Start TV
| |
Type | Digital broadcast television network |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Availability |
Nationwide, via OTA digital TV (U.S. coverage: 45%) |
Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
Owner | Weigel Broadcasting |
Key people |
|
Launch date | September 3, 2018 |
Picture format |
480i widescreen (SDTV) (4:3 programming adapted to 14:9) |
Affiliates | List of affiliates |
Official website |
www |
Start TV is an American digital broadcast television network that is owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Primarily 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 2000s, with a focus on dramas, police and legal procedurals geared toward female audiences. The network originates from Weigel Broadcasting's headquarters on North Halsted Street in Chicago, Illinois.[1][2]
History
On July 18, 2018, Weigel Broadcasting announced the formation of Start TV, with plans to launch the network on Labor Day of that year (September 3).[1] The network initially debuted on the subchannels of five of network parent Weigel's television stations, three stations owned by Bahakel Communications and seventeen CBS Television Stations,[3][4][5] fourteen CBS and three CW owned-and-operated stations.
Weigel indicated that the idea for the network was suggested by CBS to allow more modern programming in a gap of not being carried by cable networks, nor streaming services, to find a place to air.[6] Start TV officially launched on September 3, 2018, at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the pilot episode of Touched by an Angel (titled "The Southbound Bus") as its inaugural broadcast.
Programming
As with its male-targeting sister network Heroes & Icons, Start targets a female niche with a more recent focus in series than MeTV, carrying a number of police procedurals and legal procedurals led by women. The network features series from a narrower timeline and focus on more recent content than that from which Decades, its sister network, source their programming.[6] It also contains a uniform schedule with programming airing mainly at the same time seven days a week, with some marathons also being part of the schedule.[1] The network also has the standard three-hour block of children's programming on Sunday mornings between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time in order to fulfill educational programming requirements mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, sourced from Bellum Entertainment Group.
Current programs
- Procedural dramas[3]
- The Closer (September 3, 2018-present)
- Cold Case (September 3, 2018-present)
- The Division (September 3, 2018-present)
- Early Edition (September 3, 2018-present)
- Family Law (September 3, 2018-present)
- Joan of Arcadia (September 3, 2018-present)
- Medium (September 3, 2018-present)
- Profiler (September 3, 2018-present)
- Touched by an Angel (September 3, 2018-present)
- Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (September 3, 2018-present)
- E/I programming
- On the Spot (September 9, 2018–present)
- Coolest Places on Earth (September 9, 2018–present)
- Zoo Clues (September 9, 2018–present)
- Animal Atlas (September 9, 2018–present)
- Wonderful World (September 9, 2018–present)
Upcoming programs
- Procedural dramas
- Crossing Jordan (premieres January 2019)[1]
- The Good Wife (premieres January 2019)[1]
Affiliates
As of August 2018, Start TV has affiliation agreements with television stations in 27 media markets encompassing 20 states, covering 45.52% of the United States.[7] 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 Chicago.) Bahakel Communications also contributed stations to serve as charter affiliates.[1]
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 Milwaukee station, WITI has not claimed the This TV affiliation in the market despite Weigel moving the This affiliation to lower-tier channel slots several times.)[8]
Current affiliates
City of license/market | Station | Virtual channel |
Physical channel | Primary affiliation | Owner | Date of affiliation | Replaced[1][7] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Montgomery | WBMM | 22.2 | 22 | The CW | Bahakel Communications | September 3, 2018 | Heartland |
Los Angeles | KCBS-TV | 2.2 | 43 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto | KOVR | 13.2 | 25 | ||||
San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose | KPIX-TV | 5.2 | 29 | ||||
Denver | KCNC-TV | 4.2 | 35 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Tampa–St. Petersburg | WTOG | 44.2 | 44 | The CW | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Miami | WFOR-TV | 4.2 | 22 | CBS | |||
Atlanta | WUPA | 69.2 | 43 | The CW | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Honolulu | KITV | 4.3 | 40 | ABC | Lilly Broadcasting | October 2018 | |
Boise | KRID-LD | 22.6 | 22 | NewsMax TV | Idaho TV 22 | September 3, 2018 | Untamed Sports TV |
Chicago | WBBM-TV | 2.2 | 12 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
WMEU-CD | 48.2 | 32 | Independent | Weigel Broadcasting | Independent | ||
Rockford | WFBN-LD | 35.3 | 35 | Heroes & Icons | |||
Indianapolis | WBXI-CD | 47.1 | 47 | Primary | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
South Bend | WCWW-LD | 25.2 | 25 | The CW | Weigel Broadcasting | This TV | |
Baltimore | WJZ-TV | 13.2 | 13 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Boston | WBZ-TV | 4.2 | 30 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Detroit | WWJ-TV | 62.2 | 44 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Minneapolis–St. Paul | WCCO-TV | 4.2 | 32 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Walker–Bemidji | KCCW-TV | 12.2 | 12 | ||||
St. Louis | KNLC | 24.6 | 14 | MeTV | Weigel Broadcasting | September 3, 2018 | |
New York City | WCBS-TV | 2.2 | 33 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Charlotte | WCCB | 18.5 | 27 | The CW | Bahakel Communications | September 3, 2018 | |
Philadelphia | KYW-TV | 3.2 | 26 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Pittsburgh | KDKA-TV | 2.2 | 25 | ||||
Columbia | WOLO-TV | 25.5 | 8 | ABC | Bahakel Communications | September 3, 2018 | |
Dallas–Fort Worth | KTVT | 11.2 | 19 | CBS | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Cedar City, Utah (Salt Lake City) | KCSG | 8.3 | 14 | Heroes & Icons | Weigel Broadcasting | September 3, 2018 | |
Tacoma (Seattle) | KSTW | 11.2 | 11 | The CW | CBS Television Stations | September 3, 2018 | Decades |
Bellingham | KVOS-TV | 12.5 | 35 | Heroes & Icons | Weigel Broadcasting | ||
Milwaukee | WDJT-TV | 58.5 | 58 | CBS | Weigel Broadcasting | September 3, 2018 | |
WYTU-LD | 63.2 | 17 | Telemundo | This TV[8] |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mark K. Miller (July 18, 2018). "Weigel To Launch 'Start TV' Female Diginet". TVNewsCheck. TVNewsCheck Media. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Robert Feder (July 19, 2018). "Weigel to launch Start TV digital network with CBS Television Stations". RobertFeder.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- 1 2 Tara Bitran (July 18, 2018). "TV News Roundup: Netflix Offers First Look at 'Narcos: Mexico,' Trailer for Rev Run's 'All About the Washingtons'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Melissa Hudson (July 18, 2018). "Weigel Broadcasting Co. to launch new 'Start TV' network in association with CBS television stations". WBND-LD. Weigel Broadcasting. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Phil Kurz (July 30, 2018). "Start TV Diginet To Showcase Strong, Resourceful Women". TVTechnology. Future plc. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- 1 2 Chris Foran (July 19, 2018). "New over-the-air TV channel, Start TV, to focus on shows with strong female leading characters". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- 1 2 "Stations for Network - Start TV". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- 1 2 Chris Foran (August 27, 2018). "TV channel-surfing: Start TV and Justice Milwaukee are in, This TV's out, and Movies! is moving". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Retrieved August 28, 2018.