TV & VIDEO - Aug. 4, 1989

The Playboy cable channel will switch from a subscription network to a pay-per-view service called “Playboy at Night” on Dec. 1, Playboy Enterprises chairman and chief executive officer Christie Hefner said Thursday. Hefner said pay-per-view “presents us with the best distribution means because it provides consumers with a unique entertainment option when they want it.” The new “Playboy at Night” service will show original Playboy programs and R-rated films. On cable systems that do not have the hardware for pay-per-view, “Playboy at Night” will be offered through a monthly fee. Hefner also announced the fall launch in Europe of a new broadcast television show, “Playboy Late Night.” And she said “After Hours,” the first syndicated series from Alta Loma, Playboy’s newly formed syndication production company, has been cleared in more than 80% of U.S. markets and premieres Sept. 18.