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The newest multicast network offered by Free TV Networks officially debuted on broadcast television stations across the country early Saturday morning.

Busted took to the air waves at 6 a.m. Eastern Time (3 a.m. Pacific Time), with distribution that reaches around 90 percent of the country through free broadcast TV.

“We are thrilled to launch Busted to audiences nationwide today,” Jonathan Katz, the CEO of Free TV Networks, said in a statement. “With its high-octane lineup, Busted is the only dedicated broadcast channel that takes viewers on real-life ride-alongs to witness justice in action. With consumers shifting away from cable, Free TV Networks will continue to grow by serving audiences that combine antenna usage with streaming.”

Busted includes rebroadcasts of popular reality-based series like “Cops Reloaded,” “World’s Wildest Police Videos,” “Jail,” “Court Cam,” “Bounty Tank,” “Neighborhood Wars” and “Customer Wars.” To learn more about where to find Busted on free TV,...

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Free TV Networks and legendary actress Pam Grier are teaming up on a new free, ad-supported streaming television (Fast) channel that offers around-the-clock independent Black cinema.

The channel, called Soul Flix, is “a celebration of our legacy,” Grier said in a statement on Tuesday after the channel landed on free streaming platforms Plex and The Roku Channel.

“I could not be more pleased with my Free TV Networks partnership — it builds upon my life’s work to support all independent women and fans of Black cinema,” Grier said. “These films don’t just entertain – they inspire, empower, and tell stories that need to be heard. As someone who’s lived through this journey and fought to bring strong characters to life, I’m thrilled to shine the spotlight on the brilliance and resilience of our community.”

“We are beyond thrilled to announce our collaboration with Pam Grier, a true icon,...

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Free TV Networks, the digital multicast television outlet launched by industry veteran Jonathan Katz two years ago, is gearing up to debut its fourth network.

Busted (stylized as Busted), will offer rebroadcasts of reality-based, true-crime series like “Cops: Reloaded,” “World’s Wildest Police Videos,” “Customer Wars,” Court Cam,” “Jail” and “Neighborhood Wars.”

The network will launch on March 1, and has already inked distribution agreements with Nexstar Media Group, HC2 Broadcasting, Gray Media and the E. W. Scripps Company, allowing it to reach 90 percent of U.S. households with a TV set, the company said on Thursday.

“With riveting unscripted series, Busted is the only dedicated broadcast channel that takes audiences on vicarious real-life ride-alongs to witness justice in action,” Katz said on Thursday. “While the migration from cable forces many legacy media businesses to contract, Free TV Networks continues to grow as more and more value-conscious consumers combine antenna usage with streaming.

These days, Kat Dennings can be seen playing Tim Allen's daughter in the hit ABC series Shifting Gears. However, more than two decades ago, she first played the daughter of late Full House star Bob Saget in a short-lived TV sitcom.

Back in 2001, Dennings and Saget co-starred in Raising Dad, a series that aired on The WB. In a new interview with People, Saget was remembered fondly by Dennings, who recalled how "protective" he had been with her on the set. While decades have since gone by, with Saget sadly passing away in 2022, Dennings has not forgotten the kindness that the legendary funnyman had shown her during the time they worked together on their TV show.

Related Bob Saget's Passing Is Why John Stamos Won't Reboot Full House Again

Full House star John Stamos claims Bob Saget's death is the reason why he isn't interested in doing another reboot of the classic family sitcom.

Nearly half of small businesses in the United States are family businesses–and, more often than not, founders’ significant others play key roles in those companies. In the creator industry, it’s no different: there are millions of content creators whose partners are involved in sharing the workload of their channels, either as onscreen co-stars or as offscreen camerapeople, producers, and managers.

So what happens if they break up?

Well, legally speaking, it all gets very messy very quickly. That’s according to longtime creator lawyer Jonathan Katz, who has represented a number of clients in this exact situation.

The first thing to think about, he says, is who actually owns the rights to the channel’s content. You may look at a channel where one person is its entire onscreen presence, and the channel is named after them, and there has never been another person present on camera with them,...

Suzanne Satterfield. (Courtesy photo)

Broadcast television service Free TV Networks has hired Suzanne Satterfield to serve as its new general counsel, the company announced on Monday.

Satterfield joins Free TV Networks from Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd), where she worked as a trusted advisor to the company’s legal department for 16 years. During her time at Wbd, she helped the company navigate the complex world of content licensing and acquisition, original programming and other legal matters. She also helped launch Wbd’s Max streaming service in Europe.

At Free TV Networks, Satterfield will do much of the same work, with a specific focus on the company’s multicast networks. She won’t have to move too far from her former home, as Free TV Networks operates as a joint venture between Wbd and two other media companies, Lionsgate and Gray Media.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a seasoned lawyer like Suzanne join our world-class team.

May thy ping pong paddle chip and shatter! Whilst his brother and fellow filmmaker Benny is busy shooting Mma movie The Smashing Machine with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, Josh Safdie is also hard at work and recruiting for his own solo directorial debut. As reported by Variety, Dune star Timothée Chalamet is set to star in and produce Safdie's new A24 joint Marty Supreme, written by the Uncut Gems co-director alongside regular writing partner Ronald Bronstein. Check out A24's ping pong ball featuring movie announcement post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, below;

Details about the film are scarce thus far, but Variety reports that whilst sources close to Marty Supreme indicate the movie presents a fictionalised story, it will be one at least inspired by legendary American ping pong star Marty Reisman. Affectionately known as "the wizard of table tennis", Reisman — who won 22 major ping...

The logo of broadcast network Defy. (Courtesy image)

Free TV Networks, the broadcast-focused joint venture being spearheaded by industry veteran Jonathan Katz, has launched its latest multicast network Dare — although under a different, but familiar, name.

On Monday, Katz affirmed Dare will immediately rebrand to Defy after absorbing the reality-based content library from a similarly-named channel that was recently wound down by the E. W. Scripps Company. This week, Scripps replaced their version of Defy TV with a simulcast of streaming network Ion Plus.

“With an existing large and growing audience, the Defy network features distinctive, compelling, and, above all, entertaining programming that viewers truly can’t get enough of,” Katz said in a statement. “Defy offers value-conscious consumers a differentiated and world-class reality channel delivered for free, over-the-air, with addictive series proven to deliver for advertisers.”

Free TV Networks was launched as a joint venture between Gray Television, Lionsgate...

The logo for the multicast network Ion Plus.

Three years ago, the E. W. Scripps Company pulled its multicast network Ion Plus from broadcast TV as it worked to diversify its over-the-air multicast offerings.

Now, Scripps has decided the time is right for Ion Plus to make its triumphant return to over-the-air TV.

On Monday, Scripps will shut down its Defy TV network and replace it on Ion-owned stations and third-party affiliates with a simulcast of the Ion Plus Fast channel, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The relaunch of Ion Plus on broadcast TV will make it instantly available in more than 90 percent of American homes that previously received Defy TV. The channel will also continue to be available on Fast platforms like The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus and Freevee.

Defy TV launched three years ago, offering reality shows and knowledge-based programming that was geared toward young male viewers.

Free TV Networks (Ftn), the new company with a portfolio of national, ad-supported over-the-air networks and Fast channels, is launching another national broadcast network called Dare that will feature unscripted series from A+E Networks.

The new network will include series such as American Pickers, Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Alone, Swamp People, Counting Cars, and Ax Men, among others. Dare, which will debut in more than 80% of the U.S. on July 1, marks the third broadcast network for Ftn following the launches of The365 and Outlaw in January.

“We are thrilled to partner with A+E Networks and offer value-conscious consumers a differentiated and world-class reality channel delivered for free, over-the-air,” said Jonathan Katz, President & CEO, Free TV Networks. “All of Dare’s unscripted and popular programming has been proven to deliver a growing audience of scale for advertisers. With our first two networks already exceeding initial viewership and revenue expectations,...

The logo for the Dare Network. (Courtesy image)

Yet another free broadcast channel is launching with a scheduled filled with reality-based re-runs.

On Wednesday, Free TV Networks said it will debut a new network called Dare that will offer “value-conscious consumers” a new destination on broadcast TV to watch comfort food reality programming.

The channel will launch on July 1 with shows like “Ax Men,” “Counting Cars,” “American Pickers,” “Pawn Stars” and “Storage Wars” — shows from A+E Networks that have been available on similarly-themed digital broadcast networks over the past few years.

When it debuts, Free TV Networks says Dare will cover 80 percent of the country via over-the-air broadcast stations, though specific distribution agreements were not revealed in a press release sent to reporters on Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to partner with A+E Networks and offer value-conscious consumers a differentiated and world-class reality channel delivered for free, over-the-air,” Jonathan Katz,...

AMC Networks has released a sneak peek for Season 2 of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” this time subtitled “The Book of Carol.” Normal Reedus is reunited with “The Walking Dead” co-star Melissa McBride in the new season, which is set to premiere this summer on AMC and AMC+.

Reedus and McBride reprise their roles as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier in the series. The official Season 2 description reveals that “they both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest.”

The rest of the cast includes Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Laika Blanc Francard, Anne Charrier, Romain Levi and Eriq Ebouaney. Showrunner David Zabel executive produces in addition to Scott M. Gimple, Reedus, McBride, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, Daniel Percival, Jason Richman and Steve Squillante.

Watch the sneak peek below.

In other...

Promotional graphics for broadcast networks Outlaw and The365.

Free TV Networks, the digital broadcast outlet spearheaded by industry veteran Jonathan Katz, has inked new distribution agreements with Tegna, HC2 Broadcasting and Sunbeam Television to offer its digital networks to local viewers in new parts of the country.

The agreement covers Free TV Networks’ inaugural two digital channels — Black-centric The365 and western-themed The Outlaw — which launched last December.

The deals will put The365 and The Outlaw in front of 89 percent of American broadcast TV households, according to a statement from executives on Monday. Ninety-six percent of African-American TV households will have access to The365, which will land on new channels like King-tv in Seattle, Wsvn in Miami and Kbmt in Beaumont, Texas.

The Outlaw is being added to dozens of TV stations reaching 87 percent of U.S. households, including Krem in Spokane; Wcsh in Portland, Maine; and Kvue in Austin.

“The...

When Sen. Katie Britt (R-al) delivered her State of the Union response on Thursday, it was so dramatic and over the top that it was quickly compared to a Saturday Night Live skit.

SNL took the bait tonight, this time with Scarlett Johansson making a surprise appearance as Britt.

From the spotless kitchen set, Johansson’s Britt told viewers, “Good evening America, my name is Katie Britt, and I have the honor of serving the people of the great state of Alabama. But tonight, I’ll be auditioning for the part of scary mom.”

She went on, “I’ll be performing an original monologue called ‘This country is hell.’ You see, I’m not just a senator. I’m a wife, a mother, and the craziest bitch in the Target parking lot.”

Britt’s Sotu response has been panned on the left and the right for its bizarre delivery, with...

Speaking about his film ‘Catching Dust’, British filmmaker Stuart Gatt on Tuesday said that universality of human emotions is wonderful as a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere. The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India opened on Monday with the international premiere of ‘Catching Dust’ by director Stuart Gatt.

Stuart Gatt along with co-producers Mark David and Jonathan Katz talking at the interaction program at 54th Iffi in Goa, spoke on various aspects of the film.

While elaborating on the focus of the movie on human emotions, he said that universality of human emotions is wonderful that a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere.

‘Catching Dust’, which is a United States, UK, Spain co-production is the feature directorial debut of Stuart Gatt who has been making short films on topical social themes till now.

When asked about choosing a dark subject for the debut film,...

Speaking about his film ‘Catching Dust’, British filmmaker Stuart Gatt on Tuesday said that universality of human emotions is wonderful as a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere. The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India opened on Monday with the international premiere of ‘Catching Dust’ by director Stuart Gatt.

Stuart Gatt along with co-producers Mark David and Jonathan Katz talking at the interaction program at 54th Iffi in Goa, spoke on various aspects of the film.

While elaborating on the focus of the movie on human emotions, he said that universality of human emotions is wonderful that a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere.

‘Catching Dust’, which is a United States, UK, Spain co-production is the feature directorial debut of Stuart Gatt who has been making short films on topical social themes till now.

When asked about choosing a dark subject for the debut film,...

With free TV experiencing a mini-renaissance, a pioneer in the digital broadcast space is launching a new venture — with help from several big players.

Jonathan Katz, who founded Katz Broadcasting (Bounce TV, Court TV, Laff), is launching Free TV Networks with two diginets on Jan. 1. The new channels will be offered over the air and via free, ad-supported streaming in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and Lionsgate — which will both provide content for the channels — and station owner Gray Television.

The two channels set to launch on New Year’s Day are The365, aimed at Black viewers, and Outlaw, which will feature classic westerns. Both will be available in about 80 percent of the United States. Streaming versions of the two channels will launch later next year, along with channels titled Vcr Action and Vcr Haha, featuring movies from “the VHS era” (i.e., the 1980s and ’90s).

“Never underestimate the power of ‘free,...

Free TV Networks, a new programming entity with a presence in both over-the-air broadcast and streaming, has enlisted Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate and Gray Television as partners and suppliers.

The new company is founded and led by Jonathan Katz, who gained attention a decade ago by creating multicast networks, or “diginets” using spectrum made available via the TV industry’s conversion to high-definition signals during the 2000s. That portfolio of networks, including Bounce, Escape and Grit was acquired in 2017 by E.W. Scripps for $292 million.

The first channels from Free TV will be networks centered on African-American programming and Westerns. Launching New Year’s Day as a diginet, the flagship brand will be The365. It will cater to African-American viewers with a lineup of movies and series like

Warner Bros.’ I Am Legend, Purple Rain and Queen Sugar along with Lionsgate titles like Crash, Monster’s Ball,...

Click here to read the full article.

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which owns Crackle, RedBox and a suite of free ad-supported streaming services, has hired Phil Oppenheim to be the company’s chief content officer.

Oppenheim will be responsible for all content strategy across the company’s streaming and physical media brands, and will report to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment president Jonathan Katz.

Oppenheim most recently worked at Epix, the streaming and pay-tv channel owned by MGM, where he was senior vp of program scheduling. Before Epix he worked in senior vp of programming roles at Lionsgate and Turner Broadcasting

“Phil is a true unicorn. He’s an executive with wide-ranging experience across multiple streaming brands and business models, along with vast experience leading some of TV’s most successful linear networks,” said Katz in a statement. “Phil has helped grow audience and revenue at every point in his career,...

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the streaming entertainment company named after the best-selling series of self-help books, hired Phil Oppenheim as chief content officer.

In the newly created role, Oppenheim will lead physical and streaming platform content strategy for all Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties, including Redbox — which Csse bought this year for 370 million — and Crackle, the streaming service acquired from Sony Pictures Television. He starts at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment on Nov. 1, reporting to president Jonathan Katz.

Most recently, Oppenheim was senior VP of program scheduling at MGM’s Epix Networks, where he also was responsible for the streaming content and branding of the company’s ScreenPix suite of ad-free channels. Prior to joining Epix in January 2020, he worked as a consultant and was Lionsgate’s chief curator and pop culture officer (SVP of programming), leading the content launch of the Comic-Con HQ subscription...

Phil Oppenheim, who has held senior exec posts at Epix, Lionsgate and Turner, has been named chief content officer at Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.

In the newly created position, Oppenheim will lead physical and streaming platform content strategy across all brands for the company, which owns streaming services like Crackle and also just acquired Redbox, a video retailer turned streaming and production hub. He will report to company president Jonathan Katz.

At MGM-owned Epix, Oppenheim was SVP of program scheduling, leading the programming team and steering linear and SVOD linear services and their streaming extensions under the Epix banner. Oppenheim also was responsible for the streaming content and branding for ScreenPix’s suite of ad-free channels, as well as Epix Now.

Before Epix, Oppenheim held the unusual title at Lionsgate of chief curator and pop culture officer and SVP of programming. He led the content launch of Comic-Con HQ,...

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which earlier this month closed its 375 million acquisition of Redbox, has set the combined company’s new senior management roster.

Galen Smith, former CEO of Redbox, had previously been confirmed to stay on after the deal. Smith will be executive vice chairman of Redbox and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, overseeing long-term planning including strategy, mergers and acquisitions and corporate services.

Former E.W. Scripps exec Jonathan Katz had also been announced as president of the merged company. He will lead day-to-day operations, including streaming, kiosk, distribution and studios.

Both Smith and Katz will report to Bill Rouhana, CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.

A number of execs will report to Smith. They include Peter Binazeski, SVP Corporate Communications; Chief People Officer Marisa Famulare; Chief Innovation Officer Jason Kwong; Chief Financial Officer Chris Mitchell; Chief Strategy Officer Elana Sofko; and Chief Legal Officer Fred Stein.

Click here to read the full article.

Crackle streaming service owner Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment has completed its acquisiton of DVD-focused entertainment firm Redbox to expand its footprint in free ad-supported streaming video.

The deal, which will give Chicken Soup stockholders a 76.5 percent ownership of the combined company and Redbox stockholders the remaining 23.5 percent, is the result of a 375 million all-stock merger that includes the assumption of Redbox’s 325 million debt and 50 million in Chicken Soup for the Soul stock.

Redbox shareholders approved the merger Aug. 9. Existing Redbox shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.087 of a share of class A common stock of Chicken Soup per Redbox share.

Chicken Soup expects 40 million in synergies from the merger, and overall revenue from the combined companies to triple to 500 million annually. Chicken Soup will also add around 11,000 movies and TV series to a 40,000-title streaming catalog to drive...

Starz Original Programming President Kathryn Busby is to chair BAFTA’s new-look North America Board, with actor Elliot Knight and ThunderChild CEO Karl Stewart set as Deputy Chairs.

Deadline revealed in 2020 that BAFTA would be merging its LA and New York entities in the U.S., with former BAFTA LA CEO Matthew Wiseman promoted to Executive Director and Head of North America and former BAFTA New York Director, Lisa Harrison, becoming Director of Operations, North America.

The UK awards body officially confirmed the new structure and board today and said it will unify the New York and LA entities, “strengthening its global mission and delivering greater benefits to members.”

Busby, who succeeded Christina Davis at Starz this week, and Knight will also join BAFTA’s Board of Trustees, which is chaired by London-based BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar.

“With the election of Kathryn Busby as chair of our new North America board,...

BAFTA is expanding its North American operations with the launch of a single North America board, which unites the organization’s New York and Los Angeles entities.

Kathryn Busby, president of original programming at Starz, has been appointed the inaugural chair of the board. She will be joined by actor Elliot Knight and Karl Stewart, CEO of Thunder Child and president of 1TwentyFour as deputy chairs.

The single united board aims to strengthen BAFTA’s “global mission to inspire, support and celebrate across film, games and television, delivering greater benefits to its membership, programme participants and audiences wherever they are,” according to the organization.

Matthew Wiseman, BAFTA Los Angeles’s CEO has been promoted to executive director and head of North America while Lisa Harrison, BAFTA New York’s director, becomes director of operations for North America.

Betsy Rodgers, SVP of business & legal affairs at IFC Entertainment and Rlje Films,...

Tom Zappala, a TV industry veteran with over 30 years of programming and production leadership experience under his belt, has been tapped as the head of programming for Scripps’ national networks business. Effective Jan. 25, Zappala will be responsible for developing and executing new programming strategies at the nation’s fourth-largest local TV broadcaster and will report directly to CEO and head of entertainment Jonathan Katz.

“Tom is one of the most versatile and creative programmers in the media business today, on any platform,” Katz said in a statement. “His breadth of experience makes him exceptionally qualified to lead our programming efforts as we bring our national networks businesses together. I’ve always envied the companies that were lucky enough to leverage Tom’s talents, and now I’m thrilled that he’s part of our team.” Some of those entertainment giants in Zappala’s résumé include serving as the executive vice...

Typically, when I interview a famous person for the website Collider dot com, there's a touch of formality embedded within any attempt to be casual or vulnerable. Both parties know it's a one-sided conversation, both parties know the celebrity is there to provide information for the writer to write about, and both parties know it will be over once the interview is over. This was not the case when I interviewed TV comedy legend Jonathan Katz over the phone. You likely know him as the central figure of influential animated Comedy Central program Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, …...

Court TV, which relaunched in the U.S. in 2019 after an 11-year hiatus, has arrived in the UK via an initial deal with pay-tv giant Sky. The first batch of programming will include airing the trials of those accused in the George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery cases, as well as the R Kelly trial, which is currently ongoing.

The timing of the launch coincides with the 25th anniversary of the O.J. Simpson murder trial verdict. To mark it, Court TV will present a marathon of its 25-episode documentary series OJ25, which looks back at the case.

“There’s been nothing like Court TV in the United Kingdom until now. American crime dramas have long been a staple on television worldwide, including the UK, while global consumer interest in the real-life drama of true-crime programming has skyrocketed, with American reality crime content as the most-watched,” said Jonathan Katz, president and CEO of Katz Networks,...

Court TV, the channel that covers U.S. criminal trials, has launched in the U.K. on Comcast’s Sky network, with more distribution deals expected soon.

One of Court TV’s most high-profile cases in the coming months will focus on the four Minneapolis police officers who will be tried in the death of George Floyd, which launched a national movement on race in America. Another case coming up on Court TV centers on three white men accused of murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was shot while jogging through a south Georgia neighborhood.

Court TV’s U.K. channel will provide viewers access to, and analysis of, true-life courtroom dramas taking place in the U.S. today, from opening proceedings all the way through to the verdict. Daytime trial coverage in the U.S. will air in primetime in the U.K. given the time difference.

YouTube TV is rounding out its channel lineup in quarantine.

The service has added Court TV to its programming offer -- a newly-rebooted network devoted to legal news and analysis of headline-grabbing trials.

“We’re thrilled to have Court TV added to YouTube TV at a time when consumer appetite for the real-life drama of true-crime and courtroom trials has never been greater,” Jonathan Katz, president and CEO of Scripps-owned Katz Networks -- which is the parent company of 20-year-old Court TV -- said in a statement.

Court TV counts a team of seasoned anchors -- including Vinnie Politan, Julie Grant, Ted Rowlands, Chanley Painter, and Julia Jenae -- with a top legal analyst Ashleigh Banfield serving as a special contributor. Recent coverage has included: Scotus cases of national impact, the rape trial of Harvey Weistein, and the criminal trials of Amber Guyger, Brooke Skylar Richardson, and Mark Sievers.

Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

H. Jon Benjamin‘s voice is instantly recognizable to many people but, as he tells us in our recent webchat (watch the video above), it’s not something that he ever planned on. “I started doing comedy in Boston, Massachusetts in the early ’90s and I didn’t really know about voice acting,” he says. Everything started to change when Jonathan Katz, a friend and fellow stand-up, approached Benjamin about providing a voice for his small animated show, “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist,” on Comedy Central. From then on, he has been one of the most prominent voice actors in the industry, much to the surprise of Benjamin himself. “I had no intention of doing it for a living and I’m still shocked that I do.”

See‘Archer’: Top 40 greatest episodes ranked worst to best

Benjamin is currently on two shows where he voices the titular characters. On Fxx’s “Archer,...

David Hudson has been named Executive Vice President of Original Programming for Katz Networks, and will oversee the development and production of all original programming, including scripted and unscripted series, movies and specials, for Bounce, Brown Sugar, Court TV, Court TV Mystery, Grit and Laff.

In his new role, Hudson has hired longtime Turner Broadcasting System exec Sophia Karteris Kelley as Katz’s Senior Vice President of Original Programming.

“David is an extraordinarily talented and creative programming executive,” said Jonathan Katz, President and Chief Executive Officer for Katz Networks, part of The E.W. Scripps Company. “As we continue to ramp up original content creation for all our networks and services, I’m thrilled to have him join our team and use his experience and skills to create a broad array of engaging and compelling content for consumers.”

Hudson is based in Atlanta and will report to Jonathan Katz. Among...

Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial in New York, which is slated for September, will headline gavel-to-gavel courtroom coverage on the reborn Court TV.

The network, reactivating a TV brand that revolutionized trial coverage as much as ESPN did sports or CNN did news, relaunched in May as a multicast network operated by E.W. Scripps-owned Katz Broadcasting. During a panel session Saturday at TCA summer press tour, executives were challenged about their claims that Court TV will be “the only network” covering the Weinstein trial gavel-to-gavel.

They conceded that they cannot legally broadcast live from inside the courtroom at New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, which will be the site of a full-on media circus. But Court TV’s unique DNA, they maintained, will create a unique experience for viewers amid the scrum.

VP and managing editor John Alleva said the network will have “reporters and correspondents who rotate in and out of the courtroom,...

Court TV, which came back on the air in May, has set a 37-part docuseries looking back on the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial. It will be Court TV’s first foray into the original programming space.

The series, titled “OJ25,” will look back at the “Trial of the Century,” with each episode focusing on every week of the 37-week trial. Court TV has every minute of the trial in its library.

“OJ25,” which will premiere in January 2020, will present, explore and contextualize the main events of the trial coinciding with the same week 25 years earlier. Exclusive new interviews with the key players in the case will take people behind-the-scenes of the trial, providing fresh perspective and insight on legal strategies and maneuverings, missteps, lost opportunities and more, according to Court TV.

Legal analyst Roger Cossack, who has appeared frequently on ESPN and truTV, will host the series.

Also Read: Byron Allen...

Exclusive: Katz Networks, a unit of the E.W. Scripps Co., has expanded the reach of the upcoming May 8 launch of the new Court TV with additional distribution pacts across multiple platforms.

Court TV has added more than a dozen mid-sized cable providers, including Gci Cable; Massillon Cable TV; Buckeye Cable; Skitter TV; Cde Lightband and Hotwire Communications, with more Mso agreements expected shortly. These are in addition to local cable distribution the network has through its broadcast station affiliates.

Court TV also has added 48 markets with new over-the-air agreements. Meredith Broadcasting will carry the network in Atlanta and Nashville, Tennessee. Tegna will launch Court TV in Minneapolis; Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky and Spokane, Washington. Nexstar Media Group, Inc. will add the network in nine markets, including San Francisco; Salt Lake City; Birmingham, Alabama and Buffalo, New York. Fourteen Quincy Media markets primarily across the north and...

Court TV is back in session. The cable TV channel that once carried gavel-to-gavel live coverage of high-profile trials will be revived by a new owner, nearly a dozen years after it was shuttered by Turner Broadcasting.

Katz Networks, a division of E.W. Scripps Co., plans to revive Court TV as a new channel designed to be distributed via local TV stations as a multicast offering as well as by MVPDs and streaming platforms starting in May. Katz has acquired the Court TV moniker and some 100,000 hours of vintage Court TV programming from Turner, now owned by At&T.

Vinnie Politan will return as a chief anchor of the channel, which promises 24/7 coverage of trials and legal issues. Also returning is producer John Alleva, a 15-year Court TV veteran who will oversee coverage with CNN alum Scott Tufts out of a newsroom under construction in Atlanta.

“Court TV was a...

Court TV is set to return to television via Katz Networks, which is part of The E.W. Scripps Company, in May 2019. The new 24/7 version will be available for cable, satellite, over-the-air and over-the-top carriage.

The original Court TV signed off in 2008. Before then, it ran for more than 20 years and gained mainstream attention for providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the O.J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and Casey Anthony murder trials.

“Court TV was a Top-20 cable network and at the height of its popularity when the network was taken off the air in 2008,” said Jonathan Katz, president and CEO of Katz Networks. “Today, while consumer interest in the real-life drama of true-crime programming is at an all-time high, there is no dedicated daily court coverage on television. We expect the new Court TV to fill that void on cable, satellite, over-the-air and over-the-top.”

Also Read: Patrick Stewart's 'Star Trek...

Court TV, the iconic TV brand known for broadcasting the trials of O.J. Simpson, the Menendez Brothers and Casey Anthony, will relaunch under its old name with a new backer.

Katz Networks, a unit of the E.W. Scripps Co. which operates multicast networks like Bounce, Escape and Grit, will relaunch Court TV in May 2019. Just as it did when it was owned by Turner Broadcasting, the network will be devoted to live, gavel-to-gavel coverage, legal reporting and expert analysis of trials across the country. Court TV’s 17-year run ended in 2008, when Turner rebranded it as truTV.

In order to pull off the reboot, Katz acquired Court TV’s intellectual property, including the trademark, website and 100,000-hour library from Turner. It also brought in original Court TV anchor Vinnie Politan as lead anchor and installed former Court TV and CNN producers John Alleva and Scott Tufts as vice presidents and managing editors.

Cheryle Harrison, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales & Digital Operations for Katz Networks, is adding the newly created role of General Manager of Bounce to her responsibilities.

“As part of the initial core team that built and launched Bounce, Cheryle has been instrumental in the network’s development, growth and success since its inception. She is a strategic and skilled television executive and the perfect person to help insure that Bounce continues to grow and meet the needs of our consumers, advertisers and affiliates,” said Jonathan Katz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Katz Networks.

In addition to her Gm role, Harrison will continue to direct day-to-day business operations of the Ad Sales and Digital Operations teams for all four Katz Networks which, in addition to Bounce, includes Escape, Grit and Laff. She manages the on-going development and expansion of the strong digital footprints of the Katz networks, including network websites...

Exclusive: Bernie Sanders documentary to screen in Locarno on Tuesday.

Philipp Hoffmann’s Rushlake Media and Elizabeth Sheldon’s Juno Films have partnered on their first co-acquisition, taking A Campaign Of Their Own ahead of a screening in Locarno this week.

Rushlake Media has come on board to handle world sales, while Juno will distribute in North America and Australia.

Lionel Rupp directed A Campaign Of Their Own, which examines the 2016 Us presidential campaign and the aftermath through the eyes of activist Jonathan Katz.

Michael David Mitchell produced and co-wrote the film, which follows Katz as he rallies behind the primary campaign of Democrat hopeful Bernie Sanders and questions the nomination process once Sanders concedes the nomination to Hillary Clinton.

A Campaign Of Their Own is a Zooscope Production with the support of Cinéforom and Loterie Romande and the support of Swiss Films.

The documentary screens on Tuesday in Locarno’s Panorama Suisse section for Swiss films that...

Way before The Sopranos‘ Dr. Melfi and Web Therapy‘s Fiona Wallace, the go-to TV therapist was Dr. Katz.

And in his half-hour Comedy Central series, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, the good doctor — voiced by comedian Jonathan Katz — served as a sounding board for several of the biggest names in stand-up. In animated form, funnymen and -women like Ray Romano, Louis C.K., Joan Rivers, Bob Odenkirk and their ilk would visit Katz’s office and do bits as they sought his professional help. Eventually, the guest cast included actors like The X-Files‘ David Duchovny, Stranger Things‘ Winona Ryder, Law & Order:...

Oh my God, this is exciting news! Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist is coming back! Hell yeah! If you don't remember the show, it was a cartoon (utilizing SquiggleVision) that ran on Comedy Central from 1995-2005 that followed a balding, monotone doctor (the eponymous Dr. Katz, voiced by stand-up comedian Jonathan Katz) who talked to other comedians and celebrities about their problems. While it was always... Read More...

Amazon’s Audible is launching an audio series based on the cult animation “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist,” created in 1995 by software developer and former teacher Tom Snyder and stand-up comic Jonathan Katz. The new 15-episode audio series is titled “Dr. Katz: The Audio Files.”

Read More: ‘Deadpool’: Donald Glover Adapting Superhero Animated Series for Fxx

Dr. Katz is a divorced father who has custody of his 23-year-old slacker son Ben, who is too lazy to find a real job. The new new audio series takes places almost 20 years after the original show and Ben is now a 40-year-old man still living with his dad.

Similar to the original show, some of the biggest names in comedy will guest-star in the new audio series. Sarah Silverman, Ted Danson, Ray Romano, Margaret Cho, Weird Al, Maria Bamford, Pete Holmes, Dana Gould, Emo Philips, Ron Funches, Andy Kindler, and more will...

The YouTube star Hank Green, who established the popular vlogbrothers channel with his brother, John, in 2007, as well as VidCon -- the world’s largest online video convention -- in 2010, will launch this month a nonprofit organization called the Internet Creators Guild (Icg) that aims to be a resource and support system for digital influencers.

Icg will provide creators with business and contracts advice, and also interact with the press as well as video platforms on behalf of creators, according to Fast Company, which was first to report the news. The organization will be funded by a grant from VidCon, as well as membership dues, which are $60 per year. Its first order of business will be creating a website that will comprise basic information, including how to deal with copyright strikes, when to ban commenters, how to use copyrighted music, and how to best work with brands and MCNs.

Laura Chernikoff, who has worked with the Green brothers for years and currently serves as the guest manager at VidCon, will leave the company after next week’s gathering to serve full-time as the executive director of Icg. While Green won’t work directly with Icg day-to-day, he will serve on a separate advisory board. Helming the organization alongside Chernikoff will be a board of directors comprising six bold-faced YouTube stars, including: filmmaker Anna Akana, gaming creators Satchell Drakes and Aureylian, vloggers Ashley Mardell and Olan Rogers, and beauty guru Wendy Ayche. Actor and entertainment lawyer Jonathan Katz will serve on the board as well.

Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

Tom Hanks' “Bachelor Party” is the latest movie-to-tv remake ABC has ordered a “comedy anthology series” based on the raunchy 1984 film, co-created by Regis Philbin’s daughter, J.J. Philbin. The “Bachelor Party” series will focus on three couples: "one about to get married, another recently divorced and a third just falling in love.” Toys ‘R Us yanks “Breaking Bad” action figures following a Florida mom’s complaints "Let's just say, the action figures have taken an indefinite sabbatical,” Toys ‘R Us said in a statement, following pressure from a Florida mom who gathered 8,000 signatures. Tina Fey recalls casting Jan Hooks on “30 Rock,” says: “Jan should have had a bigger career ... as big as Rob Schneider's f*cking career" “We needed to cast Jane Krakowski's estranged Florida dirtbag mother, and I thought, My God, do you think we could get Jan Hooks?” Fey recalled on Monday night, adding...

In between Mystery Science Theater 3000 and South Park, Comedy Central's biggest breakout was a cheaply made animated show called Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Co-created by comedian Jonathan Katz and animator/producer Tom Snyder, it starred Katz as the titular shrink and his relationships with his receptionist (Laura Silverman) and his son (H. Jon Benjamin, now of Archer and Bob's Burgers fame). The show was fleshed out by comedians like Ray Romano, Dom Irrera, Dave Attell, Louis C.K., Denis Leary, Jon Stewart, and Janeane Garofalo. The show last aired in 2002, but a few years back, Katz dusted off his...

Bob’s Burgers has already been renewed for a fifth season – which is exciting! But we’re still pumped about this season, which premieres Sunday.

To whet our appetites, we talked to showrunner Loren Bouchard and star H. Jon Benjamin about what plots, guests, and holiday-themed high jinks we can expect from the Fox comedy’s fourth year.

Let’s start with the premiere: ”The family goes camping,” says Bouchard. “But it ends poorly for them.” Adds Benjamin, “Diarrhea is involved. But it’s in a river and disperses quickly. And there wasn’t a reservoir as far as I know,...

Bounce TV, the nation's only broadcast television network for African Americans, has acquired broadcast television rights to The American Bible Challenge and Catch 21 game shows in a new agreement with Gsn, it was announced today by Bounce TV Chief Operating Office Jonathan Katz.  Both shows will debut later this summer. The American Bible Challenge is the highest-rated original series in Gsn history. The one-hour game show, hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, brings together contestant teams who compete based on their knowledge of the Bible as they strive to win prize money for the charity of their choice.  Kirk Franklin serves as musical...

Atlanta, Aug. 21, 2012 -- In a major personnel addition, Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com), the fastest growing African American network in television, has named veteran television programmer Billy Hall to the newly-created position of Executive Vice President, Programming & Production. In this role, Hall will oversee all scheduling, program planning, acquisitions, operations and original production for the network. Hall reports to Jonathan Katz, Bounce TV's Chief Operating Officer. "Billy is a tremendous creative talent with a proven and successful track record as one of the top programmers in our business. Bounce TV's meteoric growth is driven by the team of smart...

I guess Joe Torry's out as host... Atlanta, Aug. 16, 2012 -- Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com), the fastest growing African American network in television, will premiere the second season of its original comedy series Uptown Comic this fall with actor and comedian Rodney Perry (Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family, Mo'Nique Show) as host, it was announced today by Bounce TV Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Katz. Uptown Comic is a half-hour series featuring stand-up performances by some of the hottest up-and-coming comics in the country. The show's second season will begin production in Atlanta this month. "Uptown Comic was an instant hit with Bounce TV...