BRIEFS

CABLEWORLD STAFF

CSTV: College Sports Television received a $15 million investment from Coca-Cola Co. The deal gives the soft-drink maker $10 million in equity and another $5 million in marketing and promotional activities. Brian Bedol, founder of CSTV, which launched last week mostly on DirecTV, said affiliates will be able to join with the network and Coke on local promotions that will extend into retail outlets.

Lifetime's original movie, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, drew a 5 household rating and 5.7 million viewers on April 6, making it the network's highest-rated original movie in more than a year. The launch of Sci Fi Channel's Scare Tactics drew a 1.5 rating, reaching 1.3 million viewers 18 to 49.

HorseRacing TV signed a multiyear agreement with Cox Communications that extends the network's viewership into Orange County, Calif., and expands its coverage in San Diego. Under its distribution agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, HRTV will also add more than 12,000 digital basic subscribers on systems owned by Blue Ridge Communications, Hawley, Video Internet Broadcasting and Trinity Communications.

The Travel Channel and Holland America Line formed a year-long marketing partnership built around Travel Channel's Beach Week feature. The partnership includes a national consumer sweepstakes that will be promoted with 30-second spots airing on the Travel Channel and Discovery.com. First prize is a Holland America cruise for two. Other elements include a 50,000-piece direct mail campaign.

CNBC said it will launch Topic A With Tina Brown on April 30. The show was postponed for war coverage.

Ellis Entertainment reached deals to produce one-hour series for Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Discovery Health and Travel Channel. The shows are Beastly Countdowns, Wild Sites, Profiles of Nature and The Baby Human.