Grit (TV network)
 | |
| Type | Digital broadcast television network (Movies) |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | Nationwide via OTA digital television (covering 93% of the U.S.)[1] |
| Founded | April 3, 2014 by Jonathan Katz |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Owner | Grit Media, LLC |
| Parent | Katz Broadcasting, LLC |
Key people | Jonathan Katz (president/CEO, Katz Broadcasting) Bill Cox (SVP of programming, Grit)[2] |
Launch date | August 18, 2014[3] |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV, 4:3/16:9) |
| Affiliates | List of Grit affiliates |
Official website | www |
Grit is an American digital multicast television network that is owned by Katz Broadcasting.[4] The network features classic TV series and feature films targeted at men between the ages of 25 and 54 years old.
The network is available in many media markets via the digital subchannels of broadcast television stations and on the digital tiers of select cable providers through a local affiliate of the network.
Originally, Katz sold the network to affiliated TV stations via ad split but by October 2015 had moved to paying carriage fees in exchange for distributing the network's ad inventory.[5]1 Grit used direct response advertising as a meter of viewers before switching to Nielsen rating C-3.[5]3 It is available on Dish Network channel 217.
History
Grit was announced by Katz Broadcasting along with a sister network Escape on April 3, 2014, with a formal launch scheduled for that summer with initial affiliates announced at this time being Univision Communications owned stations.[4] On August 11, 2014, Katz announced that the two networks would launch simultaneously on August 18. Grit launched at Noon Eastern Time on that date,[6] with the 1952 film High Noon as the network's inaugural broadcast, leading off a week-long festival of John Wayne films.[3]
Katz estimated, based on direct response advertising business by September 2015, the network had over 250,000 prime time viewer and available in 91 million homes and 81% of the country. At that time, Grit along with its sister network, Escape, were signing up for national ratings from Nielsen. Previously handling the network's direct response advertising, Marathon Ventures would continue after the change over with advertising and sponsorship sales.[7]
Programming
Grit's program schedule is a mix of action/adventure television series such as Sgt. Preston of the Yukon and Lassie (particularly the U.S. Forest Service era of the program), westerns such as Death Valley Days, Laramie, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Zane Grey Theatre, and movies encompassing all of the aforementioned genres.[8]
Katz Broadcasting president and CEO Jonathan Katz based the demographic-targeted concept of Escape and Grit after Bounce TV, a network Katz co-founded with Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young in 2011 that is targeted at African American audiences. Katz stated Grit and Escape are "the country’s first ever male-centric and female-centric broadcast networks," featuring different programming from other classic television multicast networks that Katz referred to as "generic brands with generic names, created by studios to serve the studios."[9]
Movies
Grit's program schedule features an extensive library of films through multi-year program licensing agreements with several major film studios: Warner Bros. Pictures,[10] Universal Pictures,[11] Paramount Pictures [12] and Sony Pictures Entertainment.[13]
Affiliates
As of June 2016, Grit has current or pending affiliation agreements with television stations covering approximately 78% of the United States.[14]
When the network was first announced, Grit entered into an affiliation agreement with Univision Communications, which launched the network in 24 markets served by a station owned by the group or operated through local marketing agreements with Entravision Communications – giving Grit affiliates in 12 of the 20 largest U.S. television markets (including markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas-Fort Worth). The network immediately sought carriage on the digital subchannels of television stations owned by other broadcasting companies;[4] on June 17, 2014, Katz signed group deals to carry Grit on stations owned and/or operated by Raycom Media in 26 markets.[15]
On July 17, 2014, Katz announced affiliation deals with the Cox Media Group to carry Grit on WFTV in Orlando and KMYT-TV in Tulsa; as well as KJWP in the Philadelphia market, and Citadel Communications-owned stations in Providence (WLNE-TV) and Lincoln (KLKN). It also expanded its affiliation deal with Univision Communications to add stations in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Phoenix to the network's originally announced Univision-owned charter affiliates.[16][17]
On October 9, 2014, the Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it would carry the network on stations it owns and/or operates in 47 markets.[18]
On November 16, 2015, Katz announced an affiliation deal with Media General adding the network to five more markets.[19]
On June 15, 2016 Katz announced a more affiliation deal with Nexstar Broadcasting Group and Cordillera Communications's KATC-TV.[20]
List of affiliates
| City of license/market | Station[21] | Virtual channel |
Owner | Notes † | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | |||||
| Birmingham | WBRC | 6.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
| Huntsville | WAFF | 48.3 | |||
| Montgomery | WSFA | 12.3 | |||
| Mobile-Pensacola- Fort Walton Beach |
WJTC | 44.2 | Deerfield Media | January 1, 2015 | |
| Ozark (Dothan) | WDFX-TV | 34.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
Arizona | |||||
| Phoenix | KASW | 61.3 | Nexstar Media Group | LAugust 2016 | |
| KTVW-DT | 33.3 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | ||
| Tucson | KOLD-TV | 13.3 | Raycom Media | ||
Arkansas | |||||
| Fayetteville | KNWA-TV | 51.3 | Nexstar Media Group | September 2016 | |
California | |||||
| Hanford (Fresno) | KFTV-DT | 21.4 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Ontario (Los Angeles) | KFTR-DT | 46.4 | |||
| Vallejo (San Francisco– Oakland–San Jose) |
KFSF-DT | 66.4 | |||
| San Diego (San Diego) | KFMB-TV | 8.3 | Midwest TV inc | July 2016 | Will join The CW May 31, 2017; Grit will move to a new DT4 subchannel |
| Stockton (Sacramento) | KTFK-DT | 64.4 | Univision Communications | ||
Colorado | |||||
| Sterling (Denver) | KCDO-TV | 3.2 | Channel 3 TV Company LLC | ||
Connecticut | |||||
| New Haven | WCTX | 59.2 | Nexstar Media Group | ||
Delaware | |||||
| Wilmington (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | KJWP | 2.3 | PMCM TV, LLC | August 18, 2014 | |
Florida | |||||
| Fort Myers | WGPS-LP | 22.6 | WGPS of Southwest Florida, LLC | ||
| Hollywood (Miami) | WAMI-DT | 69.4 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Orlando | WRDQ | 27.4 | Cox Media Group | ||
| Panama City | WPGX | 28.3 | Raycom Media | ||
| Tampa–St. Petersburg | WFTS-TV | 28.3 | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
| West Palm Beach | WFLX | 29.3 | Raycom Media (operated by the E. W. Scripps Company) |
August 18, 2014 | |
Georgia | |||||
| Atlanta | WGCL-TV | 46.3 | Meredith Corporation | [14] | |
| Augusta | WFXG | 54.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
| Columbus | WTVM | 9.3 | |||
| Savannah | WTOC-TV | 11.3 | March 18, 2015 | ||
Hawaii | |||||
| Honolulu | KHNL | 13.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
Idaho | |||||
| Boise | KNIN | 9.3 | Raycom Media | March 2, 2017 | |
Illinois | |||||
| Champaign | WCIA | 3.4 | Nexstar Media Group | August 23, 2016 | |
| Joliet (Chicago) | WGBO-DT | 66.3 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Rockford | WTVO | 17.4 | Nexstar Media Group | September 1, 2016 | |
Indiana | |||||
| Evansville | WFIE | 14.3 | Raycom Media | October 28, 2014 | |
| Fort Wayne | WEDX-LD | 29.1 | DTV America Corporation | Launch date TBD | |
| Indianapolis | WRTV | 6.2 | E. W. Scripps Company | ||
| Terre Haute | WAWV-TV | 38.2 | Nexstar Media Group | August 23, 2016 | |
Iowa | |||||
| Ottumwa–Keokuk, IA–Kirksville, MO | KYOU-TV | 15.3 | American Spirit Media (operated by Raycom Media) |
August 18, 2014 | |
Kansas | |||||
| Lawrence–Kansas City, MO | KMCI-TV | 38.4 | E. W. Scripps Company | Launched April 15, 2015 | |
| Wichita | KGPT-CD | 26.3 | Great Plains Television Network | ||
Kentucky | |||||
| Bowling Green | WCZU-LD | 39.5 | DTV America Corporation | September 23, 2016 | |
| Louisville | WAVE | 3.2 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
| Newport (Cincinnati, Ohio) | WXIX-TV | 19.3 | July 2015 | ||
Louisiana | |||||
| Baton Rouge | WBXH-CD | 39.3 | Raycom Media | August 1, 2015 | |
| Lafayette | KATC-TV | 3.3 | Cordillera Communications | June 28, 2016 | |
| Lake Charles | KPLC | 7.2 | Raycom Media | December 31, 2015 | |
| Monroe/El Dorado | KARD | 14.3 | Nexstar Media Group | September 12, 2016 | |
| New Orleans | WVUE-DT | 8.3 | Louisiana Media Company (operated by Raycom Media) |
August 18, 2014 | |
| Shreveport | KSLA | 12.2 | Raycom Media | December 31, 2015 | |
Maryland | |||||
| Baltimore | WUTB | 24.2 | Deerfield Media | October 2014 | |
Massachusetts | |||||
| Marlborough (Boston) | WUTF-DT | 66.4 | Univision Communications (operated by Entravision Communications) |
April 1, 2017 | |
| New Bedford (Providence, Rhode Island) | WLNE-TV | 6.2 | Citadel Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
Michigan | |||||
| Battle Creek–Kalamazoo–Grand Rapids | WOTV | 41.3 | Nexstar Media Group | January 2016 | |
| Bay City–Saginaw–Flint | WBSF | 46.3 | Cunningham Broadcasting (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
January 2015 | |
| Lake City–Cadillac–Traverse City | WMNN-LD | 26.5 | Freelancer Television Broadcasting | early 2016 | Replaced original Grit affiliate WPBN-DT3 |
| Mount Clemens–Detroit | WADL | 38.2 | Adell Broadcasting Corporation | July 15, 2015 | |
Mississippi | |||||
| Jackson | WDBD | 40.3 | Raycom Media | October 2014 | |
Missouri | |||||
| Cape Girardeau–Paducah, KY | KFVS-TV | 12.3 | Raycom Media | October 6, 2014 | |
| Joplin | KODE | 12.2 | Nexstar Media Group | August 25, 2016 | |
| Springfield | KOLR | 10.3 | August 20, 2016 | ||
Montana | |||||
| Billings–Hardin | KHMT | 4.3 | Nexstar Media Group | September 2, 2016 | |
Nebraska | |||||
| Lincoln | KLKN | 8.2 | Citadel Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
New Hampshire | |||||
| Derry (Boston, Massachusetts) | WBIN-TV | 50.3 | Carlisle One Media | December 2014 (Note: WBIN-TV will be ceasing operations, soon…Meanwhile, affiliation is being offered on WUTF-DT4 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in preparation for the eventual shut-down of WBIN-TV…)[22][23] | |
New Jersey | |||||
| Paterson (New York City) | WXTV-DT | 41.4 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
New Mexico | |||||
| Albuquerque | KWBQ | 19.2 | Tamer Media | January 11, 2016 | |
| Roswell | KRWB-TV | 21.2 | |||
New York | |||||
| Buffalo | WKBW-TV | 7.4 | EW Scripps | June 2017 | |
| Utica | WUTR | 20.3 | Mission Broadcasting (operated by Nexstar Media Group) |
September 3, 2016 | |
North Carolina | |||||
| Charlotte | WBTV | 3.3 | Raycom Media | October 8, 2014 | |
| Greenville | WPDU-LD | 45.1 | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Wilmington | WSFX-TV | 26.3 | American Spirit Media (operated by Raycom Media) |
August 18, 2014 | |
North Dakota | |||||
| Fargo/Valley City/Grand Forks | KRDK-TV | 4.6 (38) | Major Market Broadcasting | January 2015 | |
Ohio | |||||
| Cincinnati | WXIX-TV | 19.3 | Raycom Media | July 2015 | |
| Cleveland | WEWS-TV | 5.2 | E. W. Scripps Company | April 14, 2017 | Replaced Cozi TV[24] |
| WUAB | 43.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | ||
| Columbus | WWHO | 53.2 | Manham Media (Operated by Sinclair Broadcasting Group) |
January 1, 2015 | |
| Dayton | WKEF | 22.4 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | January 1, 2015 | December 4, 2015, moved from 22.3. From February 28 to around March 9, 2017, 22.4 carried TBD |
| Toledo | WTOL | 11.3 | Raycom Media | November 18, 2014 | |
Oklahoma | |||||
Pennsylvania | |||||
| Erie | WFXP | 66.3 | Nexstar Media Group | August 28, 2016 | |
| Lancaster–Lebanon–York–Harrisburg | WXBU | 15.1 | Howard Stirk Holdings | December 2014 | |
| Johnstown–Altoona–State College | WJAC-TV | 6.4 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | December 2014 | |
| Wilkes-Barre–Scranton | WBRE-TV | 28.3 | Nexstar Media Group | August 27, 2016 | |
| Pittsburgh | WPCW | 19.3 | CBS | July 1, 2017 | |
Puerto Rico | |||||
| Culebra | W46EO-D | 45.1 | TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. | ||
South Carolina | |||||
| Charleston | WCSC-TV | 5.3 | Raycom Media | December 31, 2015 | |
| Columbia | WIS | 10.2 | |||
| Myrtle Beach | WMBF-TV | 32.3 | August 18, 2014 | ||
Tennessee | |||||
| Knoxville | WTNZ | 43.3 | Raycom Media | August 18, 2014 | |
| Memphis | WMC | 5.3 | December 31, 2015 | ||
| Nashville | WNAB | 58.3 | Sinclair Broadcasting Group | January 1, 2015 | |
Texas | |||||
| Abilene | KRBC-TV | 9.2 | Nexstar Media Group | August 25, 2016 | |
| Alvin (Houston) | KFTH-DT | 67.3 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Amarillo | KCIT | 14.2 | Nexstar Media Group | August 25, 2016 | |
| Austin | KNVA | 54.2 | January 29, 2016[25] | ||
| Irving (Dallas–Fort Worth) | KSTR-DT | 49.3 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Lubbock | KCBD | 11.3 | Raycom Media | ||
| Midland-Odessa | KMID | 2.4 | Nexstar Media Group | September 2016 | |
| San Angelo | KLST | 8.3 | August 25, 2016 | ||
| San Antonio | KWEX-DT | 41.3 | Univision Communications | August 18, 2014 | |
| Wichita Falls | KJTL | 18.3 | Nexstar Media Group | September 1, 2016 | |
Utah | |||||
| Provo (Salt Lake City) | KUCW | 30.3 | Nexstar Media Group | September 2, 2016 | |
Vermont | |||||
| Burlington | WVNY | 22.3 | Nexstar Media Group | August 23, 2016 | |
Virginia | |||||
| Arlington (Washington, D.C.) | WFDC-DT | 14.3 | Univision Communications (operated by Entravision Communications |
August 18, 2014 | |
| Ashland (Richmond) | WUPV | 65.3 | Raycom Media | ||
Washington | |||||
| Yakima | KIMA-TV | 29.3 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | January 2015 | |
| Vancouver (Portland, Oregon) | KPDX | 49.4 | Meredith Corporation | February 2017 | |
West Virginia | |||||
| Moorefield (Harrisonburg, Virginia) | W29DH-D | 29.4 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | January 2015 | |
Wisconsin | |||||
| Green Bay | WACY-TV | 32.2 | E. W. Scripps Company | August 11, 2015 | |
| La Crosse | WLAX | 25.4 | Nexstar Media Group | August 30, 2016 | |
| Madison | WMSN-TV | 47.3 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | December 2014 | |
| Milwaukee | WCGV | 24.3 | December 30, 2014 | ||
References
- ^ Buckman, Adam (July 26, 2016). "Diginets Keep Growing, Despite Auction Cloud". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ^ "Cox, Naar named Grit, Escape Programmers". TVNewsCheck. July 22, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Grit, Escape Diginets To Launch Aug. 18". TVNewsCheck. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c Lafayette, Jon (April 3, 2014). "Exclusive: Bounce TV Exec Plans Two New Channels". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ a b Jessell, Harry A. (October 13, 2015). "OTA The Bedrock of Katz's Growing Diginets". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
- ^ "New Grit and Escape Networks Set For August 18 Launch". August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (September 15, 2015). "Diginets Grit and Escape Sign Up for National Ratings". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (June 3, 2015). "Grit Network Buys Rights to 'Walker'". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ^ Guider, Elizabeth (June 18, 2014). "Classic TV Diginets Make The Old New Again". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Downey, Kevin (June 10, 2014). "Grit, Escape Diginets In Warner Bros. Deal". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "Grit & Escape Add 157 NBCU Movies To Library". TVNewsCheck. June 24, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "Paramount Movies Added to Escape, Grit Networks". Broadcasting & Cable. July 22, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "Grit, Escape Add Sony Pictures Films". TVNewsCheck. September 3, 2014.
- ^ a b Lafayette, Jon (March 20, 2015). "Meredith To Carry Grit, Escape, LAFF Networks". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
- ^ "Raycom To Carry New Escape, Grit Diginets". TVNewsCheck. June 17, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "Escape, Grit Diginets Expand Market Reach". TVNewsCheck. July 17, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 17, 2014). "Cox, Univision & Others to Launch New Networks Escape and Grit in Major Markets". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (October 9, 2014). "Sinclair to Carry New Grit Multicast Network". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
- ^ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katz-broadcasting-announces-major-distribution-agreements-with-media-general-and-tribune-media-300179251.html
- ^ http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/95521/katz-bounce-boost-diginet-distribution
- ^ "Stations for Network - Grit". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
- ^ "WBIN-TV sells broadcasting rights for millions, lays off staff". New Hampshire Union Leader. February 17, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for WUTF-DT
- ^ Dawidziak, Mark (April 14, 2017). "WEWS replaces Cozi TV programming with Grit on 5.2 channel". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ Gary Dinges (November 16, 2015). "Austin viewers get 2 new over-the-air TV networks". Austin American-Statesman.