Universal Music Explores It’s Own Cable Channel

The New York Times reports that the Univesal Music Group "is in talks to put the channel on the Dish Network, owned by EchoStar Communications, the executives said. Universal is aiming to have the channel, which would feature videos from its roster of acts, on screens in the first or second quarter of next year, they added."

"Universal has been developing the idea with Andy Schuon, who resigned in January as the head of programming for the Infinity radio unit of Viacom Inc and who once worked as a top programmer at Viacom’s MTV network, the executives said."

"Entrepreneurs inside and outside the music business have been exploring whether viewers would embrace a new outlet in a music video market that MTV has dominated for more than two decades. Cablevision’s Fuse channel, introduced early last year, quickly earned a following but lacks MTV’s wide distribution. Fuse is also carried on the Dish Network, which says it has more than 10 million subscribers."

"Record executives often complain about how MTV has discarded its original focus on music. MTV executives say shows like "Punk’d" attract a bigger audience than a basic rotation of music videos, and they note that a spinoff channel, MTV2, emphasizes lesser-known acts."