Charge! (TV network)

Charge! is an American digital broadcast television network that is owned by the Sinclair Television Group subsidiary of the Sinclair Broadcast Group and operated by the MGM Television division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The network features action- and adventure-based programming sourced primarily from the MGM television and film library.

Charge!
TypeDigital broadcast television network
Country
United States
AvailabilityNationwide, via OTA digital TV
(estimated coverage 64.42%)[1]
SloganReady for Action
Parent
Key people
  • David Amy (vice chairman, Sinclair Broadcast Group)
  • Christopher Ripley
  • (president/CEO, Sinclair Broadcast Group)[2]
  • John Bryan (president, MGM Domestic TV Distribution)
Launch date
February 28, 2017 (2017-02-28)
Picture format
480i (SDTV, widescreen)
AffiliatesList of Charge! affiliates
Official website
watchcharge.com
ReplacedThe Works

The network is also available via a website stream for mobile devices.(internet sourced) broadcast networks. Charge is also available via streaming services Stirr.

Background
The original logo for Charge!, used from February 28, 2017 to April 2, 2020.

Sinclair Broadcast Group had already put three digital broadcast television networks on the air. The first was with MGM, the science-fiction network Comet, which was launched in October 2015.[3] American Sports Network, Sinclair's sports programming arm (now the framework for Stadium), was broadened to include full network operations on January 11, 2016.[4] Sinclair started TBD, a network targeting millennial audiences, which commenced operations on February 13, 2017 in a soft launch.[5]

History

Charge! was formally announced by Sinclair and MGM on January 17, 2017.[3] The network debuted on February 28, 2017.[6][7] Stations carrying The Works replaced the network with Charge.[8]

Programming

Programming on Charge! is sourced primarily from MGM's library of films and TV series, expressed by Sinclair's press release announcing the launch as "one of the deepest libraries of premium action-themed content in the world." Titles indicated as airing on Charge! include the TV series In the Heat of the Night and The Magnificent Seven, the Rocky and James Bond film series, and other motion pictures including Platoon and Dances with Wolves.[3]

Ring of Honor Wrestling, the weekly professional wrestling television series produced by the Sinclair-affiliated promotion Ring of Honor, began airing on the network from July 9, 2017. The series was previously syndicated to sibling broadcast network Comet.[9]

On April 6, 2020 Charge! will begin airing Magnum P.I. and Knight Rider (1982 TV series) [10] in addition to their line-up consisting of CHiPs and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Affiliates
Main article: List of Charge! affiliates

At its outset, Sinclair slated the launch of Charge! to primarily take place on digital subchannels of stations it owns or operates. Other Sinclair stations will likely add Charge! during Spring 2017 (and also used it to replace Grit when that network's carriage agreement with Sinclair expired in January 2018), and Sinclair will continue to offer the network to stations outside its geographic footprint (the company projects Charge to reach over 50% of the U.S. by the end of 2nd quarter 2017).[6] As of February 12, 2019, there are 56 affiliates of which 49 have the network on the air and 7 that have committed to broadcasting the network.[1]

References
  1. "Stations for Network - Charge!". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. Mirabella, Lorraine (November 11, 2016). "Sinclair Broadcast shuffles top management in second round of changes". Baltimore Sun. Baltimore Sun Media Group. Retrieved December 28, 2016. On Friday the company said Chief Operating Officer David Amy, who has served in that role and as executive vice president since 2014, will become vice chairman and oversee human resources, corporate marketing and the networks group.
  3. Evans, Greg (February 17, 2017). "Sinclair & MGM To Launch Charge! Action Network; 'Rocky', James Bond In Lineup". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  4. "ASN launches 24/7 broadcast network on Monday". americansportsnet.com. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  5. Herbert, Geoff (February 15, 2017). "Syracuse gets first look at new TV network 'for people who love the internet'". syracuse.com. Syracuse Media Group. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  6. Buckman, Adam (January 17, 2017). "MGM, Sinclair Unwrap New Action Diginet". TV News Check. NewsCheckMedia. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  7. Bouma, Luke (March 3, 2017). "Three New Over-the-Air TV Networks Recently Launched". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  8. Stilson, Janet (July 18, 2017). "Optimistic Outlook On Multicast's Prospects". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved July 19, 2017. And it also rebranded a classic TV diginet, The Works. It's now called Charge and has narrowed its retro focus to action-adventure.
  9. "This week ROH is moving from Comet to CHARGE! Back-to-back episodes air Sundays at 10pm! Find CHARGE! in your area".
  10. https://watchcharge.com/why-action-tv-peaked-in-the-1980s/
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