LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — AEG is reportedly in preliminary talks with the Creative Artists Agency and "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest about joining forces to launch a new cable network.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network would be focused, unsurprisingly, on entertainment fare such as music, pop-culture and 'lifestyle' programming with Seacrest likely appearing as a personality on the network. Although still in the early stages of negotiation, AEG CEO Tim Leiweke told a Forbes interviewer that the channel might be named AXS. Some of the content would include live entertainment such as concerts produced and staged in AEG operated venues.
The most significant hurdle for the proposed channel would be securing cable distribution. After the initial explosion of special interest channels in the 1990s, expansion has slowed as the shift to HD programming takes up more and more bandwidth. One potential avenue for the proposed channel may be to take over an existing channel and 're-brand' it such as with Oprah's re-brand of Discovery Health into OWN.
According to Forbes, the venture is being spearheaded by Charles Hirschhorn, the man behind the creation of the G4 Network for Comcast, which may help new channel get a foot in the door with distributors. Seacrest himself may be a potential connection with Comcast as the company is reportedly looking for new opportunities for him after their merger with NBC Univeral. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
