Jury Duty Goes Broadband

Radar Entertainment Syndicated Show Signs Up with TitanTV for Delivery to Station Web Sites

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/12/2007 5:04:00 PM

Jury Duty became the first syndicated show to sign up with TitanTV for delivery to station Web sites.

While scads of network shows are delivered online, syndicated programming faces the hurdle of the syndicated-exclusivity rule. Stations almost always pay for the privilege of having exclusive rights to the program in their market, so distributing them on the World Wide Web (emphasis on worldwide) is problematic.

TitanTV said it solved that problem with a patented TitanCast player that allows TV stations to restrict access to the content to only Web surfers in their market.

TitanTV is in the business of determining where TV programming can be carried since it helps satellite carriers to determine where and to whom they are allowed to deliver distant TV-station signals. It also provides online program guides to the majority -- more than 1,300 -- of TV stations.

Jury Duty distributor Radar Entertainment said the show has been cleared in 85% of the country for a Sept. 17 launch, and those stations will get to air the broadband version free-of-charge using the TitanTV player, which also allows them to stream original content, among other things.

Stations can sell advertising in the local broadband version of Jury Duty, which features attorney Bruce Cutler and a jury of celebrities. Proceeds from the ad sales will be split among the station, TitanTV and Radar.