CBS TO PROVIDE EXCLUSIVE BRANDED CONTENT FOR THE HEALIUM (TM) WAITING ROOM NETWORK
The CBS Marketing Group today announced that it will provide original branded content to The HealiumTM Waiting Room Network - a brand new viewing channel created by AVTV that is offered in thousands of medical offices nationwide.
Currently reaching 300,000 viewers monthly, The HealiumTM network is expected to have a national footprint reaching 3,000,000 viewers per month in 2008 when the service becomes available to medical clients serviced by Henry Schein, Inc., which serves more than 120,000 medical practices in the United States.
"Since most patients become impatient waiting to be seen by their practitioner, this is a great way to transform the waiting room experience by offering them entertaining programming and informative stories from CBS," commented George Schweitzer, President of the CBS Marketing Group. "With this latest partnership, we continue to expand on our successful Outernet strategy - finding unique ways to reach a captive audience when they're out of their homes."
"The HealiumTM Waiting Room Network powered by CBS, capitalizes on several major trends in the marketplace: ever-increasing patient wait times, challenging economic times for medical practitioners, and the explosive growth of the digital narrowcasting industry," commented Yigal Marcus, President & Founder of AVTV Networks, Inc. "The network dramatically reduces the perceived patient wait time by providing highly appealing and demographically targeted CBS entertainment content, while giving physicians the unprecedented ability to market their practice using HealiumTM, their own personal television network. HealiumTM is part of how medicine will be practiced in the 21st century."
"The office visit experience begins well before the patient actually sees the doctor," said Michael Racioppi, President, Henry Schein Medical Group. "Medical practitioners and their staff strive to make that waiting time as pleasant as possible for their patients, and to provide patients with customized information on healthcare services offered by the practice. With this in mind, AVTV Networks has created the most versatile and entertaining option available to date, and we are proud to offer it exclusively to our medical customers as yet another value-added service designed to enhance their practices."
ABOUT CBS OUTERNET
CBS has been at the forefront of an innovative marketing campaign to attract viewers via the 'Outernet' - finding new ways to reach audiences through exclusive partnerships that expose CBS to consumers outside their homes. By producing original content for American Airlines flights, thousands of supermarkets nationwide (in partnership with SignStorey), shopping malls, auto service centers and hair salons across the country, CBS has found new platforms for programming and promotion as well as unique ways for advertisers to engage with the Network. Current CBS 'Outernet' partners include: American Airlines/CBS Eye on American; Royal Caribbean/CBS Eye on Royal Caribbean; AutoNet TV/Rev It Up; Salon Channel Network; SignStorey; Starwood Hotels/SPG TV; Indoor Direct; Mall of America; On Spot Digital/Simon Malls and Ripple TV/CBS Outdoor, among others.
ABOUT AVTV NETWORKS
AVTV Networks, Inc. is a new media company founded in 2005 which deploys digital narrowcast entertainment networks. Their flagship network, HealiumTM, is a digital entertainment network being installed in medical waiting rooms throughout the US.
HealiumTM is viewed on large flat screen monitors mounted in the waiting rooms. The fully flexible and uniquely accessible network enables HealiumTM to deliver specifically chosen entertainment content most appropriate for each location. Based on detailed demographic profiles provided by each subscribing medical office, HealiumTM delivers the most appropriate content. In addition, the addressability of each location allows for the unprecedented targeting of commercial messages to highly captive audiences. Independent research has concluded that HealiumTM viewers wait for their physician for an average of 28 minutes and that the majority of those patients - over 60% - watch the HealiumTM network.
The content aired on the HealiumTM network is provided by CBS, America's Most-Watched broadcast network. In contrast to other waiting room networks, HealiumTM airs "feel-good" entertainment content from the CBS library of leading network shows, as well as segments from CBS classics, such as I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners. HealiumTM powered by CBS is truly Stress-Free TVTM.
AVTV Networks, Inc. has also entered into an exclusive strategic distribution relationship with Henry Schein, Inc. Henry Schein is the largest distributor of dental, medical, and veterinary products and services in the North American and European markets. In the US alone, Henry Schein's medical sales team of nearly 600 people service over 120,000 medical offices.
ABOUT HENRY SCHEIN, INC.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSIC), a Fortune 500� company, is the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets. The Company is recognized for its excellent customer service and highly competitive prices. Henry Schein's four business groups - Dental, Medical, International and Technology - serve more than 500,000 customers worldwide, including dental practices and laboratories, physician practices and veterinary clinics, as well as government and other institutions. The Company operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, which provides customers in more than 200 countries with a comprehensive selection of more than 70,000 national and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as over 100,000 additional products available to our customers as special order items.
Henry Schein also offers a wide range of innovative value-added practice solutions for healthcare professionals, such as ArubA�, the Company's electronic catalog and ordering system. Its leading practice-management software solutions have been installed in more than 50,000 practices, including DENTRIX� and Easy Dental� for dental practices, MicroMD� for physician practices, and AVImark� for animal health clinics.
Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein employs nearly 12,000 people and has operations in 19 countries. The Company's sales reached a record $5.15 billion in 2006. For more information, visit the Henry Schein Web site at http://www.henryschein.com/.
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