Ion Media Networks - General Discussion

[PhillyWatch 238]

The entire reason Scripps gobbled up ion was to get signals to put their diginets on, not to launch (from scratch!) a bunch of news operations. Maybe you'll see a half hour of Newsy on the main signal at some point during the day. Maybe you'll see a new newscast from any new Scripps-owned sister stations in the market. But we're not getting any new news departments out of this. 

[channel2 912]

I did mean ION, yes.

 

4 hours ago, PhillyWatch said:

The entire reason Scripps gobbled up ion was to get signals to put their diginets on, not to launch (from scratch!) a bunch of news operations. Maybe you'll see a half hour of Newsy on the main signal at some point during the day. Maybe you'll see a new newscast from any new Scripps-owned sister stations in the market. But we're not getting any new news departments out of this. 

 

I know they were after ION's signals and spectrum, but the thing they trumpeted most of all was ION's national advertising share. Makes me wonder how much COVID battered local advertising...

 

Scripps must have felt so lucky that they bought Katz in 2017!

[Requiere 51]

10 hours ago, Route66Fan said:

 

I wanted to record the switchover of Qubo to Grit & Ion Plus to CourtTV, but I missed it

I was actually watching Qubo with my son when it happened. Sadly I didn't record it since it caught me off guard.

[Adam MadMan 283]

Thankfully, there have been some internet sleuths who have recorded the switchover and put it on YouTube. Apparently, it happened right in the middle of an airing of Franklin in most markets.

Honestly, if I hadn't known about this from other forums, I'd have guessed this was some BS edit done by some anonymous troll. But no, this actually happened (in most markets, at least).

[Requiere 51]

In the West Palm Beach market it happened during a commercial break during Franklin. BUT, it glitched for a second, lost signal, then turned to Court TV programming.

 

[Roadrunner 212]

An end of an era. I never tuned in to Qubo but I do remember scrolling past it and giving it a glance. This is a sad end to a channel.

[LexTVandRadio 416]

Currently here in Lexington WTVQ and now Inyo’s WUPX both are carrying LAFF tv. Both equally look like crap. WLEX has court tv in HD and and WUPX doesn’t. Maybe that will change. 

[Route66Fan 77]

KPXE-TV is now showing Court TV on Ch. 50.2, Grit on Ch. 50.3 & Laff on Ch. 50.4. Interestingly, there seems to be a 10 second delay between the Laff feed on Ch. 50.4, compared to Ch. 41.3.

 

[Requiere 51]

I honestly feel as though Scripps did not think this through. There are now three CourtTV Mysteries, one on WPTV, one on WFLX, and one on WPXP. WPTV is now occasionally breaking up, even though I live 5 miles away from the tower. They added too many subchannels to WPTV, WFLX, and WHDT many of them the same network. It gets me frustrated and it's only been a day. They could have used one subchannel for Telemundo or another spanish network since the market is underserved for the hispanic community. I was actually hoping this was going to be the case but it looks like Scripps is really trying to get people to watch Mystery and CourtTV.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Requiere

[mrschimpf 2166]

2 hours ago, Requiere said:

I honestly feel as though Scripps did not think this through. There are now three CourtTV Mysteries, one on WPTV, one on WFLX, and one on WPXP.

I pity the poor cable companies tomorrow that have to either take 'why am I not getting (new network) that just popped up on Ion' because of their painful dependence on must-carry agreements on the main channel, having three of the same network on because Ion plopped Ion Life on a main channel in the market that used to be TBN/CW/some other network, or missing channels because you know there will be a station carrying a Katz subchannel that'll be like 'well (bleep) you too' and throw it off their lineup in spite the moment the clock strikes 6 tomorrow morning.

 

Milwaukee's situation is such a mess with the Katz networks spread among WTMJ, WMLW and WPXE, and Green Bay the same with WGBA, WACY, WFRV, along with existing coverage of Ion on WBAY that you know will be gone soon to create another Ion/MyNet Frankenstein lineup on WACY.

[Samantha 2880]

7 hours ago, Requiere said:

I honestly feel as though Scripps did not think this through. There are now three CourtTV Mysteries, one on WPTV, one on WFLX, and one on WPXP. WPTV is now occasionally breaking up, even though I live 5 miles away from the tower. They added too many subchannels to WPTV, WFLX, and WHDT many of them the same network. It gets me frustrated and it's only been a day. They could have used one subchannel for Telemundo or another spanish network since the market is underserved for the hispanic community. I was actually hoping this was going to be the case but it looks like Scripps is really trying to get people to watch Mystery and CourtTV.

 

I suspect that, in the coming days, a lot of the subchannels that are duplicated between Scripps-owned stations in the local division and the Scripps national muxes will move over for good. You have to think they are working to have a standard mux of channels but that the existing carriage agreements with other multiplex holders (such as Univision) are impeding them.

 

Keep in mind that in 2017, Univision signed a renewal with Katz until 2024. So it could be quite a while.

[Megatron81 213]

8 hours ago, Requiere said:

I honestly feel as though Scripps did not think this through. There are now three CourtTV Mysteries, one on WPTV, one on WFLX, and one on WPXP. WPTV is now occasionally breaking up, even though I live 5 miles away from the tower. They added too many subchannels to WPTV, WFLX, and WHDT many of them the same network. It gets me frustrated and it's only been a day. They could have used one subchannel for Telemundo or another spanish network since the market is underserved for the hispanic community. I was actually hoping this was going to be the case but it looks like Scripps is really trying to get people to watch Mystery and CourtTV.

Got 3 Court TV Mystery as well WXSP. 3, WXMI Fox17 .4, WZPX .4. All the Katz networks are on Charter Spectrum as they carry Nexstar subchannels from Wood TV .2, .3, WOTV .2, .3 Grit is .3, WXSP .2, .3. For a day had 2 Court TV Mystery on Feb 1 sometime on Feb 2 Court TV came back on.

[mrschimpf 2166]

1 hour ago, Samantha said:

 

I suspect that, in the coming days, a lot of the subchannels that are duplicated between Scripps-owned stations in the local division and the Scripps national muxes will move over for good. You have to think they are working to have a standard mux of channels but that the existing carriage agreements with other multiplex holders (such as Univision) are impeding them.

 

Keep in mind that in 2017, Univision signed a renewal with Katz until 2024. So it could be quite a while.

I forgot another issue; Journal used to be really stingy with subchannels with Charter and Time Warner, so in a few places like ex-Charter markets, they've never had any subchannels on their systems, and Scripps hasn't corrected that oversight, so they're going into a situation in some markets where they have to deal with both Ion and Journal's negotiating errors restricting thier leverage to get the Katz networks on. My system only has Bounce TV from WMLW, and lost Grit when WCGV went off the air, so we're literally missing most of the suite in my market.

[Route66Fan 77]

In Kansas City, MO, as a result of the Katz networks starting to move to KPXE-TV. KMCI-TV, Ch. 38.4 has changed from Court TV to HSN (In 16:9 widescreen.) & KSHB-TV has added GetTV to Ch. 41.4. KPXE-TV is still showing HSN on Ch. 50.6 (In 4:3 letterbox.).

[Surplus Engineer 38]

On 2/28/2021 at 3:25 PM, Route66Fan said:

KPXE-TV is now showing Court TV on Ch. 50.2, Grit on Ch. 50.3 & Laff on Ch. 50.4. Interestingly, there seems to be a 10 second delay between the Laff feed on Ch. 50.4, compared to Ch. 41.3.

 

 

That's not surprising. Two separate air chains and two separate transmitters will yield variations that big and bigger. From being brought in on the same IRD to going through switchers, EAS, graphics, encoders, STL. Older gear and/or more links in the chain will delay the signal.

[Yankees4life 545]

WPXM has already gotten Court TV Mystery, Grit and Laff. Bizzarly enough QVC is on WSFL-DT5 but QVC is still on WPXM's spectrum. I guess Scripps is planning a swap between QVC and Court TV there.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Yankees4life

[Requiere 51]

58 minutes ago, Yankees4life said:

Court TV got replaced by QVC on WSFL-DT5

Court TV is on 39.4 for WSFL

[Yankees4life 545]

1 hour ago, Requiere said:

Court TV is on 39.4 for WSFL

Oh shit. I made a mistake. I meant they added QVC. I imagine they'll place Court TV on WPXM soon. It's just a matter of technically and contracts

[Rusty Muck 4353]

It should be noted that the Scripps/Katz networks and ION are all genre channels:

Newsy -> all-news, no frills

Grit -> westerns

Laff -> sitcoms

Bounce -> African American-focused

Court TV -> trial coverage and analysis

Court TV Mystery -> reality crime

ION -> procedurals/drama

Doozy -> the “true reality” A&E library

Defy -> the “true reality” History library

 

The purchase of ION Media was for the OTA clearances (and with Inyo as a de facto shell for Scripps without the need for SSAs/JSAs). ION is destined to become the flagship Scripps/Katz brand, assuredly with more acquired rerun programming and less reliance on day-long marathons of the same shows, but the genre won’t change.

[CLETVFan 364]

At one time, ION was known for sitcom reruns.  They once had a Mama's Family marathon that drew a huge audience.

 

Of course, ION rose from the ashes of PAX, which was supposed to be a faith and family-oriented version of the broadcast networks.

[PhillyWatch 238]

I believe there was also a “Drew Year’s Eve” marathon when they acquired Drew Carey show reruns around a decade ago. 
 

I’m still wondering when and where Newsy factors into this all. You’d think it would have been one of the networks they’d add right off the bat, especially since there aren’t any huge carriage agreements already in existence (unlike Laff, etc.). 
 

Is there some long term agreement with QVC? While everything else was quick to get the boot, they’re still hanging around.  

[Adam MadMan 283]

Newsy still has to deal with contracts with MVPDs, which prohibit Scripps from moving the network to OTA right now. Once those contracts end, then and only then can Newsy start airing on OTA.

 

As for QVC, it seems like that may just be temporary until contracts run out or Doozy and Defy replace them.

[Rusty Muck 4353]

16 hours ago, CLETVFan said:

At one time, ION was known for sitcom reruns.  They once had a Mama's Family marathon that drew a huge audience.

 

Of course, ION rose from the ashes of PAX, which was supposed to be a faith and family-oriented version of the broadcast networks.

The Pax TV—i—ION metamorphosis is very interesting to look at in retrospect.

 

You could argue that Pax TV was a diginet 25 years ahead of its time with a lineup heavy on reruns (albeit with a few new productions) and in which the affiliates all but carried the core schedule with no deviations whatsoever. Problem was, Pax TV was a money loser from the get-go, so much so that they turned to NBC for a capital investment that wound up with NBC suing Paxson a few years later for a redemption of their investment  (and vice versa) with an NBCU board member succeeding Bud Paxson as chairman.

 

Indeed, i had a programming deal with WBTV for a number of sitcom reruns but it clearly didn’t last long at all, as the lineup became nearly subsumed by infomercials near the end of the 2000s. Rebadging as ION and focusing on procedural reruns has given them an identity they never had prior, and it now adds a piece to the overall pie of genre channels that Scripps/Katz aims to offer.

[Route66Fan 77]

On 3/6/2021 at 10:27 AM, Myron Falwell said:

The Pax TV—i—ION metamorphosis is very interesting to look at in retrospect.

 

You could argue that Pax TV was a diginet 25 years ahead of its time with a lineup heavy on reruns (albeit with a few new productions) and in which the affiliates all but carried the core schedule with no deviations whatsoever. Problem was, Pax TV was a money loser from the get-go, so much so that they turned to NBC for a capital investment that wound up with NBC suing Paxson a few years later for a redemption of their investment  (and vice versa) with an NBCU board member succeeding Bud Paxson as chairman.

 

Indeed, i had a programming deal with WBTV for a number of sitcom reruns but it clearly didn’t last long at all, as the lineup became nearly subsumed by infomercials near the end of the 2000s. Rebadging as ION and focusing on procedural reruns has given them an identity they never had prior, and it now adds a piece to the overall pie of genre channels that Scripps/Katz aims to offer.

Here are some promos & ID's I found on a tape that I have announcing PAX-TV's transition to i - Independent Television, from Summer 2005.

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Route66Fan

[Sendir 192]

On 3/5/2021 at 9:27 AM, Myron Falwell said:

It should be noted that the Scripps/Katz networks and ION are all genre channels:

Newsy -> all-news, no frills

Grit -> westerns

Laff -> sitcoms

Bounce -> African American-focused

Court TV -> trial coverage and analysis

Court TV Mystery -> reality crime

ION -> procedurals/drama

Doozy -> the “true reality” A&E library

Defy -> the “true reality” History library

 

The purchase of ION Media was for the OTA clearances (and with Inyo as a de facto shell for Scripps without the need for SSAs/JSAs). ION is destined to become the flagship Scripps/Katz brand, assuredly with more acquired rerun programming and less reliance on day-long marathons of the same shows, but the genre won’t change.

Most Insightful post of the week. Thanks.