Muslim TV in America

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Assalam Alaikum. Cablevision in Metro New York is refusing to add Bridges TV on Basic Cable that can give Muslims a voice in American media. Cablevision is further refusing to even meet with the Imams and Community Leaders to understand our needs.

Please contact Tom Montemagno of Cablevision and demand Muslim TV:

Tel: 516-803-1224
EM: [email protected]

Please demand Muslim TV on Cablevision Basic Cable so all Americans can develop a better understanding of Islam and Muslims. Your personal attention to this matter will greatly help all American Muslims. Thank you.


Wasalm & JAK,
Imam Siraj Wahhaj
Masjid Taqwa

also

Masjid Darul-Quran would like to announce MAKE A CALL or EMAIL to demand a MUSLIM TV

Date: Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
Presenters MDQ

Description MAKE A CALL TODAY TO SUPPORT A MUSLIM TV

Cablevision is now logging calls in support of a MUSLIM TV and is
trying to determine the size of the MUSLIM population & Community.
PLEASE make a call to Tom Montemagno at 516-803.1224
or
email to [email protected]


PLEASE DEMAND THAT BRIDGES TV be on Basic Cable -- so that all
Americans can learn better and understand better about ISLAM and the MUSLIMS.


DO IT TODAY AND URGE YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME.

A sad fact of life. Cablevision is a private corporation and is in the business for only one purpose and that is to make a profit. In order for a program to be added to their viewing lineup the program would need to either be self pay for the air time or be able to show that it would attract a sufficient number of new subscribers to produce an increased profit for the company.

They are not a charitable or public service organization they are a business that is out to make money.

The bottom line is how many new customers would a Muslim station attract for them?

The better approach would be for all current Muslim subscribers to cancel their current subscription and stick together and not renew it until the company does add Bridges TV to the Basic line up. Of course that still does not guaranty that it would make a significant change in the profit margin, which is the only factor ever considered as to what shows will be aired.

Some info about the company:

About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company's advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO: Interactive Optimum digital television, Optimum Online high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE and other national and regional networks. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.

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Source:http://www.cablevision.com/index.jhtml?id=2005_10_19



As far as I know all of the current religious shows on TV are private pay and the air time is paid for by money solicited from the viewers.

National TV is expensive:

Talk shows have been traditionally cheap to produce. In 1992 a talk show cost less than $100,000 compared to up to a million dollars or more for a prime time drama. By the early 1990s developments in video technology made talk shows even more economical to produce and touched off a new wave of talk shows on the air. Still, the rule of the market place prevailed. A joke on Johnny Carson' final show that contained 75 words and ran 30 seconds was worth approximately $150,000--the cost to advertisers of a 30-second "spot" on that show. Each word of the joke cost approximately $2000. Though the rates of Carson's last show were particularly high, commercial time on television is always expensive, and an industry of network and station "reps," time buyers and sellers work constantly to negotiate and manage the cost of talk commodities on the television market. If a talk show makes money over time, its contract will be renewed. If it does not, no matter how valuable or critically acclaimed it may be, it will be pulled from the air. A commodity so valuable must be carefully managed and planned. It must fit the commercial imperatives and time limits of for-profit television. Though it can be entertaining, even "outrageous," it must never seriously alienate advertisers or viewers.

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Source: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/T/htmlT/talkshows/talkshows.htm

The end result is a TV show has to be either totaly self pay and able to pay the high costs demanded by the broadcaster, or they must generate sufficient income for the company that it is worth while for the company to broadcast them.