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Comcast Plans AZN Television Channel's Shutdown

Comcast, the largest cable television operator in the United States, will close down its AZN Television channel on April 9. The channel has carried a number of anime works including Kakurenbo, Last Exile, Mobile Police Patlabor, Record of Lodoss War, Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie, Saiyuki Reload Gunlock, Tsukuyomi -Moon Phase-, and others. It has also shown live-action adaptations of popular manga series such as Initial D and Nodame Cantabile, as well as Negadon: The Monster from Mars and Mamoru Oshii's live-action Tachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters film.

According to Comcast, the channel attracted about 13.9 million viewers, which was lower than expected, and the audience was not increasing. The channel also had difficulty securing advertising. Comcast launched AZN in 2005 after acquiring Liberty Media's International Channel, which also frequently broadcasted anime series and films. Comcast had already laid off many of the senior staffers in late 2005, but the remaining 15 employees, who are based in Denver, will be offered jobs in other areas of the company.

Source: CNN