Cogeco Cable addes 57,000 RGUs in fiscal Q2; Hearst Corp. and Mark Burnett form joint venture

Cable industry news from across the Web:

> Canadian cable operator Cogeco Cable added a net 57,000 revenue generating units (RGUs) to its TV, internet and telephony customer base in its fiscal second quarter ended Feb. 28. However, the number was down from the 69,000 net new additions the MSO posted in the same period a year ago. Story.

> Hearst Corp. and reality TV producer Mark Burnett have formed a 50/50 joint venture in which Burnett, the creater of "Survivor" and "The Apprentice," will create shows for Hearst's stable of TV stations and cable networks that include stakes in cable TV networks Lifetime, A&E, History Channel and ESPN. Story.

> After significantly outperforming other cable company stocks in 2010, Cablevision has struggled in the first few months of 2011, with shares down 2% year-to-date, compared to the S&P 500 up 5% over the same time-frame, according to BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield. Still, Greenfield is raising his target price for CVC to $42 from $40 based on CVC's integration of Bresnan Communications and AMC's hot streak. Story.

> Public TV viewers in Muncie, Ind., will no longer be able to access the channel on DirecTV. The local PBS station disappeared from the DirecTV lineup on April 6 after the DBS provider said WIPB's signal was not sufficient to be picked up by DirecTV's Indianapolis receiving facility. Story.

And finally... DirecTV announced it will offer its subscribers access to the HBOGo.com online video site as part of a deal between the two parties. Story.