Starz overhauls Encore channels

US cable channel operator Starz has overhauled and repositioned its suite of Encore channels.

The premium services have been overhauled to appeal to specific groups and fans of specific programming genres.

Accordingly, Encore Drama has been re-badged Encore Black and will go after African American subscribers with series and movies. The relaunch takes effect next month and there will be a season of Samuel L. Jackson movies to coincide with the roll out of the new brand.

Encore Classic will replace Encore Love with a line-up of babyboomer-targeting evergreen series and movies. There will be a new movie every night at 9pm and classic series including Magnum P.I. will find a home on the channel.

An eight-hour horror movie block, Encore Suspense, will launch nightly on the Encore HD channel from 9pm.

Another change to the Encore bouquet of channels is the move of the Encore Espanol US Hispanic-focused channel from its premium position. Starz said that as part of its channel revamp, the telenovela and movie service will be made available to pay TV operators that want to add it to their Hispanic bundles.

The new services all roll out next month.

“The new and improved Encore family of channels and services are aligned to super-serve its many constituent demographic groups” said David Baldwin, executive VP of programme planning for Starz. “Growth in Latino and Boomer populations and continued over-indexing in TV usage by African-American audiences created marketplace opportunities for us to add incremental consumer value to the Encore services.”