Court TV to Become truTV

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Network to Focus on Reality Programming
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 7/11/2007 12:25:00 PM
Court TV to Become truTV - 7/11/2007 12:25:00 PM - Multichannel News
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.
 
More info from the press release...

The network is also in development on a number of unique, high-profile series and specials from top-name producers. “Our new development projects are the kind of compelling stories and people our audience of Real Engagers is seeking,” said Juris. “We’re proud to be working with successful, top-name producers in crafting series that will continue building on the network’s growing success.”

Among the projects in development are the following:

NEIGHBORS 911 (working title) – From Granada America and executive producer Curt Northrup (Nanny 911) comes this new series in which former Green Beret Myke Hawke goes into the homes of people whose feuding has escalated into all-out war. He then uses video evidence to force them to confront each other and resolve their differences.

SKI PATROL (working title) – This exciting, character-driven series from Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World) gets viewers up close and personal with the men and women who work in some of the most extreme environments in the country. They do everything from dynamiting snowdrifts and performing daring out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking to party on the slopes.

BLACK GOLD (working title) – Few jobs have higher stakes than those of “wildcatters” in Texas, oil prospectors who race one another to tap into the last remaining U.S. reserves. From Original Productions’ Thom Beers, executive producer of hit series Deadliest Catch, this show will follow several of these wildcatters and their crew of roughnecks as they risk their lives, limbs and hundreds of thousands of dollars setting up rigs in an attempt to strike oil.

OUTLAW CHASERS (working title) – Randy Hicks and Lanny Dean are a renegade pair of storm junkies who, armed with just a radio and some video cameras, pursue twisters all around the Midwest in their customized pick-up truck. Using incredibly dramatic present and past-tense footage from their most exciting pursuits, this collection of specials from Tiger Aspect USA and executive producer Lawrence Cumbo (Ms. Adventure) will tell their story while following them in their quest to fulfill their dream: filming a tornado from the inside.

News from Court TV
 
So CourtTV (now trU) will modify their original unique format to match that of, say, about 20 other cable channels? How original. :(

The original promise of cable TV, esp. in the digital age, was to provide hundereds of choices for the viewer. Instead, it looks like we will be only getting a handful of choices, with most channels copying each other in everything except name.
 
When Court TV started I used to watch it all the time. I watched trials from start to finish and could catch up at night when they re-ran what happened during the day. They don't do that anymore and I wasn't even sure if they still had actual court cases anymore. 6 hours out of 24 for court cases. Its turning into another MTV.
 
I don't care for reality tv myself but judging by the ratings this is a very smart move by Turner. People will watch a reality show about anything it seems.
 
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I think it fits.

TruTV launched their web site recently
Court TV becomes truTV on January 1, 2008

It has info about their upcoming programming. It seems like the old "Reality TV" (not Fox Reality Channel) that Dish had for a while before Fox bought it out.

These are not staged reality shows. They are "cops" and "amazing video" type shows along with documentaries. Looks interesting.

See ya
Tony
 
Network to Focus on Reality Programming
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 7/11/2007 12:25:00 PM
Court TV to Become truTV - 7/11/2007 12:25:00 PM - Multichannel News
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.


this is VERY sad...one of the few great channels like court TV is going to become yet another bullcrap "reality" tv like MTV.
this is real sad. Court TV is probably one of the best for what it offers. NOw with "true" tv you are going to get bunch of stupid shows like about your neighbors...why don't just put jerry springer on then?

I think the problem with TV nowadays that everybnody wants to broadcast stupid "reality" shows...c'mon..it is just so stupid.

I wonder how many more great channels will greedy CEOs of tv companies destroy or convert to "reality" tv.

does everything..absolutely everything that is good supposed to be destroyed?
 
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