Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), which in March rolled out an Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad app that allowed viewers to watch more than 30 of its channels live on the tablet, last week bowed to pressure from some programmers and removed a dozen channels from its iPad lineup. But, this weekend it added 25 new channels to its iPad lineup and said more would continue to be added.
The channels that were dropped are all owned by Fox, Discovery and Viacom.
The new additions run the gamut from Bloomberg and CNN, to the Lifetime Movie Network and the Golf Channel.
"We believe we have every right to carry the programming on our iPad app," the MSO said. "But, for the time being, we have decided to focus our iPad efforts on those enlightened programmers who understand the benefit and importance of allowing our subscribers--and their viewers--to watch their programming on any screen in their homes."
The company said it would pursue all of its legal rights against the programmers who have protested inclusion in the app.
"The enthusiasm of our customers and the programming partners who have embraced the app, rather than those who are solely focused on finding additional ways to reach into wallets of their own viewers, has convinced us more than ever that we are on the right path," the company said. "We will continue to fight to ensure that our customers have access to the content they pay for, no matter which screen in their home they choose to view it on."
Meanwhile, on Saturday, MSO Cablevision also rolled out an iPad app, but on a much larger scale, including nearly 300 channels and 2,000-plus VoD offerings.
For more:
- see this TWC blog
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