The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative announced Yadkin Valley Telecom, of Yadkinville, N.C.,as the first member telco to sign a contract to distribute NRTC's full complement of 250 video and audio channels on a content-only basis.
NRTC's lineup includes programming from A&E Television Networks, Disney (including ABC and ESPN properties), Fox News, Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks, MTV Networks, Lifetime Networks, Showtime Networks, Starz! Entertainment, Turner Networks, Comcast Networks, NBC Universal, The Outdoor Channel and The Weather Channel.
NRTC's distribution agreements include rights for telcos to deliver the programming in Internet Protocol format and the use of MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 compression. NRTC has also acquired rights to these channels' high-definition services and in some cases video-on-demand rights.
Yadkin Valley Telecom serves over 30,000 customers and provides local and long distance phone service, cellular phone service, Internet access and cable television service.
The NRTC, along with the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, also offers member telephone companiesa turnkey IPTV service that includes SES Americom’s IP-PRIME satellite service, as well as headend and set-top solutions.
