New Caribbean Channel launched in U.S., Canada and UK markets – CEEN

International Media Content Ltd. (IMC), parent company of the Caribbean’s most watched sports cable television channel – SportsMax, has launched a new cable channel to serve the Caribbean Diaspora in the U.S., Canada and UK markets – CEEN!

The Channel, CEEN (Caribbean Entertainment Everyday Network, pronounced “seen”), started broadcasting on Cablevision, the 8th largest cable operator in the United States with approximately 3.5 million homes predominantly in the heavily Caribbean populated New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area. Broadcasting exclusive 24-hour per day programming from around the Caribbean, CEEN carries the most varied and best selection of programming from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean.

Similar to its strategy when it started SportsMax nine years ago providing exclusive, never before seen sports content across the region, CEEN’s mission is to provide the Caribbean Diaspora in the North America and the U.K. with live, current and comprehensive Caribbean content that connects viewers with the news, sports, entertainment and culture from their homeland on a 24-7 basis.

CEEN’s news and current affairs programming line-up includes a live nightly Caribbean News Hour, the CNC-3 Morning Show live each weekday and live election coverage of upcoming elections in Guyana, St. Lucia and Jamaica. The Channel will also have syndicated current affairs programmes such as the Emmy award winning ‘Impact with Cliff Hughes,’ ‘Direct with Garfield Burford’ and ‘The Susan Show’. CEEN’s sports programming will leverage content from SportsMax, to include the live daily 90-minute sports talk show, ‘The SportsMax Zone,’ live and delayed Manning and DaCosta Cup matches, live coverage of Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships, cricket highlights from around the region and much more. The entertainment programming includes current episodes of ‘On-Stage with Winford Williams’, as well as airings of Trinidad’s ‘Soca Star,’ ‘Royal Palm Estate‘ and ‘Westwood Park.’

Marketing manager for SportsMax and CEEN, Tanya Lee, believes that the programming line-up of the best content from the Caribbean will account for the Channel’s high take rate.

“The response and conversion thus far has more than met our expectations as we knew that the Diaspora in the U.S. has been an under-served community starved for quality content from the Caribbean on a consistent basis. Our strength lies in our ability to deliver live and current programming of a high production quality that will ensure we surpass any previous offerings that were in the marketplace.” She continued “viewers can look at the success of SportsMax – 9 years, 25 Caribbean countries and #1 viewership – as indications of the kind of delivery and resulting success they can expect from CEEN.”

“We continue to expand iO International to bring our customers more diverse and exclusive programming they can’t get anywhere else. We are proud to be the first TV provider to bring CEEN to U.S. audiences, and the launch of iO Caribbean as our 17th international category is just one more example of our commitment to the diverse communities we serve,” said Bradley Feldman, Cablevision’s vice president, video product management.

Business development manager, Chris Telfer, speaks of the expansion plans for CEEN outside of the tri-state area: “CEEN launched in the tri-state area in the United States on Cablevision, as they have shown their commitment to the diverse community that exists across their footprint. In the near term, by 1st quarter of 2012, our intention is to offer CEEN throughout the rest of United States via other cable and direct-to-home satellite distributors as well as in Canada.”

CEEN is currently available in the tri state area on Cablevision IO TV channel 1103 and can be purchased by calling Cablevision at 888-333-4713 to subscribe for US$4.95 monthly.