Start TV

Last updated
Start TV
Start TV logo.svg
Type Free-to-air television network
Country United States
Broadcast areaNationwide coverage: 80% [1]
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 720p HDTV master feed, can be downscaled to 480i SDTV
Ownership
OwnerStart TV LLC [2]
Key people
Sister channels MeTV
MeTV+
Catchy Comedy
Heroes & Icons
Movies!
Story Television
History
LaunchedSeptember 3, 2018;5 years ago (2018-09-03)
Links
Website www.starttv.com
Availability
Terrestrial
List of affiliates
Streaming media
Service(s) Frndly TV, Philo, Sling TV, YouTube TV

Start TV is an American free-to-air television network owned as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the CBS News and Stations subsidiary of Paramount Global. Predominantly carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated television station in most markets, it primarily airs classic television drama series from the 1980s through the 2010s, with a focus on women-led dramas, police and legal procedurals. The network originates from Weigel Broadcasting's headquarters on North Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois. [3] [4]

Contents

History

On July 18, 2018, CBS Television Stations and Weigel Broadcasting announced the formation of Start TV, with plans to launch the network on Labor Day of that year (September 3). [3] The network initially debuted on the subchannels of five of Weigel's TV stations, three stations owned by Bahakel Communications, 17 CBS TV stations, [5] [6] [7] and three CW owned-and-operated stations.

Weigel indicated that CBS suggested the idea for the network to allow more modern programming not being carried by cable networks or streaming services to find a place to air. [8] Start TV officially launched on September 3, 2018, at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the pilot episode of Touched by an Angel ("The Southbound Bus") as its inaugural broadcast. Variety 's 2019 Nielsen ratings list showed that Start TV averaged 114,000 viewers in prime time, up 65% from the 2018 average. [9]

Programming

Similar to its male-targeted sister network Heroes & Icons (H&I), Start TV airs legal/police procedurals and various other dramas - but instead targeting a female audience, featuring shows led by/centered around women. The network features series from the 1980s to the 2000s, [8] and runs a uniform programming schedule with shows airing mainly at the same time seven days a week. [3] Start TV also has a one-hour block of E/I children's programming on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Eastern Time in order to fulfill FCC obligations.

Affiliates

As of August 2018, Start TV had affiliation agreements with television stations in 27 media markets encompassing 20 states, covering 45.52% of the United States. [10] The network is carried on the digital subchannels of television stations in most of its markets (with potential exceptions in certain areas where a future affiliate may opt to carry the network on its main feed), and is also carried on cable television providers through their digital tiers at the discretion of the affiliate's parent station in certain markets. The network initially launched primarily on subchannels of stations owned by Weigel Broadcasting and CBS Television Stations. (In many of the CBS markets, Start TV displaced Weigel and CBS's classic television network venture Decades, with Weigel assuming the local Decades affiliation rights on stations it owns in certain markets where CBS Television Stations owns a CBS and/or CW owned-and-operated station, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.) Bahakel Communications also contributed stations to serve as charter affiliates. [3]

In South Bend, Indiana (where Weigel Broadcasting owns ABC affiliate WBND-LD, CW affiliate WCWW-LD and MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYS-LD) and Milwaukee, Wisconsin (where Weigel owns CBS affiliate WDJT-TV, independent station WMLW, MeTV owned-and-operated station WBME-CD and Telemundo affiliate WYTU-LD), the network displaced This TV on WCWW-LD2 and WYTU-LD3, effectively leaving that network without an affiliate in either market. (Weigel – which was part-owner of that network from its founding in October 2008 – had continued to hold the This TV affiliation rights for the Milwaukee market after Tribune Broadcasting assumed Weigel's interest and operational responsibilities in the network in November 2013; Tribune's former Milwaukee station, WITI, never claimed the This TV affiliation in the market despite Weigel moving the This affiliation to lower-tier channel slots several times.) [11]

In October 2020, Start TV was made available on Sling TV. [12] On April 19, 2022, Start TV began airing on the Frndly TV live streaming service. [13]

Current affiliates

City of license/market Station Virtual
channel
Physical channelPrimary affiliationOwnerDate of affiliationReplaced [3] [10]

Alabama

Montgomery WBMM 22.318 The CW Bahakel Communications September 3, 2018 Heartland

Alaska

Anchorage KTUU-TV 2.310 NBC Gray Television

Arizona

Phoenix KEJR-LD 32.140-Weigel BroadcastingJanuary 1, 2023
KUTP 45.526 MyNetworkTV Fox Television Stations 2019 [14]
Tucson KTTU 18.419 Tegna Inc.

California

Bakersfield KNXT-LD 53.46 MyNetworkTV My Central Valley, LLC2022
Los Angeles KCBS-TV 2.231 CBS CBS News and Stations September 3, 2018 Decades
SacramentoStocktonModesto KOVR 13.225
San FranciscoOaklandSan Jose KPIX-TV 5.229

Colorado

Denver KCNC-TV 4.235CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades

Connecticut

HartfordNew Haven WHCT-LD 35.335 MeTV Weigel BroadcastingSeptember 30, 2020

District of Columbia

Washington, D.C. WTTG 5.336 Fox Fox Television Stations May 2022 MeTV

Florida

TampaSt. Petersburg WTOG 44.219 Independent CBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Miami-Fort Lauderdale WFOR-TV 4.222CBS
Orlando WKMG-TV 6.426 Graham Media Group December 2018
Jacksonville WJXT 4.318Independent2019 This TV
West Palm Beach WPTV-TV 5.412NBC E. W. Scripps Company 2020 Ion Mystery

Georgia

Atlanta WUPA 69.236IndependentCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Columbus WXTX 54.624FoxAmerican Spirit Media, LLCSeptember 28, 2022

Hawaii

Honolulu KITV 4.320 ABC Allen Media Broadcasting October 2018

Idaho

Boise KRID-LD22.622 Newsmax TV Idaho TV 22September 3, 2018Untamed Sports TV

Illinois

Chicago WBBM-TV 2.212CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
WMEU-CD 48.218Independent Weigel Broadcasting Independent
Rockford WFBN-LD 35.335 Heroes & Icons

Indiana

Evansville WZDS-LD 5.218Heroes & IconsWeigel Broadcasting
Fort Wayne WISE-TV 33.534The CWGray Television
Indianapolis WBXI-CD 47.136-CBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Lafayette WLFI-TV 18.511CBS Allen Media Broadcasting March 1, 2024
South Bend WCWW-LD 25.225The CWWeigel BroadcastingSeptember 3, 2018This TV

Iowa

Davenport KWQC-TV 6.517NBCGray TelevisionFebruary 1, 2019
Des Moines KDIT-CD 45.317Catchy ComedyWeigel Broadcasting
Iowa City KWKB 20.425TCTTCTNovember 2023Laff

Kansas

Topeka WIBW-TV 13.413CBSGray TelevisionFebruary 28, 2019
Wichita KSCW-DT 33.412The CWGray Television

Kentucky

Louisville WBNA 21.28IndependentEvangel World Prayer Center

Louisiana

Alexandria KBCA 41.326 Heroes & Icons Delta Media CorporationMay 7, 2021
Lafayette KLWB 50.417MeTVDelta Media CorporationMay 7, 2021
Monroe KMLU 11.411MeTVLegacy BroadcastingFebruary 2019
New Orleans WVUE-DT 8.629FoxGray TelevisionJune 1, 2021
Shreveport KPXJ21.332CWKTBS, LLCMarch 1, 2021

Massachusetts

Boston WBZ-TV 4.220CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades

Michigan

Detroit WWJ-TV 62.221CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Flint WJRT 12.412ABCAllen Media BroadcastingAugust 30, 2019
Grand Rapids WZZM 13.913ABCTEGNA
Marquette WZMQ 19.419MeTV Lilly Broadcasting
Lake City/Traverse City/Cadillac WMNN-LD 26.217 NewsNet Freelancer Television Broadcasting, Inc. Antenna TV

Minnesota

Duluth KCWV 27.527TCTTCTNovember 2023Twist
MinneapolisSt. Paul WCCO-TV 4.232CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
WalkerBemidji KCCW-TV12.212

Mississippi

Meridian WOOK-LD 15.315Gray Television

Missouri

St. Louis KNLC 24.614MeTVWeigel BroadcastingSeptember 3, 2018

Nebraska

Lincoln KOLN 10.210CBSGray Television
Omaha WOWT 6.522NBCGray TelevisionFebruary, 2019

New Mexico

Albuquerque KASA-TV 15.215MeTV Telemundo Station Group
(NBCUniversal)
June 1, 2020New Subchannel

New York

Albany WNYT 13.312NBCHubbard BroadcastingJune 1, 2019Heroes & Icons
Buffalo WBBZ-TV 67.67MeTVNew Subchannel
New York City WCBS-TV 2.236CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Rochester WHEC-TV 10.310NBC Hubbard Broadcasting
Syracuse WTVU-CD22.425 Cornerstone TV Rennard Comm. Corp.

North Carolina

Charlotte WCCB 18.518The CWBahakel CommunicationsSeptember 3, 2018
Raleigh WRAL-TV 5.317NBCCapitol Broadcasting CompanyJune 4, 2019

Ohio

Cleveland WBNX-TV 55.530IndependentWinston Broadcasting NetworkDecember 1, 2018
Cincinnati WBQC-LD 25.428TelemundoElliot BlockDecember 30, 2019Heroes & Icons

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City KTUZ-TV 30.629Telemundo Tyler Media Group
Tulsa KMYT-TV 41.334MyNetworkTVImagicomm CommunicationsOctober 1, 2020

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia KYW-TV 3.230CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Pittsburgh KDKA-TV 2.225
Erie WICU-TV 12.412NBCLilly Broadcasting

South Carolina

Columbia WOLO-TV 25.27ABCBahakel CommunicationsSeptember 3, 2018This TV
Myrtle Beach WFXB 43.336Fox2019

Tennessee

Kingsport WKPT-TV 19.519Holston Valley Broadcasting GroupOctober, 2019
Lebanon/Nashville WJFB 44.325MeTVWeigel BroadcastingSeptember 2020
Memphis WLMT 30.331The CWTegna, Inc.

Texas

DallasFort Worth KTVT 11.219CBSCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Corpus Christi KQSY-LD 30.230HeartlandChannel 7 of Corpus Christi, Inc.Fall 2020
Houston KPRC-TV 2.235 NBC Graham Media GroupDecember 1, 2018 (Originally on 2.4 until March 29, 2021)
San Antonio KSAT-TV 12.512ABCJanuary 2019
Belton/Killeen/Temple/Waco KNCT 46.317The CWGray TelevisionJanuary 2, 2019

Utah

Cedar City (Salt Lake City) KCSG 8.314 Heroes & Icons Weigel BroadcastingSeptember 3, 2018

Vermont

Burlington WCAX-TV 3.420CBSGray TelevisionMarch 1, 2019

Virginia

Roanoke/Lynchburg WSLS-TV 10.434NBCGraham Media Group2019
Richmond WUPV-TV 65.511CWGray Television2022

Washington

Tacoma (Seattle) KSTW 11.211IndependentCBS News and StationsSeptember 3, 2018Decades
Bellingham KVOS-TV 12.535 Heroes & Icons Weigel Broadcasting
Yakima KAPP 35.414ABCMorgan Murphy Media

West Virginia

Bluefield WVVA 6.517NBCGray Television
Clarksburg WVFX 10.313FOXGray Television

Wisconsin

Eau Claire WEAU 13.538NBCGray Television
Green Bay WBAY-TV 2.523ABCFebruary 1, 2019 [15]
Madison WMTV 15.519NBCJune 1, 2020
Milwaukee WDJT-TV 58.529CBSWeigel BroadcastingSeptember 3, 2018 [11]
WYTU-LD 63.216 Telemundo

Former affiliates

MarketStationChannelCurrent ownerYears of affiliationNotes
Baxley
(Georgia)
WSCG 34.10 Tri-State Christian Television 2019–2020
Cedar Rapids
(Iowa)
KCRG-TV 9.5 Gray Television 2019–2021Dropped due to lack of bandwidth when KCRG began broadcasting The CW in HD
New York City
(New York)
WLNY-TV 55.4 CBS News and Stations 2021Replaced by HSN
Tulsa
(Oklahoma)
KMYT-TV 41.5 Imagicom Communications 2020–2021Replaced by This TV

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References

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  13. "Frndly TV Will Add Five New Channels to Its Live Streaming Lineup". Cord Cutters News. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
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