Adelphia Communications Corp., which moved the Outdoor Life Network to its "Classic Cable" package to accommodate Buffalo Sabres' playoff games, has decided to keep the network on its new channel.

OLN will stay on Channel 71, a move that Adelphia made last month during the height of the Sabres' playoff run. OLN, the official cable outlet for the National Hockey League, will be carrying the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals before coverage shifts to NBC.

By keeping OLN on Channel 71, it opens the network to more local viewers. Besides the NHL, OLN carries coverage of such events as the Tour de France, the Boston Marathon and America's Cup.

"Buffalo is a great hockey town," said Gavin Harvey, president of OLN, which will soon change its name to Versus. "This increased distribution in Western New York allowed Sabres' fans to follow their team's quest for the Stanley Cup, but also exposes Adelphia customers to all of OLN's great programming."

With a significant following in the Buffalo market, OLN said the week of May 22 was the network's most-watched week ever. The 426,355 average viewers represented a 210 percent increase over 137,324 in the year-ago period.


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