C-SPAN, GOLF CHANNEL and Comcast SportsNet Among TV Programming Networks Signing Up for Comcast Media Center's Disaster Recovery Services

Denver. Colorado, September 23, 2008 – C-SPAN, GOLF CHANNEL and several of Comcast’s regional sports networks number among the TV networks that have recently signed up for Comcast Media Center’s (CMC) suite of Disaster Recovery services, the CMC announced today. In the case of a natural disaster or some other event that disrupts the master control or transmission facilities of its Disaster Recovery clients, the CMC would originate their broadcasts, including scheduled advertising and promotions, until service at the primary facility can be restored. In addition to addressing their risk management requirements, the CMC’s Disaster Recovery service provides clients with a competitive advantage over television networks that lack the capability to continue their operation during a natural disaster or other form of service disruption.
The array of Disaster Recovery services offered by the CMC encompasses ongoing encoding and storage of the network’s programming, on-air graphics, and scheduled advertisements that would be used for originating the network from the CMC. These resources provide television networks with a ready-made alternative for remaining on the air during scheduled activities, such as a major technical upgrade or the relocation of their operations centers, as well as serve to address their disaster recovery requirements.
“Communications networks rely on redundant systems as the best way to address the need for continuity expected by their customers and required by their business models,” stated Gary Traver Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Comcast Media Center. “We provide that type of ‘there when you need it’ capability for our Disaster Recovery customers as a cost-effective alternative to building and maintaining their own redundant operations.”
In addition to video programming that it archives for its Disaster Recovery customers, the CMC can incorporate live event feeds into the channels it is originating. Its Content Distribution Operations center, or “CDOC,” typically manages over 15,000 live events in HD or standard definition formats each year. The CMC’s channel origination capabilities, which are used for the ongoing delivery of over three-dozen HD and SD television networks, include traffic; quality control and media management; and playback. Its satellite and broadband operations facilities currently manage the transmission of over 400 full-time digital video and audio services.

About Comcast Media Center
Denver-based Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Cable, provides centralized content management and distribution solutions for cable systems, video content providers and advertisers “All From The CENTER.” CMC’s content distribution platforms include its HITS Quantum all-digital portfolio, which consists of over 280 linear HD and SD digital video and audio services that reach more than 2,000 local cable system headends; VOD In a Box, which delivers over 1,200 HD and SD video on demand programs via a centralized content management solution; HITS AxIS, a suite of services that support the development and delivery of iTV applications; and HITS Broadband, a carrier-class IP connectivity service. The CMC’s Content Gateway includes a video on demand (VOD) platform that manages and distributes over 8,000 VOD assets each month; live event and TV network origination; satellite and terrestrial fiber transmission services; disaster recovery; transcoding, hosting and storage for online and mobile video; and a full set of video production and editing capabilities. Its Advertising Gateway includes the Advertising Distribution Network (ADN), a web portal for centrally managing advertising and promotional spots that has 1,100 users at cable MSO, division and system locations. More information is available at http://www.comcastmediacenter.com/

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