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.
-
Re: Celia Bailey
GREAT..Maybe we''ll be watching your autopsy on a future forensic TV
episode.
John Fraks - 12/13/2007 4:38:00 PM EST -
As if an hour-long show featuring Star Jones wasn't enough to make one lose interest in CourtTV... What is happening to this once-great channel is a tragedy and a huge disappointment. I am so fed up with mindless programs that pass themselves off as "reality" TV. First, A&E pulled the plug on shows like "City Confidential", "Investigative Reports", "Cold Case Files", "Biography", and (for entertainment purposes only)the earlier episodes of "Law and Order" and replaced them with "Dog the Bounty Hunter", "Criss Angel: Mindfreak", "Gene Simmons' Family Jewels", and "Intervention". Shows like that belong on Spike TV. It's sad that the bigwigs feel they have to change the name to "truTV" and then stoop to "reality" TV level in order to compete with other channels. I will miss everything about CourtTV--"Body of Evidence", "Psychic Detectives", etc. Guess I'll be watching even more of the History and Discovery Channels.
Elizabeth G. Cantrell - 12/5/2007 9:54:00 PM EST -
I agree.. there are TONS of reality channels out there... MTV, VHI, Discovery, History and more..DONT MESS WITH COURT TV LINE UP!! I WANT TO SEE, BLOOM & POLITAN, BEST DEFENSE AND COURTSIDE WITH BANFIELD AND FORD!! THAT ALL I WATCH!
KIM WALLACE - 11/23/2007 10:32:00 AM EST -
I happen to love the idea of more reality on court tv.
I enjoy the forensic files, and stuff like that.
Celia Bailey - 11/8/2007 1:43:00 AM EST -
i think this is horrible how many reality channels do you need to watch i like court tv i watch it all the time im not gonna watch tru tv or what ever your gonna call it. thats what the discovery channel is for.
frank s - 11/4/2007 1:58:00 PM EST
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
