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SUSPENDED: Prospect Park Announces Suspension Of Effort To Bring ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE Online

Prospect Park has released a statement saying the efforts to create online versions of ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN were being suspended saying it was "now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible." The decision comes after Prospect Park principals Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz spent the past few months trying to shore up financial backing for their Online TV Network, secure the talent and writers from the departing ABC series as well as agreements with the unions.

After five months of negotiations with various guilds, hundreds of presentations to potential financial and technology partners, and a hope that we could pioneer a new network for the future, it is with great disappointment that we are suspending our aspirations to revive “One Life to Live” and “All My Children” via online distribution. It is now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible.

We believed the timing was right to launch an Online TV Network anchored by these two iconic soap operas, but we always knew it would be an uphill battle to create something historical, and unfortunately we couldn’t ultimately secure the backing and clear all the hurdles in time. We believe we exhausted all reasonable options apparent to us, but despite enormous personal, as well as financial cost to ourselves, we failed to find a solution.

While we narrowed in on a financial infrastructure, the contractual demands of the guilds, which regulate our industry, coupled with the program’s inherent economic challenges ultimately led to this final decision. In the end, the constraints of the current marketplace, including the evolution and impact of new media on our industry simply proved too great a match for even our passion.

In our opinion, new models like this can only work with the cooperation of many people striving to make them happen, and we would like to thank and praise the numerous people who tried to help and showed us incredible support. We are extremely grateful to the fans and media who showed great support to us through this process, to ABC who did everything in their control to help, and we are especially grateful for the support and encouragement from many of the Soaps’ cast and crew themselves.
The statement comes just days after ONE LIFE TO LIVE wrapped production on the ABC version of the show that will supposedly now go out with a cliffhanger like AMC.

“I am sorry they had to give up the intent to put it on and I’m very grateful to Rich and Jeff for their efforts," Agnes Nixon said, "but I know that no matter what happens, there is still much story to be told in both ONE LIFE TO LIVE and ALL MY CHILDREN, and in my heart, I believe, it may still be told. And I’d love to be part of the telling. I’m also grateful to [OLTL executive producer] Frank Valentini and the cast and crews. But more than anyone to our fans who have been so loyal and who are a part of our big family.”

What do you think about the news as well as the timing of the announcement?

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