Free TV Networks

Last updated

Free TV Networks
Industry Media
FoundedNovember 7, 2023 (2023-11-07)
FounderJonathan Katz
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia
,
United States
Key people
Jonathan Katz (President/CEO)
ProductsTelevision networks
Brands
Website freetvnetworks.com

Free TV Networks is an American specialized digital multicasting and advertising-supported video on demand network media company. The company owns and operates three broadcast television networks. The company was founded and is led by broadcasting veteran Jonathan Katz, who previously launched what is now the Scripps Networks division of competitor E. W. Scripps Company.

Contents

Structure

The venture launched with two digital multicast television networks on January 1, 2024, each resembling networks Katz originally launched, which are 365BLK (originally The365), a channel for Black audiences (similar to Bounce TV) and Outlaw, a network for Western programming (similar to Grit). [1] The venture launched its third broadcast network, Defy, on July 1, 2024 in partnership with A&E Networks, which features action and male-targeted reality programming from A&E Network's library; Scripps's Defy TV (which previously carried said library) ended operations the day before with the move of that programming library to Defy and was replaced by Ion Plus. [2] [3]

Programming

365BLK

Outlaw

Defy

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Television</span> American television network

    Ion Television is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented entertainment programming. It rebranded as i: Independent Television on July 1, 2005, converting into a general entertainment network featuring recent and older acquired programs. The network adopted its identity as Ion Television on January 29, 2007.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray Television</span> American television broadcast company

    Gray Media, Inc. is an American publicly traded television broadcasting company based in Atlanta. Founded in 1946 by James Harrison Gray as Gray Communications Systems, the company owns or operates 180 stations across the United States in 113 markets. Its station base consists of media markets ranging from as large as Atlanta to one of the smallest markets, North Platte, Nebraska.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">KFSN-TV</span> ABC TV station in Fresno, California

    KFSN-TV is a television station in Fresno, California, United States, serving as the market's ABC network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, and maintains studios on G Street in downtown Fresno; its transmitter is located on Bear Mountain, near Meadow Lakes, California.

    WPXE-TV is a television station licensed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Milwaukee area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongside NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV, with engineering and some master control operations run out of WTMJ-TV's Radio City facility on East Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. WPXE's transmitter is located on the WITI TV Tower on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood, Wisconsin.

    WNPX-TV is a television station licensed to Franklin, Tennessee, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Nashville area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongside CBS affiliate WTVF. WNPX-TV's transmitter is located near Cross Plains, Tennessee.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Qubo</span> Former childrens television network

    Qubo was an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Ion Media, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air television network often mentioned as the "Qubo channel", associated website with games and programs available through video on demand, and a weekly programming block on Ion Television, along with Ion Life, later known as Ion Plus.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">KMCC</span> Independent TV station in Laughlin, Nevada

    KMCC, branded Vegas 34, is an independent television station licensed to Laughlin, Nevada, United States, serving the Las Vegas area. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside ABC affiliate KTNV-TV. The two stations share studios on South Valley View Boulevard in the nearby unincorporated community of Paradise. KMCC uses a distributed transmission system, with the main transmitter located near Dolan Springs, Arizona, and a secondary transmitter at the KTNV studios.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">This TV</span> American digital television network

    This TV was an American free-to-air television network owned by Allen Media Broadcast Networks, LLC, part of the Allen Media Group division of Entertainment Studios. Originally formed in 2008 as a joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weigel Broadcasting, the network carried various unscripted series from Entertainment Studios' library. The network previously had a large programming emphasis on films, primarily sourced from the library of former owner MGM, but all films were dropped from the schedule in 2024. Classic television series and children's programming had also aired on the network previously. The network quietly closed and merged into TheGrio on May 31, 2024, with the website eventually being shuttered July 13.

    ABC Owned Television Stations is a division of Disney Entertainment operated by Disney Networks Group that oversees the owned-and-operated stations of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), a division of The Walt Disney Company. The division also operates the Localish network.

    Bounce TV is an American digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. It launched on September 26, 2011, and was promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created to target African Americans". Bounce features a mix of original and acquired programming geared toward African Americans between 25 and 54 years of age.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Plus</span> American television network

    Ion Plus is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network originally launched in 2007 as Ion Life, maintaining a format featuring lifestyle programming focused on health and wellness, cooking, home decor, and travel. With expanded cable carriage, in 2019, Ion Media converted the network into a general entertainment format that matched that of parent network Ion Television, featuring day-long marathons of various drama series.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Grit (TV network)</span> American free-to-air television network

    Grit is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network features classic westerns, both TV series and films.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Mystery</span> American digital multicast TV network

    Ion Mystery is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. It focuses primarily on mystery, true crime, and police/legal procedural programs.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Laff (TV network)</span> American digital multicast television network

    Laff is an American digital multicast television network headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network specializes in comedy programming, featuring mainly sitcoms from the 1990s through the 2020s.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Scripps Networks</span> American digital multicasting network media company

    Scripps Networks, LLC, formerly known as Katz Broadcasting, is an American specialized digital multicasting network media company and a division of the E. W. Scripps Company. The company owns eight broadcast television networks, nine FAST streaming networks and a streaming service that each carry programming with specified formats targeted at individual demographics.

    Charge! is an American digital broadcast television network owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group that airs action and adventure-based programming. It launched on February 28, 2017, and was originally a joint venture with MGM.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dabl</span> American digital multicast TV network

    Dabl is an American digital multicast television network owned by the CBS Media Ventures subsidiary of Paramount Global and operated by Weigel Broadcasting.

    Defy is an American digital multicast television network owned by Free TV Networks in partnership with A&E Networks, airing primarily reality shows from the latter company, having launched on July 1, 2021, with broadcast coverage of 64% of the United States.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">TrueReal</span> American digital multicast TV network

    TrueReal was an American digital multicast television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, targeting women aged 25–54.

    References

    1. Keys, Matthew (December 30, 2023). "TV stations replacing Circle Country with new networks Outlaw, The365 on January 1". The Desk. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
    2. "Defy Hits The Air". Free TV Networks (Press release). July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
    3. Keys, Matthew (July 1, 2024). "Free TV Networks rebrands multicast network Dare as Defy". The Desk. Retrieved October 12, 2024.