on a relationship they started with Arizona NewsChannel, an existing joint venture borne from retransmission consent. The 24-hour service, Mas! Arizona, is a partnership between Cox and Belo, whose KTVK-TV will contribute news-gathering resources.
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