Washington, D.C. (August 27, 2007) -- Cable and satellite operators are aggressively pursuing carriage deals with new High-Definition channels, according to an article in this week's Multichannel News.

Until now, a new HDTV channel had to struggle to find a place in a cable or satellite lineup because of limited system space for high-def signals. (A high-def channel takes roughly seven times the amount of space that an analog channel does.)

But both cable and satellite providers are now expanding their bandwidth capabilities so they are hunting for new HD channels to add to their lineups. For instance, The Outdoor Channel says its high-def network is suddenly in great demand.

"We are seeing a lot of interest from operators in our HD channel,” Outdoor COO Tom Hornish told Multichannel News. “I’ve gotten some cold calls from distributors that we already have relationships with, but they don’t currently have the HD feed, saying, 'How do we get it, what do we need to do?’”

DIRECTV's plan to offer 100 HDTV channels by year's end is also fueling interest from cable and satellite operators who are battling for the growing high-def audience.

“DIRECTV's announcement has just set off a gold rush,” an affiliate sales chief told the publication. “And everybody and their brother are piling on with HD channels, most of which, frankly, are going to be provided at no additional cost.”

With the sudden demand for high-def programming, some networks are using their new HD channels as leverage for better terms in licensing their non-HD channels. For instance, Hallmark, which will launch a HD movie channel early next year, says a TV provider must carry the non-HD channel as well if it wants the high-def network.

“For us, it’s a major component of our renewal discussions,” Janice Arouh, Hallmark’s senior vice president, told Multichannel News. “I really want to underscore the word 'major.’”

Of course, while cable and satellite operators are expanding their bandwidths, many are still limited in what they can offer. Consequently, the interest in new high-def channels may not actually result in seeing them added to lineups until late this year or early next.