Coda

New York — NBC Universal is going all in on a multiplatform affiliate-marketing campaign in support of the Vancouver Olympics in February 2010.

The programmer is offering distributors the opportunity to deliver to their subscribers customizable campaign packages across myriad platforms. The comprehensive initiative extends to local ad sales, awareness, retention and acquisition, high-definition, free on-demand, broadband and interactive TV, according to NBCU TV Networks senior vice president of marketing and sales strategy Brian Hunt.

Last week, NBCU initiated its 100-day “Countdown to Vancouver” for the 2010 Winter Olympics, scheduled from Feb. 12 to 28.

“As the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games approach, NBC Universal is committed to delivering an effective multiplatform strategy to drive awareness and engage viewers on a local and national level,” Hunt said.

Affiliates — who are not obligated to run a minimum number of spots trumpeting the Games to engage in the campaigns — can find out more by logging in with their password at NBCUNetworks.com. There, they will find a host of information, marketing materials and applications.

Elsewhere, NBCU is proffering materials and messaging behind an awareness campaign to promote the Olympic programming and sports its various networks will deliver; that it will cover every sport from every venue in the high-definition format for the first time; and that ITV subscribers can access features, including medal counts, athlete bios and USA team reports.

As for on-demand content, NBC Universal, beginning in December, will give viewers access to more than 20 clips available in HD. During the Games, there will be more than 100 highlight clips, plus five daily full-length event replays.

Separately, NBCU has selected content-distribution network operator Akamai Technologies and iStreamPlanet, a provider of digital media services and software applications, to work with Microsoft to deliver live and on-demand video on the Internet for the Winter Games.

Las Vegas-based iStreamPlanet will provide satellite downlink encoding and production services. Akamai will then distribute the video online over its “HD” network service using Microsoft’s IIS Smooth Streaming adaptive-rate video streaming platform. NBCU earlier this year renewed its deal with Microsoft to use Silverlight streaming-media technology for its online Olympics service.

— Mike Reynolds with Todd Spangler

New York — The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has referred Comcast’s decision not to participate in its adjudication process involving Comcast’s advertising claim that it provides “fiber-optic network” services to the Federal Trade Commission for further review.

The NAD, acting on a challenge by Verizon Communications, had requested substantiation from Comcast for the advertising claim that it delivers services over a “fiber-optic network.”

Verizon contends that Comcast, like virtually all cable companies, uses a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network rather than a pure fiber-to-the-home architecture as used by the telco’s FiOS. Because Comcast uses coaxial cable to connect to subscribers’ homes, the telco argues, Comcast cannot claim to employ a “fiber-optic network.”

According to the NAD, Comcast declined to participate, citing concerns that Verizon’s counsel might have had access to the cable company’s “confidential and proprietary information as per a written agreement relating to a multidistrict litigation unrelated to the instant NAD proceeding.”

Comcast senior director of corporate communications Jenni Moyer said, “In this instance, we believe there’s a conflict between us and the legal counsel representing Verizon that cannot be resolved, which is why we chose to not participate in the NAD’s process.”

Verizon and its lawyers “disagreed with this characterization,” according to the NAD. Neither the NAD nor Comcast identified the litigation referenced.

The NAD’s standard procedures dictate that when an advertiser declines to participate in the self-regulatory review the matter is referred to an appropriate governmental agency.

In a statement, Verizon said, “For years Comcast has confused consumers by making false claims that their network is all-fiber-optic like Verizon’s. Their refusal to participate in a self-regulatory process is clearly part of their ongoing strategy of delay that allows them to continue making claims that have only one objective — befuddling consumers. We welcome and eagerly await the FTC’s review that we believe will result in Comcast’s withdrawal of this false claim.”

In a statement, NAD said it appreciated “the sincerity and good faith of both parties” but was “disappointed” at Comcast’s decision.

— Todd Spangler

St. Louis — The parent of Suddenlink Communications said it has completed a $600 million debt offering, an increase from the initial plan to sell $400 million in notes.

Cequel Communications Holdings I, LLC, and subsidiary co-issuer Cequel Capital said net proceeds, plus cash on hand, were used to repay a portion of loans outstanding under the credit facilities of Cequel Communications (doing business as Suddenlink Communications) and to pay related fees and expenses.

“Upsizing this offering to $600 million would be a remarkable achievement under virtually any circumstances, but especially so in the current economic environment,” Jerry Kent, Suddenlink’s chairman and CEO, said in a release. “I firmly believe that the completed offering and related bank amendment will help us continue our track record of providing a superior level of service to our customers and growing our business.”

Redmond, Ore. — Federal law-enforcement officials have accused a 26-year-old Oregon man — known by the alias “DerEngel” in hacking circles — of selling products designed to let users modify Motorola cable modems and tap into broadband networks without paying.

Officials unsealed the charges of conspiracy, computer intrusion and wire fraud against Ryan Harris, of Redmond, Ore., and the company he founded, TCNISO, in a Massachusetts federal court last week.

If convicted, Harris faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution on each count, according to the FBI.

According to the indictment, from 2003 through 2009 Harris and TCNISO “developed and distributed hardware and software tools that allowed its customers to modify their cable modems so that they could disguise themselves as legitimate, paying subscribers in order to access Internet service providers’ networks without authorization and get premium high-speed access without paying for it.”

— Todd Spangler