When I was a kid, there were plenty of movies I saw for the first time on HBO. But in the 21st century, I don’t know anyone who watches cable movie channels for their airing of non-first-run feature films. Well, that’s not completely correct; I know a lot of people who really love Turner Classic Movies (myself included), but that’s different. So, what’s the point of Viacom’s new unnamed pay TV channel, which has been all over the news today?

At a time when it seems premium networks like HBO and Showtime are only worth the additional costs because they feature really great original series and movies, those motion pictures that have already played in theaters and have already been available on DVD and other similar ancillaries just don’t seem too appealing. Even HBO’s worth is questionable these days, now that shows like The Sopranos and The Wire are over.

Meanwhile, Showtime is currently doing really well with original programming. However, that network is being reported to be the loser in today’s announcement because the channel will no longer have access to the motion picture output of Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, all partners in Viacom’s new cable venture. Yet the premium network doesn’t seem to actually consider itself at a loss. Showtime’s CEO, Michael Blank, who was quoted by Variety on the subject, clearly knows the deal:

In an interview Sunday, Blank told Daily Variety that Showtime had been unwilling to pay the price the three studios were asking for their pics.

“We’re not willing to sell our network down the river for product that’s not as valuable as it used to be,” he said. “We wish them well.

It’s a tough business. But we don’t feel movies are worth anywhere near what they used to be.”

Exec said Showtime needed to “allocate our resources to what what people are writing about and watching,” namely original series.

“We’ve been having unbelievable success with our original programming,” Blank said. “Can you name one movie Showtime has aired in the last three years? But people sure do know ‘The Tudors’ and ‘Californication’ and ‘Dexter’ and ‘Weeds’.”

Is this new channel a kind of backward thinking, then? Or will it be the kind of cable channel we’re actually interested in in the era of new internet-based ancillaries? From what I can tell, a lot of cable subscribers don’t even care what is playing on their HBO or Showtime or Starz, preferring only to browse the on-demand selections. Viacom’s new channel will surely have on-demand content, but it could be the same old limited offerings.

To me, the only step forward in this industry is to have completely on-demand channels featuring the majority of studio libraries available at the click of a button. Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate shouldn’t be teaming up for a new old-fashioned-seeming network. They should each have their own on-demand stations.