(21 March 2006 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Verizon and CBS have reached a deal in which Verizon will carry CBS programming on its new television service.

The companies announced a comprehensive retransmission consent and video-on-demand (VOD) agreement, which includes analog, digital, multicast and HD rights to programming on CBS owned-and-operated television stations; local VOD content from those stations; and CBS Television Network VOD content, including such current popular network series as CSI,NCIS and Survivor.

Verizon will offer the programming on its new fiber-optic TV service FiOS TV, which is now available in parts of seven states of the U.S. All FiOS TV subscribers with a set-top box will receive the CBS Television Network VOD content at no incremental cost, which will also be true for FiOS TV subscribers in CBS owned-and-operated markets with regard to the local VOD content.

"With each subscriber that Verizon's FiOS TV adds, CBS will directly benefit, and therefore, we look forward to our partnership as Verizon showcases our programming both in our (owned-and-operated) markets and across the country," CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves said in a statement.

Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg said the deal expands the market for both companies."For us, it means we can offer our customers the tremendously valuable content provided by the CBS Television Network and local broadcast stations," Seidenberg said.

CBS locally owned-and-operated stations are in all Verizon TV markets except Washington, D.C.Verizon said its retransmission consent agreement with CBS is its largest such deal. Prior to the deal, Verizon provided programming from the CBS owned-and-operated stations under a special agreement with CBS.