Comcast puts on the [CBS] hits

Comcast Cable [1] has launched on-demand access to four primetime series from CBS: [2] CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; NCIS; Survivor; and The Amazing Race.

Comcast will sell individual episodes for 99 cents. Offered in the "Network Primetime" category, viewers can watch each purchased program an unlimited number of times during a 24-hour period.

Episodes of CSI and NCIS will be available until the next weekly episode airs. Comcast will offer all episodes from the new seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race, which kick off in February. Until then, the previous season of those shows can be seen in their entirety via VOD.

Initially, Comcast will offer those shows on-demand only in markets with owned-and-operated stations - New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Dallas, Salt Lake, Denver, Miami, Chicago and Sacramento.

The decision to work only with owned-and-operated CBS stations is presumably to pacify other broadcast affiliates that have complained about not getting a cut of the revenue from new portable TV services such as the Apple [3] video iPod.

"Millions of people are already viewing programs on-demand, and with prime-time network hits, VOD will continue to be the destination for customers who want the most choice and control in their home entertainment experience," said Page Thompson, vice president and general manager of Comcast On Demand.