Also Noted: Spotlight On... The top nightmares of wireless industry execs
Nexstar recruits CNBC veteran O'Brien; Comcast launches 'TV Sampler' app and much more... Top 10 pay TV distributor apps: Who makes the cut?
 Time Warner Cable's TWC TV app may not be as slick as Contour, the iPad app Cox Communications unveiled in August. But with TWC TV available on more devices than the apps from any multichannel provider, it tops FierceCable's list of the top 10 pay TV provider apps. Click here to read our special report 
Follow @FierceCable on Twitter! News From the Fierce Network:
1. AT&T extends fiber reach into 50 Louisiana office buildings
2. FCC earmarks $32M to expand broadband in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska
Today's Top News 1. Hart: Cox evaluating next version of FlareWatch virtual cable product
Cox Communications is developing a next-generation video service similar to the FlareWatch virtual cable product it tested recently in California, EVP and CTO Kevin Hart told FierceCable. Hart said Cox received positive feedback from subscribers in Orange County who tested the product, which used IP video to deliver about 90 networks to subscribers using a set-top and button-less remote control from Fanhattan. ESPN parent Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was among the major programmers that allowed Cox to use their networks for the three-month trial, which ended in September. Hart said programmers have expressed interest in Cox's trial, but that rights issues still remain a challenge for virtual cable distribution. "There [have] been good conversations. We're in that trial post-mortem evaluation phase now in terms of what does this mean, what does this look like going forward," Hart said during an interview at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has said it may be able to use its Xfinity platform to develop a virtual cable product, and the MSO also has the capability to use Internet video distribution to sell pay TV packages to subscribers outside its footprint. Hart said Cox doesn't currently have a plan to expand outside markets where it owns cable systems by using virtual distribution, but he wouldn't rule out the idea. "That's not our current plan or strategy. But this is a fast moving industry. There are competitive threats and new opportunities on a daily basis, and we definitely have to evaluate them," he added. To see the complete interview with Hart, check out FierceCable's issue on Monday. Related articles:
CenturyLink banks on Prism TV to grow triple-play subscriber base
Cox launches 'MVP Community' social TV rewards program
Cox kills FlareWatch virtual cable trial Read more about: Comcast, Cox Communications
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| This week's sponsors are Ateme, Harris Broadcast, Kontron, Ramp, Vubiquity and PacketVideo Corporation. |  | eBook | Making Money from Multiscreen Cable operators and networks are slowly building a platform that could make multiscreen programming and advertising a much bigger business. Learn more today. |
2. Cable One sheds 15K video, 5K Internet subs in Q3 2013
Phoenix-based cable MSO Cable One lost 14,643 video, 5,004 high-speed Internet and 2,737 telephone customers during the third quarter, parent The Washington Post Co. reported Friday. Cable One recently settled a contract dispute with Turner Broadcasting which left it unable to offer subscribers TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network and CNN for 25 days in October. Subscriber losses will likely increase in Q4, considering the quarter began on the first day of the blackout. Thanks to rate hikes on its triple-play and growth in commercial sales, Cable One managed squeeze a 1 percent increase in revenue in Q3 ($202.4 million). And The Washington Post Co. said its cable division saw revenue for the first nine months of 2013 increase by 4 percent to $607.1 million. Cable One's primary service units (PSUs) have dropped by 3 percent compared to last year, totaling 1.2 million. It counted 561,119 video, 469,296 high-speed Internet and 182,643 voice customers at the end of Q3. The Washington Post Co. said it generated $56 million ($7.53 per share) in income from continuing operations in Q3, down slightly compared to the $56.3 million ($7.58 per share) it reported in the same period last year. For more:
- see the release Special Report: Cable in the third quarter of 2013 Related articles:
Reduced labor costs at Cable One help drive increased operating income
Cable One, Turner sign deal, end blackout
Jeff Bezos acquires The Washington Post Co, but not Cable One systems Read more about: Cable ONE
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3. Discovery distribution revenue jumps 10% to $329M in Q3 2013
4. Sprout hits 60M subs with expanded TWC, Bright House rollout
Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) said Friday that it is launching Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA)-backed kids network Sprout in several cities, including Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Honolulu; Kansas City, Mo.; and Syracuse, Rochester and Albany, N.Y.  | 'Pajanimals' targets toddlers and their parents. Source: Sprout | TWC, which negotiates carriage deals for Bright House Networks, said Sprout also debuted Thursday in Bright House markets such as Orlando, Fla. Sprout was already carried on two of TWC's biggest systems--New York and Los Angeles. It now reaches about 60 million homes, following the expanded rollout on TWC and Bright House. Sprout, whose owners are "Sesame Street" producer Sesame Workshop, Apax Funds, PBS and Comcast's NBCUniversal subsidiary, debuted in 2005. Time Warner Cable initially carried only the video-on-demand version of Sprout, but now offers it on digital basic tiers. Sprout's programming lineup includes bedtime show "Pajanimals," a series from "Muppets" creator Jim Henson Co. It also has reruns of "Sesame Street" as well as original series "The Chica Show," "Noodle & Doodle" and "Caillou." Sprout's competitors include Disney Junior and The Hub, the kids network backed by Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA) and toy manufacturer Hasbro. For more:
- see the release Related articles:
DirecTV designs kid-friendly remote control
Cablevision launches Sprout; One World Sports names Joel Feld SVP of production
Beta: Discovery, History, Food ranked as most popular channels Read more about: Sprout
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5. IHS: Qualcomm could grab cut of set-top chip market
Qualcomm (Nasdaq:QCOM), which has made a business manufacturing chips for smartphones, is emerging as a "serious contender" in the market for set-top chips, IHS said in a research report released Friday. The introduction of set-top chips such as the Snapdragon 600 MPQ8064 could see Qualcomm shake up a sector that has been dominated by Broadcom and STMicroelectronics, IHS said. "While a handful of vendors also competed, mostly with chips targeted at lower-performance systems, the two powerhouses virtually owned the high-end market and accounted for roughly 80 percent of total STB processor revenue. Now Qualcomm has entered the STB market, and the incumbent leaders will face a serious challenger that has its sights set on domination," Jordan Selburn, IHS senior principal analyst for consumer platforms, said in a prepared statement. Selburn said he also expects that Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon 800 chip should be able to handle decoding for Ultra HD content. For more:
- see the release Related articles:
Smart TV Alliance recruits Qualcomm, MStar; Greg Willis named EVP of sales at NeuLion
Dish signs Qualcomm to develop chips for future wireless devices
New Intel chip offers Hollywood incentive: Built-in 1080p content protection Read more about: IHS, Qualcomm
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... The top nightmares of wireless industry execs 
Halloween is over, but that doesn't mean the nightmares that plague wireless industry executives are going away anytime soon. Sister publication FierceWireless takes a look at some of the scariest possible scenarios for companies like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) ("Everyone realizes the iPhone 5c is actually just the iPhone 5 in a colored plastic case"), Dish (Nasdaq: DISH) ("No one wants to buy Dish's spectrum, forcing the company to actually build a wireless network") and Sprint (NYSE:S) ("All of Sprint's websites and customer service support turned into Japanese"). Check out the full list here Quick news from across the Web. > Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Holdings said it posted $63.6 million in ad revenue in the third quarter, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period last year. News release > Nexstar Broadcasting named former CNBC executive Thomas O'Brien EVP of digital media and chief revenue officer. News release > WeatherNation TV said it is now available on Comcast and Charter Communications systems in the Flint, Mich., area. News release Telecom News > AT&T has lit up 54 multi-tenant office buildings in Louisiana as part of its fiber to the building (FTTB) drive, extending fiber-based services to over 2,600 business customer locations in the state. Read more > The FCC is making $32 million in Connect America Fund (CAF) grants available to enable service providers in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska to bring broadband service to over 42,000 "underserved" homes and businesses. Read more Wireless News > The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday that airline passengers will be able to use mobile devices placed in "airplane mode" during all phases of flights, including takeoff and landings. Read more > AT&T is exploring plans for a potential takeover of Vodafone sometime next year, according to a Bloomberg report, adding further fuel to the idea that AT&T is interested in a major deal with a European operator. Read more And finally… Comcast launched a "TV sampler" app that potential subscribers can use to check out its programming by using Verizon Wireless devices. Article > BroadbandTVCon Hollywood - Nov 5th- 6th - Hollywood, CA BroadbandTVCon brings together the top innovators, talent, thought leaders and entrepreneurs from across the TV and entertainment ecosystem. Learn more at www.bbtvcon.com about why content creators, programmers, television execs and OTT / BroadbandTV operators need to atttend.
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