Court TV to Become truTV
Network to Focus on Reality Programming
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 7/11/2007 8:25:00 AM
Court TV said it plans to change its name to truTV Jan. 1 and to focus on a new reality programming lineup that includes shows about bickering neighbors, renegade snowboarders and oil drillers.
The move, announced Wednesday, comes 14 months after Turner Broadcasting System completed its acquisition of the network through a deal with Liberty Media.
Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin said in Wednesday’s announcement that the rebranding “reflects the network’s popular lineup of series that offer first-person access to exciting, real-life stories.”
Following the name change, Nielsen Media Research will begin measuring the network each day at 3 p.m., starting with a new one-hour talk show from Star Jones. truTV will continue to run a six-hour block of trial coverage during the daytime, Turner said.
Court TV said it plans to target the “real engagers” psychographic. The network added that it is developing four programming projects through deals with Granada Television, producer of Fox’s Nanny 911; Original Productions, co-producer ofDiscovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch; Bunim/Murray Productions, creators of MTV’s The Real World; and Tiger Aspect USA, producer of Animal Planet’s Ms. Adventure.
New programming in development for truTV includes Neighbors 911 (working title), which will follow people involved in fights with their neighbors; and Ski Patrol (working title), which will show people doing “everything from dynamiting snowdrifts and performing daring out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking for a party on the slopes.”
The network also plans to follow oil drillers in Black Gold (working title), while Outlaw Chasers (working title) will follow storm chasers.
The name change comes at a time of ratings strength for the network. During the second quarter, Court TV's total-day household average grew 20% to a 0.6 from a 0.5 in the same period in 2006. In primetime, Court TV notched a 25% advance to a 1.0 mark from 0.8, buoyed in part by its "RED" action-reality block.
