NCTC Reaches Starz Encore Deal

The National Cable Television Cooperative has struck a deal for its members to carry new Starz Encore Group LLC networks Starz! Kids and Starz! HD, officials said Monday.

The agreement between the NCTC -- which represents independent systems with more than 15 million homes -- and Starz Encore will permit the co-op’s members to add Starz! Kids to their "Starz Super Pak" lineups and to offer Starz! HD to existing Starz! subscribers at no additional retail cost.

Starz! Kids, which will air advertiser-free films, and Starz! HD, an HDTV version of the flagship Starz! channel, both launch Dec. 2

In other Starz Encore news, the programmer announced that it has relaunched the consumer Web sites for its Starz Super Pak multiplex service (www.StarzSuperPak.com) and its Starz On Demand video-on-demand service (www.StarzOnDemand.com).