Cable Quietly Introduces On-Demand YouTube Rival

New York, NY (AHN) - Seeking to compete with the immediacy of the Internet and slow the movement of advertising dollars online, cable operators are using a little-known political channel to offer an alternative to sites such as YouTube.

Elections '08 On Demand is the first product of Conoe Ventures, a project of six cable companies, including Comcast, Time Warner and Cox Communications. The goal is to entice advertisers with better way to guage who is watching and the effectiveness of their promotions.

The channel features ads from Democratic nominee for U.S. President Barack Obama, video of the Democratic National Convention and clips about past candidates and presidents.

So far, the on-demand channel is viewed by 32 million homes and scattered across the cable landscape. For instance, the service is located on Time Warner Channel 1279.