Gospel Music Channel hits 22 million subscribers with new carrier deals

By R. Thomas Umstead
Multichannel News
(December 10, 2007) Gospel Music Channel is striking the right notes with operators, landing14 million new subscribers since the beginning of the year.
 
New distribution deals announced Monday with Bresnan Communications, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable pushed the Atlanta-based network past the 22 million household mark, nearly tripling the 8 million subscribers generated by the network at the start of the year, according to network executives.
 
GMC is now seen in each of the top ten markets and in 23 of the top 25. The channel has affiliation agreements with all four of the largest cable TV operators: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications.
 
About half of the network’s recent subscriber growth came as a result of its acquisition of Black Family Channel’s 16 million subscribers in May. The Atlanta-based, African-American targeted network pulled the plug on its linear channel due to its inability to secure significant cable and satellite distribution to continue funding the network. BFC is expected to re-launch as an online service sometime in 2008.
 
Gospel Music Channel attributes its success to the development of original programming, producing more than 200 hours of content, series, specials and video content.
 
The network also points to its grassroots outreach efforts, led by its newly created Ministry Partnerships unit, which has engaged more than more than 2,700 churches in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Tampa, Seattle and St. Louis have been engaged on multiple levels, said the network.


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