Logo

VOD Show Helps Police Catch Fugitive

Jun 12, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Cable operators can now claim that video-on-demand is also a crime-fighting tool.

Late last month the Milwaukee Police Department nabbed one of the criminals on its most-wanted list with an assist from a local VOD show produced by Time Warner Cable and the police department.

The department and the local system created a VOD show called “CrimeLine” that includes information on “Milwaukee’s Most Wanted.” After William Dickey, who was on the most-wanted list, was profiled on the show last month, he turned himself in at the urging of his family, said Bev Greenberg, VP of public affairs for Time Warner’s Wisconsin division.

The show launched in January and the “Milwaukee’s Most Wanted” episodes of the series have scored among the top 10 most-viewed VOD programs in the market in the past two months, she said.

Episodes include interviews with the police chief and updates on relevant crime-related Milwaukee news.

Ms. Greenberg said other Time Warner systems are considering launching similar shows on-demand. “If this has this kind of potential, we have a new [use] for VOD for public service,” she said.

Time Warner Cable in Milwaukee has been betting big on locally produced on-demand content as a hedge against satellite competition. The system offers 140 hours of local on-demand fare at any given time.