Final Four on FPB Cable

CBS Sports and Turner Sports will provide exclusive coverage of the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship from Indianapolis with Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and Wisconsin competing for the national championship.  TBS (FPB Cable channel 51/551) will televise the NCAA Final Four National Semifinal games on Saturday, April 4, with game coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET.  The network will feature three hours of pre-game coverage beginning at 3 p.m. CBS (FPB channel 6/506 and 12/512) will broadcast the National Championship on Monday, April 6, with pre-game coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. and the game tipping off at 9:18 p.m.

Saturday’s NCAA Final Four National Semifinals will feature Duke against Michigan State at 6:09 p.m. on TBS, FPB Cable channel 51/551.  Kentucky against Wisconsin will follow 40 minutes after the completion of the Duke/Michigan State game. Jim Nantz will call the action with analysts Grant Hill and Bill Raftery with reporter Tracy Wolfson.  Nantz will be calling his 25th Final Four and National Championship, with Hill and Raftery working the marquee event for the first time this year.

Ernie Johnson will host studio coverage from the Final Four and National Championship with analysts Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith – joined by Greg Gumbel and analyss Reggie Miller, Seth Davis, Steve Smith and college coaches.

In addition to TBS’ Final Four National Semifinal game coverage, TNT and truTV will feature “Team Stream Presented by Bleacher Report” or team-specific presentations tailored to the schools participating in each game.

The inventive concept will continue to present the game with unprecedented local flavor including comprehensive team and player storylines, custom graphics, music, graphics and show packaging, additional cameras and team-centric replays, custom halftimes with school features and more.

Accompanying the live television coverage, NCAA March Madness Live will once again provide live streaming of the NCAA Final Four National Semifinals — including the Team Stream presentations — and the National Championship Game.

Team Stream commentator teams include:

“Duke Team Stream” on TNT 52/552 at 6 p.m.

Tom Werme, play-by-play – Werme is a 20-year broadcasting veteran who has hosted the ACC Blitz and has provided commentary for the ACC Network, ACC Digital Network and Raycom Sports, among others.

Alaa Abdelnaby, analyst – Abdelnaby is a former Duke standout that played for the Blue Devils from 1996-2000 and was All-ACC third team during his senior year.  He is currently a CBS Sports Network studio analyst and commentator for Westwood One.

Chris Spatola, reporter – Spatola is a former director of basketball operations at Duke and current CBS Sports Network commentator.  He is also the son-in-law of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“Michigan State Team Stream” on truTV 57/557 at 6 p.m.

Brian Anderson, play-by-play – Anderson is a veteran and versatile Turner Sports commentator who has done play-by-play for leading properties such as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NBA on TNT and MLB Postseason on TBS, among others.  He has also previously called games for the Big Ten Network.

Mateen Cleaves, analyst – A former Michigan State legend, Cleaves led the Spartans to an NCAA Championship in 2000 and was names the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.  Cleaves is the only three-time All-American is school history and was named Big Ten Player of the Year twice.  Currently a studio analyst for CBS Sports Network, Cleaves’ Michigan State jersey was retired in 2007.

Shireen Saski, reporter – a Michigan State alum, Saski is currently a CBS Sports Network reporter and has previously worked for the Big Ten Network.  The veteran broadcaster has also been the recipient of three Michigan Emmy Awards, then working for Fox Sports Detroit.

“Kentucky Team Stream” on TNT  52/552 (following first game)

Dave Baker, play-by-play – Baker is a long-time sports broadcaster at WKYT in Lexington and television play-by-play commentator for UK/IMG’s University of Kentucky basketball coverage.  He has spent more than two decades being involved with broadcasting events surrounding the Southeastern Conference.

Rex Chapman, analyst – A former Kentucky star, Chapman was a two-time All-SEC player who helped lead the team to an SEC Championship and run to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 during his sophomore year.  Chapman amassed more than 1,000 points in only two years at Kentucky, which was followed by a 12-year NBA career.

Michael Eaves, reporter – a Kentucky alum, Eaves has previously covered University of Kentucky basketball extensively as a sports anchor, reporter and producer at WKYT in Lexington.  He is currently an anchor and reporter for Al Jazeera America.

“Wisconsin Team Stream” on truTV 57/557 (following first game)

Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play – Larrivee is the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers on the Packers Radio Network and has called college basketball for the Big Ten Network.  He has also provided play-by-play for Westwood One during the NCAA Tournament.

Mike Kelley, analyst – A former Wisconsin standout, Kelley helped guide the team to the Final Four in 2000 and, during his collegiate career, he helped lead the team to its best four-season win total in school history.  Kelley was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.

Phil Dawson, reporter – Dawson is host of the Badger Radio Network, as well as a talk show host in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Now Available On Video On Demand

NOW AVAILABLE, WEEKS BEFORE NETFLIX/REDBOX

Wild - Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffmann

With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthen, and ultimately heals her. Written by Spencer Higham-imdb.com

INTERSTELLAR - Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain

In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race. Written by Warren D'Souza - imdb.com

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THE IMITATION GAME - Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

You Won't Find These at Redbox

FPB has two new VOD movies now available and you wont find them at Redbox or on Netflix for a few more weeks.  Watch them today!

Weeks Before Netflix/Redbox

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

Bilbo and Company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage

Weeks Before Netfix/Redbox

Unbroken

After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

Director: Angelina Jolie

Starring: Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson

Into the Woods

A witch tasks a childless baker and his wife with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree.

Director: Rob Marshall

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine

FPB Employment Opportunity - Seasonal

The Frankfort Plant is now accepting applications for Seasonal Employment. 

Read more + apply here

Did You Know We Offered These?

Ok, you knew we had these VOD titles this week:

But did you know we had these?

THE WRECKING
Same day as theaters

A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.

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CYMELINE
Same day as theaters

A gritty story of a take-no-prisoners war between dirty cops and an outlaw biker gang. A drug kingpin is driven to desperate measures.

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THE COBBLER
Same day as theaters

Max Simkin repairs shoes in the same New York shop that has been in his family for generations. Disenchanted with the grind of daily life, Max stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. Sometimes walking in another man's shoes is the only way one can discover who they really are.

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TRACERS
Same day as theaters

Wanted by the Chinese mafia, a New York City bike messenger escapes into the world of parkour after meeting a beautiful stranger.

FPB Employment Opportunity

Water Distribution Operator 1

The successful candidate will assist in the maintenance, repair and construction work on the potable water distribution system.

Graduation from high school or GED is required.  The candidate must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and be eligible to acquire a Commercial Driver’s License.  Must be able to respond to calls in emergency situations at all hours.

READ MORE + APPLY HERE

FPB Offers NCAA March Madness LIVE

Office production is about to go WAY down, as office pools take center stage. The Tournament is coming and you don’t want to miss a second of action.

Thanks to FPB and WatchTVEverywhere, FPB customers can watch the entire tournament- ANYWHERE for FREE!

FPB Classic Cable customers can log on to watchTVeverywhere.com, select the Frankfort Plant Board as the provider and every game is at your fingertips at no charge. Just download the free NCAA March Madness LIVE app and enjoy every game of the tournament, no matter where you are.

Will the Cats go 40-0 and hang banner number nine? Will Louisville make another deep run? Who will be this year’s Cinderella? Get all of your tournament questions answered with NCAA March Madness LIVE. ALL 67 games from CBS, TNT, TBS and TRU TV can be seen from your computer, tablet, or smart phone. For more information on NCAA March Madness LIVE go to http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadness

To learn more about TV Everywhere networks, check out fpb.cc/wtve

It’s Tournament time – Watch it everywhere!

Now Showing - Weeks Before Redbox/Netflix

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Larry spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.  Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson.

Outdoor Shows on Television for Those With Cabin Fever→

From the New York Times article
By NEIL GENZLINGERFEB. 20, 2015

Subzero temperatures. Preposterous quantities of snow. Ice storms in places where road crews don’t normally stock salt. For many Americans, the only sane thing to do lately has been to stay inside. 

The housebound might be tempted to fill the need for fresh air and open space vicariously, through their televisions, where entire channels are devoted to leisure and adventure that take place in the great wide open. But is this really a good idea? Let’s find out.

Read More

Watch it Today Before the Theatrical Release!

We've got it before it hits theaters tomorrow!  Don't fight the snow and cold, wait in long lines or buy expensive snacks.  Instead, relax in the comfort of your own home and enjoyBradley Cooper along with Kentucky native and Oscar award winner Jennifer Lawrence in Serena before it even lands in theaters!  Watch the trailer below and enjoy the movie tonight!

Watch Now Before It's In Theaters. George and Serena Pemberton (Oscar® nominee Bradley Cooper and Oscar® winner Jennifer Lawrence) are love-struck newlyweds building a business empire. Serena proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man's life in the wilderness.

Series Premiere Tonight at 10pm

Although America is known as a melting pot, when two people from different ethnic communities fall in love, worlds collide with results that can be surprising, to say the least.  This comedic series follows the king of soul style, laid back, hip hop producer, O'Neal McKnight, and his fiancee Miriam Sternoff, a no-nonsense woman from a strict Jewish family who believes strongly in her faith. Now that O’Neal has decided to convert to Judaism In an effort to please Miriam, his family and friends are signing a different tune.

Series premiere tonight at 10pm on FPB Classic Cable channel 84 and in HD on 584.

Win A Trip To The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards In LA

The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2015 will be full of celebrities, performances, slime and surprises. You and your family could be there for all of the awesome action!

With your Frankfort Plant Board Classic Cable subscription, you can enter the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2015 Sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip for four to Los Angeles to attend the March 28th awards show.

Enter once per day for more chances to win—and get ready for the slime of your life.

Promotion and registration will run through 2/23/15.  Customers can go to www.NickKidsChoiceAwardsSweeps.com to register for a chance to win.  The winners will be announced on 3/6 and the travel dates will be 3/26 – 3/29.  The 4 day, 3 night trip to Los Angeles, CA includes tickets to the show, round‐trip airfare, ground transportation, and hotel accommodations.  

Entrants must be paid subscribers of FPB Classic Cable as of January 1, 2015. Entrants must be at least 21 years of age, and the parent of a child between the ages of 6 and 17 years old at time of entry.

FPB VOD Same Day as Theaters

Wait, what?! Four, count 'em, FOUR new VOD movies available today - same day as they are released in theaters!  Only you don't have to face the cold, freezing rain, long movie lines or pricey snacks.  Stay in, stay warm, and enjoy with any snack you like!

In one of the most harrowing true stories of WWII, three US Navy airmen crash land in the South Pacific.  On a tiny life raft with no food, no water and no hope of rescue, the trio must find a way to survive the sea - and each other.

An action/thriller centered on a woman who faces down assassins sent by her ex, a mob boss, while holed up in her apartment.

A man screws up on a transcontinental level in a noble effort to win back "the one."

An aged and addled actor has his world turned upside down after he embarks upon an affair with a lesbian, in this acidulous adaptation of the Philip Roth novel.

A Look Back at the 1990 Reds, Tonight!

Rob Dibble, Randy Myers and Norm Charlton look back at the 1990 Reds in MLB Network Presents: Nasty Boys with Bob Costas,

Tuesday, January 20 at 9pm ET, FPB Classic Cable channel 37 and in HD on 537.

TVGN Goes POP and Discovery Fit & Health Becomes Discovery LIfe

Still the same great programming, now with a little more POP!

TVGN, FPB Classic Cable channel 61 and in High Definition 561, has changed its name to POP.

TVGN announced that it has rebranded as Pop across its distribution of 80 million homes on. The CBS/Lionsgate joint venture, was known as TVGN, embraces a new on-air look and creative design to accompany its new brand promise – celebrating the fun of being a fan. Fans don’t sit at the outskirts of pop culture making snarky comments, they live right smack in the middle of it, sharing, creating, and connecting their passions with others. At Pop, fans finally have a destination that celebrates the fun of being a fan. Fans aren’t even fans anymore – they’re Gladiators, Tributes, Human Beings and Blockheads. Launching in 2015, Pop will give fans a dedicated channel that loves being a fan as much as they do. A channel that respects talent over celebrity. A channel filled with optimism, passion, funny and excitement. A channel that understands the fun doesn’t stop when the credits roll…it’s really just the beginning.

Rock This Boat: New Kids On the Block

POP features a wide variety of entertaining original programs including: “Rock This Boat: New Kids On the Block”, “The Story Behind”, “Queens of Drama”, and “Unusually Thicke”. Past favorites like “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place” are also part of the lineup. For an entire lineup listing or more information on POP to http://poptv.com/

Discovery Fit & Health Now Discovery Life Channel

The name has changed, but the great content is still providing an interesting look at life! Discovery Fit & Health, FPB Classic Cable channel 86, is now Discovery Life.

Shows like “Untold Stories of the E.R.”, “NY ER”, “Monsters Inside Me” and “Hoarding: Buried Alive” provide viewers with a fascinating look at interesting people, places and events.

For more information on Discovery Life, go to http://www.discoverylife.com/

SHOWTIME FREEVIEW!

With these cold temperatures over the weekend, we suggest you stay indoors and enjoy the FREE SHOWTIME PREVIEW!  Tune in to the new season premieres of Shameless, Episodes and House of Lies on Sunday!

The free Showtime Preview Weekend is available to all FPB Cable customers with an advanced set top (any FPB set top except the DTA). The free preview is also available to ALL FPB Cable customers through the Showtime Anytime App. Any FPB Cable customer may download the free Showtime Anytime App on our webpage HERE and access the free weekend on their computer and/or mobile device.  But maybe you shouldn't do it at your office.  Even though you could.  Just saying.  Enjoy your weekend!

FPB and a Buzzer Beater

Few things are more exciting to basketball fans than a last second shot that just beats the buzzer. Now, customers don’t have to miss a single, down-to-the-wire game thanks to ESPN Buzzer Beater on FPB Sports Plus channel 795.

ESPN Buzzer Beater is the only channel you need to watch all the best College Basketball moments from around the country. Catch live action from only the most thrilling games, and never miss a crucial free-throw or last second shot.  ESPN Buzzer Beater will air live Wednesdays, 7pm-11pm & Saturdays, Noon-11pm beginning January 10th.

Catch in-game cut-ins to college basketball games, live whip-around coverage, up to the minute stats, highlights and analysis.

FPB Marketing and Video Content Coordinator Harvey Couch thinks this will be a hit with the basketball crazed fan. “Kentucky is known as the Basketball Capital and this new network is the perfect channel for those fans that truly love college basketball. Like its college football counterpart in the fall, ESPN Buzzer Beater is a part time channel with overtime action.”

Read more about FPB Sports Plus

Small Change to MeTV Schedule

MeTV, FPB Cable channel 29, has a small programming change in 2015.

As of January 1, 2015, FPB Cable receives MeTV from WLEX-TV out of Lexington. This is a change from the past MeTV programmer, WLKY-TV from Louisville. Until January 1, WLKY aired their local news on MeTV, channel 29, at 10:00pm and 7:00am.

Since FPB’s recent retransmission consent agreements with the local network affiliates moved MeTV from WLKY to WLEX, local newscasts will no longer be available on MeTV.  
Customers who wish to view local newscasts at 10:00pm can find a one-hour newscast on Fox-WDKY channel 5 and in HD on 505. 7:00am local news can also be found on WDKY.

Customers that want to watch the WLKY local news can tune into FPB Cable channel 12 and 512 at 4:30am, 5:00am, 6:00am, noon, 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm and 11:00pm.

While this small change may be inconvenient to some viewers, FPB Marketing and Video Content Coordinator Harvey Couch is glad customers have multiple programming choices. “Our retransmission consent contract renegotiations forced this small programming change, but our customers still have the desired MeTV content and continue to have a number of local news programming choices. We are happy to offer such a diverse lineup to our customers.”

Looking to Buy a TV This Year? FPB Offers Some Advice on What to Look For

“Make sure the built in tuner is a QAM and not just an ATSC tuner”

— John Higginbotham

Tis the season for shopping and many people are in the market for a new, flat-screen television. While most new models include built-in QAM, or digital cable tuners, some makes and models are not equipped with that feature.

FPB Assistant General Manager of Cable-Telecom John Higginbotham warns those shopping for a new television to do their research before purchasing a new TV. “Probably 90% of new models have a built in QAM tuner, that may also be called digital cable tuner. Make sure the built in tuner is a QAM and not just an ATSC tuner. That information should be on the television box, but ask the retail sales associate for the specifications. Specific manufacturing information for virtually any make and model is available on-line. Just do your homework before you buy any new television to make sure it has the desired requirements.”

Televisions that do not have a built-in QAM or digital tuner require an FPB DTA or set-top to receive FPB Cable service.

Who is Groot?

Yes!  It's Tuesday and that means we have all new VOD movies for your viewing pleasure. Today, in case you haven't noticed, we are happy to announce the release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - featuring Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper: A group of space criminals must work together to stop the fanatical villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the galaxy.

To celebrate this release we collected alternate movie posters, the Awesome Mix Vol. 1 and a gag clip featuring the comlete dance off between Quill and Ronan with a little bit of Drax and Gamora!

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But wait, there's more!  Weeks before Redbox and netflix, we also have:

Calvary - featuring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly: After he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.

Dolphin Tale 2 - featuring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble: The team of people who saved Winter's life reassemble in the wake of her surrogate mother's passing in order to find her a companion so she can remain at the Clearwater Marine Hospital.

And finally:

When the Game Stands Tall - featuring Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis: The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport.