Gospel Music Channel to Launch GMC HD Nov. 27

Contact: Jim Weiss, Gospel Music Channel, 770-692-4579

ATLANTA, Nov. 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Gospel Music Channel (GMC) announced today that it will launch GMC HD on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.

In announcing the new GMC HD channel, Charles Humbard, founder and president of GMC, said, "Like sports, no other genre of programming benefits as much from the High Definition experience as music. We have been aggressively producing original content and acquiring programming in high-def for quite some time in preparation for GMC HD. Affiliates and viewers have been asking for GMC in High Definition and the right time has come to provide it. We expect to announce affiliation agreements in time for the launch."

GMC's HD launch on Nov. 27 will occur in prime time at 8:00 pm with world HD premiere of Facing the Giants, called " the #1 inspirational movie since Passion of The Christ" followed by the exclusive world premiere of a new original concert featuring Switchfoot (10:30 pm). Facing the Giants is an action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. The movie's soundtrack includes artists who are regularly featured on GMC, including Casting Crowns, Third Day and Bebo Norman and Casting Crowns singer and songwriter Mark Hall will serve as host of the exclusive presentation. Switchfoot then takes the GMC HD stage at 10:30 pm as the top-selling alternative rock band known for their energetic live shows is captured in a rare, intimate show produced as part of GMC's signature music series Revealed.

Among the other programming highlights of GMC HD's first weekend: GMC/GMC HD becomes "America's Christmas Channel" for the holidays, including world premiere Christmas concerts by gospel/R&B great Ann Nesby (Nov. 29, 8:00 pm) and the very popular southern gospel group Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (Nov. 28, 9:00 pm) as well as original Christmas concerts featuring MercyMe, Jars of Clay and others.

GMC celebrated its fifth birthday last week (Oct. 30). The recent BETA Research survey of digital cable subscribers that showed GMC to be tied with NFL Network for #1 in overall perceived value was a resounding third-party endorsement of the high value that GMC delivers to our affiliates and viewers alike.

"Our rapid rate of growth in five short years, particularly the last few, and our growth in consumer value demonstrates that cable operators and their customers desire our family-friendly programming, and now they will be able to enjoy it in High Definition as well," added Humbard.

GMC is the fastest-growing network in television and can be seen in 45 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.

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