Dating on Demand
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Dating on Demand

Local single scene moves to the television screen.

Area singles have a new outlet when searching for significant others as Comcast and HurryDate.com have teamed up to present “Dating on Demand,” a division of the cable company’s local programming, which features a database of video personals available free of charge to customers.

“It’s been pretty popular,” said Noah Kodeck, director of Comcast’s local video on demand programming. “What’s fun about this is everyone likes to be on television.”

Appearing at various social events throughout the metropolitan-area, like concerts, bar events and the upcoming Comcast Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore in Bethesda, Kodeck and his crew have coaxed area singles to sit down and share what they’re looking for in a perfect date, as well as share a few things about themselves. A quick view at some of the sample videos on Comcast’s website and it’s clear that profiles run the gamut of age and dating expectations.

“They’re all over, people who are younger and older,” said Kodeck. “Some people dress up. A few years ago, one dressed up as a treckie.”

What began in Philadelphia in 2004, and was later introduced to this area in 2005, the local programming division is now working to cull a larger database of videos for on-demand viewers. Kodeck and Jaye Linnen, a spokesperson for the company, believe these videos serve as useful leads for singles, but also contain an intrinsic entertainment value.

“This is a form of reality television,” said Kodeck. “We want this to be fun as well.”

And how can interested singles enter themselves into the database?

“People just need to be aware of what’s happening in their local community,” said Linnen.

Singles can access upcoming events and sample profiles on the program’s website, www.datingondemaand.com.. The videos, which last from three to five minutes in length are available in the “Get Local” section of Comcast’s On-Demand Channel. The channel rotates its selection regularly, 30 videos at a time. Each video is tagged with a code, which allows interested viewers to send messages on HurryDate.com.

Kodeck believes that the marriage of media involved with “Dating on Demand” is what attracts local singles.

“I think it’s the convergence of the multi-media platform,” he said. “And for Comcast, it’s another enhancement to the local network.”

—By Christopher Staten