AOL Time Warner and Oxygen Media announced April 3, that they will expand their existing online strategic alliance to include extensive cable distribution of Oxygen TV to the vast majority of Time Warner Cable households. America Online will also make an equity investment in Oxygen. As part of the multi-year agreement, Oxygen TV programming will be available to 10 million cable subscribers by third quarter, 2002. Time Warner Cable is the nation's second-largest cable operator. America Online also plans to increase distribution across its family of interactive brands of Oxygen's women-focused content - Oxygen.com, Thrive Online, Oprah.com and Trackers.net. Bob Pittman, Co-COO of AOL Time Warner said, "Oxygen has been an important partner to America Online for several years, offering engaging and innovative content to millions of women. We're delighted to expand this partnership to increase their presence across America Online's family of interactive brands and to feature for the first time, Oxygen TV on Time Warner Cable. With this agreement, millions more women will have increased access to Oxygen's programming, information, advice and community." Geraldine Laybourne, Oxygen's chairman and CEO said, "America Online was an early and staunch champion of Oxygen. Now, AOL Time Warner's continued support allows us to reach the significant milestone of over 40 million committed cable subscribers and to significantly broaden and deepen our relationship with millions of American women online. We're thrilled to be among AOL Time Warner's strategic partners." This is welcome news for the nascent cable/new media company that has struggled to find market penetration and has recently suffered layoffs.
Go behind the scenes of Oxygens animated content by reading "The Purpose of That X-Chromosome," by Heather Kenyon.
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
