Americast

Americast (stylized americast) was a cable alternative broadcast joint venture of five telephone companies: SBC, BellSouth Corporation, Ameritech Corporation, GTE Corporation (later part of Verizon by 2000) and SNET. The Walt Disney Company's Disney Televenture subsidiary was a programming partner.[2][1] No standard delivery technologies was chosen for Americast with cable, direct-broadcast satellite and microwave as options for partner companies to use.[3]

Americast
formerly: joint venture
Founded1996 (1996)
Defunct2001 (2001)
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
United States
Key people
Stephen Weiswasser[1]
OwnerSBC
BellSouth Corp.
Ameritech Corp.
GTE Corp. (later Verizon Communications)
SNET
Disney Televenture

History

Americast was founded in early 1996 by SBC, BellSouth, Ameritech and GTE.[2] Southern New England Telecommunications later joined Americast in June 1996.[4]

In August 1996, Americast made an order with Zenith Electronics for $1 billion worth of digital set-top boxes.[3] In July 1997, the company eliminated its programming and marketing departments outsourcing to Disney Televenture. By this time, Ameritech had built Americast systems in 29 locations.[2]

By 2000, the Americast system was considered to be too costly to run. Ameritech owner, SBC, put Ameritech's Americast unit up for sale in early 2000. SNET was expected to discontinue the Americast service in Connecticut in 2001.[5] In May 2001, Ameritech's Americast unit was sold to Wide Open West, LLC.[6] Right before Americast was discontinued, it was available in the following areas, among others: Cerritos, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles), Ventura County, CA, Hartford, New Haven, Chicago, Columbus, suburban Cleveland, suburban Detroit, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Honolulu (Oahu), New Orleans, Orlando, Miami, Vestavia Hills, AL (a suburb of Birmingham), and the Tampa Bay Area of Florida.

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See also

References
  1. BATES, JAMES (April 2, 1996). "Wedding Bells : THE BIZ : Joined Firms May Push to Marry Video Ventures Too". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  2. Dempsey, John (July 27, 1997). "Americast slimming". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  3. Hofmeister, Sallie (August 23, 1996). "Americast Places $1-Billion Order for Set-Top Boxes". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  4. Landler, Mark (June 19, 1996). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS;Partner Joins Disney-Backed Phone Group In TV Venture". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  5. Jones, Tim (September 1, 2000). "Americast Future Is Far From Clear". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  6. Alexander, Delroy (May 25, 2001). "Ameritech sells cable unit to Colorado firm". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
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