Tollgrade Communications has hired Peter Van Peenan to define and execute the company's cable product strategy.

Peenan, who is based at Tollgrade's Sarasota office, will spearhead Tollgrade's product concepts and development, through customer launches, and service maintenance.

Most recently, he served as a consultant to Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises project. Before that, he handled various products for the Acterna (now part of JDS Uniphase) cable networks unit.

Insight Communications has launched a primary line IP telephony service to "selected areas" of northeast Indiana, including Anderson.

The deployment marks the first involving IP telephony for Insight, which plans to extend the service to other markets later this year. The MSO is already using traditional circuit-switched technology to offer telephone service in Louisville and Lexington, Ky.; Evansville, Ind.; and Columbus, Ohio.

Showtime Networks is using cable video-on-demand to shine the spotlight the programmer's Emmy-nominated original series and programs.

Through Sept. 20, Showtime will create an "Emmy Nominees" VOD category to showcase episodes of Huff, The L-Word and Penn & Teller: BULLSHIT!, the Dave Chappelle For What It's Worth comedy special, and feature-length original movies Reefer Madness and Our Fathers.