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Court TV relaunching as OTA subchannel...but not in Phoenix

dhett

dhett

Katz Networks has announced that it has bought the intellectual rights to defunct cable network Court TV and will relaunch it as an OTA channel, with additional distribution via cable, satellite and over-the-top internet (OTT).

Court TV had run as a cable/satellite channel from 1991 to 2007, when it rebranded as truTV, and brought trial coverage of OJ Simpson and the Menendez brothers to homes across America.

Katz Networks, owned by EW Scripps Co., will relaunch Court TV in May 2019 on Scripps stations in eight markets, including Tucson, where it owns KGUN 9 and KWBA 58, and Las Vegas where it owns KTNV 13, but not in Phoenix, where it owns KNXV 15. It also has agreements with Tribune stations in 22 markets, including all of the top markets, with Univision in three markets (again, not in Phoenix), with Entravision in ten markets and with Citadel Communications in one market.

https://www.multichannel.com/news/katz-networks-plans-to-relaunch-court-tv

So why is Court TV passing on Phoenix? It's likely because of the NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) testing. One Univision station - KFPH 35 - is being used for ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, and two its three subchannels are being carried Univision's KTVW 33 (Unimás) and Scripps' KNXV 15 (Escape) for the duration of the testing, giving each station four subchannels. Court TV is being added to stations with two or three subchannels.
 
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I personally think they're still getting other groups on board, so they're trying to work things out. Katz already works with Meredith and Nexstar in other markets, so I wouldn't count out new or existing subchannels of KTVK, KPHO, or KASW as potential affiliates just yet.
 
KTVK, maybe. Katz doesn't seem to want to go anywhere that will result in more than four subchannels and KTVK has three.

KASW, perhaps, if they dump one of the existing subchannels, all of which are duplicated elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that StartTV will eventually replace HSN on 61.2, and both 61.3 and 61.4 are already Katz subchannels, so I don't see Katz gaining anything by swapping out one of their diginets for another.

KPHO, doubtful. They seem reluctant to go beyond the two subchannels they already have.

I'm still thinking the best bet is KNXV, one the ATSC 3.0 test is complete. Escape will go back to KFPH and KNXV will be left with three subchannels, allowing Katz to put Court TV on 15.4. The ATSC 3.0 test was only authorized for one year, which ends in April, so KNXV may be able to launch in May as well.
 
dhett said:
KTVK, maybe. Katz doesn't seem to want to go anywhere that will result in more than four subchannels and KTVK has three.
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Add Court TV to 3.3 and move Weather Now to 5.3 or just eliminate it completely. A weather sub shouldn't use much bandwidth anyway, and with today's more advanced variable-bitrate encoders, it shouldn't affect the main channel's picture quality too much (that was one of the reasons KPHO was reluctant to add subchannels anyway). KPNX has four subchannels beyond its main NBC (for now), and while 12.1's PQ isn't as sharp as 5.1, it isn't totally unwatchable.

dhett said:
KASW, perhaps, if they dump one of the existing subchannels, all of which are duplicated elsewhere. I'm pretty sure that StartTV will eventually replace HSN on 61.2, and both 61.3 and 61.4 are already Katz subchannels, so I don't see Katz gaining anything by swapping out one of their diginets for another.
Click to expand...

Maybe Katz has its networks in multiple places in case of the creation of a new network. There's no need for Grit (or Escape, for the time being) to be on two full-power signals in one market. If KASW was going to launch Start TV, they would have done so already.

dhett said:
KPHO, doubtful. They seem reluctant to go beyond the two subchannels they already have.
Click to expand...

See my KTVK comments above.
 
All excellent points. We'll see how it all shakes out and who's closest to calling it. :cool:
 
After further review, it appears that Phoenix is getting Court TV after all. The Court TV website has them slated for KNXV-TV channel 15.4 in Phoenix, KWBA-TV channel 58.3 in Tucson/Sierra Vista, and on KVYE channel 22.5 (actually, it's 7.5) in Yuma/El Centro CA.

I'm guessing that ThisTV, currently on KWBA 58.3, will either be dropped, or moved down to channel 58.4.

Court TV launches Wednesday, May 8.
 
dhett said:
After further review, it appears that Phoenix is getting Court TV after all. The Court TV website has them slated for KNXV-TV channel 15.4 in Phoenix, KWBA-TV channel 58.3 in Tucson/Sierra Vista, and on KVYE channel 22.5 (actually, it's 7.5) in Yuma/El Centro CA.

I'm guessing that ThisTV, currently on KWBA 58.3, will either be dropped, or moved down to channel 58.4.

Court TV launches Wednesday, May 8.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised Scripps keeps the struggling LATV network on one of the 58.x subchannels in Tucson. They must have a contract that's difficult to get out of.
 
I'm getting a report that KWBA has been running promos for Court TV on channel 58.4 since Saturday. Nothing on KNXV 15.4 though.
 
dhett said:
I'm getting a report that KWBA has been running promos for Court TV on channel 58.4 since Saturday. Nothing on KNXV 15.4 though.
Click to expand...

As of last night, May 7th, KNXV was running promos for Court TV
with the promise that they would be up and running today on
their new 15.4 subchannel.
 
And the promise was kept. At 6 AM MST on Wed. May 8, Court TV launched nationwide, including Phoenix (KNXV), Tucson/Sierra Vista (KWBA), Yuma/El Centro CA (KVYE), Las Vegas NV (KTNV), and St. George UT (via KUCW translators).
 
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dhett said:
And the promise was kept. At 6 AM MST on Wed. May 8, Court TV launched nationwide, including Phoenix (KNXV), Tucson/Sierra Vista (KWBA), Yuma/El Centro CA (KVYE), Las Vegas NV (KTNV), and St. George UT (via KUCW translators).
Click to expand...

And KNXV got the aspect ratios mixed up on their subchannels. Antenna TV, which is supposed to be 4:3, is now 16:9. Laff, which had been 16:9, is now 4:3 again. Court TV launched as 4:3. Did the engineers just rush this process?
 
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