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New Diginets The365 and Outlaw to Launch on January 1st

S

spunker88

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.
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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 (tagline: “Black, All Day, Every Day”). 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, Jackie Brown, Madea’s Family Reunion and Dear White People.

FTN’s second over-the-air network, Outlaw, will also go live on January 1, aiming for male viewers with movies like Warner’s Unforgiven, Chisum, Pale Rider and Wyatt Earp.
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Source: Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate And Gray Television Team With Free TV Networks, A New Programmer With A Presence On Broadcast TV And Streaming

Sounds like Gray Television will have their own competitors to Bounce and Grit. I wouldn't be surprised if all Gray stations that currently run Bounce and/or Grit will eventually switch over to The365 and/or Outlaw once their existing affiliation agreements run out.
 
spunker88 said:
I wouldn't be surprised if all Gray stations that currently run Bounce and/or Grit will eventually switch over to The365 and/or Outlaw once their existing affiliation agreements run out.
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I think it is almost certain they will. Many of those subchannels on Gray stations are carried on cable already and if they can flip the switch from Grit to Outlaw and Bounce to 365 it will prop up their new networks while weaking their direct competitor. A quick search shows there are 25+ Grit affiliates owned by Gray and a similar number of Bounce affiliates also owned by Gray.
 
I see in another thread that the Circle diginet, which is partially owned by Gray and carried on a lot of their stations, is going away at the end of this year. This will free up some more space for these new networks to get carried.
 
365 & Outlaw sounds like Bounce & Grit. Which Nexstar in West Michigan carried both before those diginets went to Scripps largely ION WZPX & Bounce went to WXMI Fox17 .3 which Bounce went a slot down from channel 200 on Spectrum to channel 199.
 
spunker88 said:
I see in another thread that the Circle diginet, which is partially owned by Gray and carried on a lot of their stations, is going away at the end of this year. This will free up some more space for these new networks to get carried.
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It'll also free up space on stations NOT owned by Gray too (Here in Denver, KUSA 9 (NBC) carries it on (I believe if I'm not mistaken) 9.6
 
According to Zap2It.com, KCTV, Ch. 5.2 will replace Circle with the 365 & Ch. 5.5 will replace Shop LC with Outlaw on January 1, 2024.
 

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WDEM-CD 17 in Columbus, Ohio has been running taped loop promos all day today on 17.4 and 17.6 announcing that they will start carrying The 365 and Outlaw on January 1.

On 17.4, The 365 is replacing ONTV4U, and on 17.6, Outlaw is replacing Law And Crime.
 
WMC in Memphis has dropped Circle and is running the 365 preview on 5.3 as well. But according to Rabbit Ears Outlaw is going to be on a group of LD stations:


1704078615709.png
 
Jackson, Mississippi's WLBT 3.3 has already quietly dropped Circle and is scheduled to launch with The365 in less than one hour.

  • 3.1: NBC
  • 3.2: Bounce
  • 3.3: Circle The365
  • 3.4: Laff
  • 3.5: Ion Mystery
  • 3.6: Dabl
 
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Yes. Noticed the new networks on 27.6 and 27.7 in Hartford. Channel 27 is WWAX-LD owned by Gray.

27.1 The Wax. (Also on WFSB 3.4). They too underwent a reformat yesterday replacing a lot of their sports/guy oriented programming and WFSB news simulcast with programing from Byron Allen Productions.

27.2 Charge!

27.3 Eyewitness News Now

27.4 Bark TV


27.5 Cornerstone TV (infomercials)

27.6 The 365

27 7 Outlaw
 
Central Kentucky:
The three Gray stations in my neck of the woods have the 365 on their .3 subchannels:

WXIX Cincinnati 19.3
WKYT Lexington 27.3
WAVE Louisville 3.3

It appears the 365 are all on the old Circle channel positions.

The Outlaw is not here, yet
 
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