* Demand for on-demand growing at Comcast
By Brian Santo
Comcast released some statistics on its on-demand services, underscoring the growing popularity of the feature. The operator said it has tallied:
* 6 billion on-demand views in less than four years
* 1 billion hours of on-demand content watched this year alone
* 250 million views each month
* 100 views each second.
Comcast said the library for its On Demand service offers nearly 10,000 titles per month, available anytime consumers want to watch them, with the ability to fast forward, rewind and pause selections.
* Exec moves at Cox
By CED staff
Cox announced two management moves. One was hiring Tim McKinley as vice president of field operations for Cox Business. The other was appointing Rebecca Stone as senior counsel for Cox Communications.
McKinley will be responsible for field operations for New Orleans, Santa Barbara, Greater Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, Middle Georgia, Central Florida, Roanoke, Kansas and Omaha. He will also be responsible for defining and implementing an alternative channel strategy for Cox Business Services.
This strategy will be critical in expanding Cox’s services to mid-market customers and in improving its penetration of voice in data-only customers.
McKinley had been COO for The Evermore Group, and prior to that, he’d held a variety of positions over 21 years with Sprint, ultimately serving as vice president of business support services before his departure in 2003.
Meanwhile, at Cox Communications, Stone will be responsible for providing legal support to the Travel Channel marketing group and to Cox’s corporate and field marketing teams. She also will provide legal assistance with trademark, copyright and domain name issues. Prior to joining Cox, Stone served as an attorney at Earthlink.
* AT&T study: One-quarter of small businesses unconcerned about online security
By Traci Patterson
Although the majority of small businesses secure their computer systems, 24 percent of them are unconcerned about computer and online data security, and 10 percent have taken no action to secure their data, according to a survey conducted by AT&T.
Thirty-two percent of small businesses are undaunted by wireless data security, and 17 percent of small businesses that use wireless technology have taken no precautions against wireless threats.
But nearly 60 percent of small businesses consider online security a concern, and 82 percent have installed software, such as spam filters or anti-virus protection, to protect their businesses from online security threats. Of the companies that have not taken any precautions against computer or wireless threats, 65 percent do not think it’s an issue with their businesses.
“The survey shows that there are still many businesses that don’t understand the threats that exist, the impact these threats could have on their business and livelihood, and the easy ways they can guard against them and protect their companies,” said John Regan, VP of business marketing for AT&T.
“Small businesses depend more and more on computers and communications technology, and they need to understand how they can protect those systems, whether from a virus or other man-made attack, or from a natural disaster.”
The results are based on a telephone survey of 1,000 owners and/or employees responsible for IT at small businesses in 10 U.S. metropolitan/regional areas: San Diego; Chicago; Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Connecticut; Milwaukee, Wis.; Detroit; Dallas; the San Francisco Bay area; and Oklahoma.
The survey follows a Verizon-commissioned study, which found that more than half of computer users who think that they are protected against online threats such as spyware, viruses and hackers actually have inadequate or no online protection.
* DirecTV to offer local HD networks in 76 markets by mid-2008
By Traci Patterson
DirecTV will offer local HD broadcast networks in a total of 76 markets (representing more than 75 percent of U.S. TV households) when it rolls out 11 additional local HD markets by mid-2008.
The 11 local markets include Tucson, Ariz.; Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, Iowa; Wichita and Hutchinson, Kan.; Louisville, Ky.; Paducah, Ky.; Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, Mich.; Lincoln and Hastings, Neb.; Omaha, Neb.; Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N.Y.; Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Pa.; and Waco, Temple and Bryan, Texas. The satellite provider began the rollout with the launch of HD local channels in the Flint, Mich., and Waco, Texas, designated market areas last week.
*Former cable exec joins AnswersMedia as EVP of sales
By Traci Patterson
AnswersMedia – a media and technology company that specializes in the design, production, management and publishing of interactive, HD video experiences – has named former cable exec Dan Lawlor as the company’s EVP of sales. He will lead the advertising and sponsorship sales efforts for the company’s AnswersTV operations.
Lawlor joins AnswersMedia from National Cable Communications (NCC), where he served as VP and general sales manager for the advanced advertising division. He has also held exec posts at Turner International, Westinghouse Broadcasting and USA Network.
