New AMC Chief Thinks Macro, Acts Micro: Site Extends Net's Reach Online

Signaling the kind of direction he plans to take Rainbow Media's AMC network in, Charlie Collier's first major move at the TV movie channel focuses on the Internet. Collier, the former advertising star at Court TV who joined AMC as general manager in September, is taking an important AMC franchise online via a new broadband micro site that will extend its reach for viewers, cable operators and, of course, advertisers.

Beginning Tuesday, and leading up to its TV premiere on Dec. 13, online viewers will be able to go to www.amctv.com to access the new micro site offering exclusive content from "George Clooney: An American Cinematheque Tribute." The tribute, part of an annual series that AMC teams up with non-profit American Cinematheque to recognize a major film industry figure each year, is one of the network's major programming franchises, and involves extensive sponsorships and tie-ins with advertisers including Acura, Dow Chemical, Sudacare Shower Soothers, and TGI Fridays.

The effort is the second major broadband play by AMC, which recently expanded its successful "Monsterfest X" horror film event online via a similar microsite.

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The goal, says Collier, is to extend AMC's reach, by exposing the channel to viewers who might not normally watch it on television. In the case of "Monsterfest X," the Web site boosted AMCTV.com's audience 90%. The stunt also helped boost ratings for the TV content. During the weeks that "Monsterfest X" ran, AMC was one of the top five cable networks among adults 18-49.

"It's a cyclical thing. Each fuels interest in the other," surmises Collier, suggesting that multiple programming platforms have an exponential effect on viewing that is greater than the sum of their parts.

In addition to the Web site, Collier sites other emerging on-demand programming platforms such as cable and satellite video-on-demand services for extending the reach of key content franchises.

Collier, who has only been on the job for eight weeks, acknowledges that AMC has been relatively late to the digital game, but says the network already is exploring other emerging platforms, including mobile TV programming services as a means of delivering its content and promoting its core TV businesses.

But Collier says he's not turning his back on TV, which is still the most ubiquitous way to reach viewers. Instead, he believes digital media - especially broadband - is a means of engaging AMC's core viewers and potential new viewers in a "conversation" that will involve them more deeply with AMC's brand.

"If you think about AMC, it is truly the most widely distributed movie network on television. And it is also the only place on basic cable that is 100% dedicated to movies," he boasts. "Beginning with this broadband focus, we're really just trying to make sure it exists at a level that's appropriate for broadband."

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