Laff (TV network)
| File:LAFF.jpg | |
| Type | Digital multicast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | Nationwide via Over the air digital TV (covering 55% of the U.S.)[1] |
| Founded | January 18, 2015 by Jonathan Katz |
| Owner | Laff Media, LLC |
| Parent | Katz Broadcasting, LLC |
Key people | Jonathan Katz (president/CEO, Katz Broadcasting) |
Launch date | April 15, 2015 |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Affiliates | see list |
Official website | laff |
Laff is an American digital multicast television network that is owned by Laff Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Katz Broadcasting. The network specializes in comedy programming, featuring a mix of feature films and archived sitcoms. Laff is targeted at adults between the ages of 18 and 49 years old.[2]
Originally, Katz sold the network to affiliated TV stations via ad split but by October 2015 had moved to a carriage fees in exchange for the network get the ad inventory due to greater inventory with stations adding a third or fourth subchannel.[3]1 Bounce used direct response advertising as a meter of viewers before switching to Neilsen rating C-3 a few year before 2015.[3]3
History
Laff's launch was announced by Katz Broadcasting in January 2015 as having a scheduled launch date of April 15, 2015, which coincides with Tax Day in the United States, when tax returns are due and, as Broadcasting & Cable writer Jon Lafayette noted in an article on Laff's launch, "people will need something to make them smile."[4]
Katz announced that television stations owned by ABC Owned Television Stations and 13 E. W. Scripps Company would serve as the network's charter affiliates.[5][6] On March 13, 2015, Katz Broadcasting announced an affiliation deal with the Cox Media Group to carry Laff on the subchannels of seven of its stations expanding its initial reach to 47% of the country.[7] The following week on March 20, as part of a multi-network affiliation agreement with Katz, the Meredith Corporation announced that it would carry the network on two of its stations.[8][9]
On February 13, 2015, Laff acquired the syndication rights to five sitcoms.[10] Laff followed that deal with three for film licensing with Walt Disney Studios, Miramax and Sony Pictures Television by March 17.[11]
Programming
Laff's comedy-centered programming consists of a mix of theatrically released feature films, as well as off-network sitcoms.[2] Laff would set itself apart from its multicast competitors by carrying more contemporary programming content, in contrast to the reruns of series from the 1980s and earlier commonly found on other over-the-air networks which rely on acquired content).[5] The network also provide additional content via the network's website and mobile app.[12]
Movies
Laff's program schedule will have access to approximately 250 titles comedic films from the libraries of three film studios by virtue of multi-year program licensing agreements with Walt Disney Studios, Miramax and Sony Pictures Entertainment (distributed by Sony Pictures Television).[13][11]
Television series
In addition to films, much of Laff's programming lineup consists of reruns of situation comedies of over 800 episodes.[11]
Current series
This is a list of shows currently airing on Laff as of May 2, 2016.[14]
- The Bernie Mac Show
- The Drew Carey Show[15]
- Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza
- Ellen[15]
- Empty Nest[15]
- Funniest Pets & People
- Grace Under Fire[15]
- Life's Funniest Moments
- Night Court[15]
- Spin City[15]
- Cybill
- Grounded for Life
E/I
- America's Heartland
- Animal Outtakes
- Eco Company
- Skooled
Future Programming
Affiliates
As of 10 December 2015[update], Laff has current or pending affiliation agreements with television stations in 62 media markets encompassing 21 states (including stations in the top 13 markets), covering 63% of the United States.[16]
Charter affiliates included all 8 ABC Owned Television Stations and 13 13 E. W. Scripps Company stations. [5][6] The two initial deals gave Laff affiliate clearances in 35% of all U.S. markets, and 13 of the 30 largest television markets (including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and Houston).[citation needed] On March 13, 2015, Katz Broadcasting announced an affiliation deal with the Cox Media Group to carry Laff on seven of its stations (including WSB-TV in Atlanta and WFXT in Boston), expanding its initial reach to 47% of the country [7] the following week on March 20, as part of a multi-network affiliation agreement with Katz, the Meredith Corporation announced that it would carry the network on its stations in Portland, Oregon (KPTV) and Hartford (WFSB).[8][17]
List of affiliates
This is the current list of affiliates for Laff as of April 25, 2016.[18]
| City of license/market | Station | Virtual channel[16] |
Primary affiliation | Owner | Date of affiliation[4] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | ||||||
| Birmingham | WVUA[18] | 23.3 | This TV | University of Alabama | TBD | |
| Montgomery | WALE-LD | 17.2 | Justice Network | Woods Communications Corporation |
August 11, 2015 | |
Arizona | ||||||
| Phoenix | KNXV-TV | 15.3 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
| Tucson | KGUN-TV | 9.2 | July 1, 2015 | |||
Arkansas | ||||||
| Fayetteville-Fort Smith | KFLU-LD | 20.4 | Bounce TV | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Little Rock | KQPS-LD | 14.2 | Telemundo | |||
California | ||||||
| Fresno | KFSN-TV | 30.3 | ABC | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015 | |
| Los Angeles | KABC-TV | 7.3 | ||||
| San Diego | KGTV | 10.2 | E. W. Scripps Company | |||
| San Francisco–Oakland –San Jose |
KGO-TV | 7.3 | ABC Owned Television Stations | |||
Colorado | ||||||
| Denver | KMGH-TV | 7.3 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
Connecticut | ||||||
| Hartford–New Haven | WFSB | 3.3 | CBS | Meredith Corporation | April 15, 2015[8] | |
Florida | ||||||
| Fort Myers–Naples | WFTX-TV | 36.3 | Fox | E.W. Scripps Company | September 1, 2015 | |
| Jacksonville | WKBJ-LD | 20.4 | Buzzr TV | DTV America Corporation | February 17, 2016 | |
| Miami–Ft. Lauderdale | WLTV-DT | 23.4 | Univision | Univision Communications | September 1, 2015 | |
| Orlando | WFTV | 9.3 | ABC | Cox Media Group[7] | April 15, 2015 | |
| Sarasota | WSNN-LD | 39.3 | Independent/ All-news |
Citadel Communications | ||
| Tampa–St. Petersburg | WFTS-TV | 28.2 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | ||
| West Palm Beach | WPTV-TV | 5.3 | NBC | |||
Georgia | ||||||
| Atlanta | WSB-TV | 2.3 | ABC | Cox Media Group | April 15, 2015[7] | |
| Augusta | WJEA-LD | 28.1 | Independent | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Savannah | WDID-LP | 26.1 | Regal Media | January 4, 2016 | ||
Idaho | ||||||
| Boise | KIVI-TV | 6.2 | ABC | E.W. Scripps Company | July 1, 2015 | |
| Twin Falls | KSAW-LD | 51.2 | Low-power repeater of KIVI-TV | |||
Illinois | ||||||
| Chicago | WLS-TV | 7.3 | ABC | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015 | |
Indiana | ||||||
| Evansville | WEIN-LD | 40.1 | Independent | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Fort Wayne | WEDX-LD | 29.4 | Grit | |||
| Indianapolis | WRTV | 6.3 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
Iowa | ||||||
| Cedar Rapids | KBBA-LD | 14.2 | Bounce TV | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Des Moines | K28NF-D | 28.2 | ||||
Kansas | ||||||
| Wichita | KGPT-CD | 26.5 | Cozi TV | Great Plains Television Network, LLC | October 26, 2015 | |
Kentucky | ||||||
| Lexington | WTVQ-DT | 36.4 | ABC | Morris Multimedia | March 30, 2016 | |
| Louisville | WKYI-CD | 24.2 | This TV | New Albany Broadcasting Company |
November 5, 2015 | |
Maryland | ||||||
| Baltimore | WMAR-TV | 2.2 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
Massachusetts | ||||||
| Boston | WFXT | 25.3 | Fox | Cox Media Group | April 15, 2015[7] | |
Michigan | ||||||
| Cadillac-Traverse City | WMNN-LD | 26.3 | Independent/ All-news |
Freelancer Television Broadcasting | January 4, 2016 | |
| Detroit | WXYZ-TV | 7.3 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
| Grand Rapids | WOOD-TV[19] | 8.3 | NBC | Media General (sale pending to Nexstar Broadcasting Group) |
December 18, 2015 | |
Minnesota | ||||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | KMBD-LD | 43.3 | Bounce TV | DTV America Corporation | April 2, 2016 | |
Missouri | ||||||
| Kansas City | KSHB-TV | 41.3 | NBC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
| St. Louis | KBGU-LP | 33.4 | Buzzr TV | DTV America Corporation | January 4, 2016 | |
Nebraska | ||||||
| Lincoln | KLKN | 8.4 | ABC | Citadel Communications | April 15, 2015 | |
| Omaha | KMTV-TV | 3.3 | CBS | E.W. Scripps Company | October 26, 2015 | |
Nevada | ||||||
| Las Vegas | KTNV-TV | 13.2 | ABC | E.W. Scripps Company[20] | July 1, 2015 | |
New Mexico | ||||||
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe | KWBQ[19] | 19.3 | The CW | Tamer Media, LLC (operated under an SSA by Media General) |
January 11, 2016 | |
| Roswell | KRWB | 21.3 | ||||
New York | ||||||
| Albany | WXXA-TV[19] | 23.3 | Fox | Shield Media, LLC (operated through SSA by Media General) |
December 25, 2015 | |
| Buffalo | WKBW-TV | 7.2 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 28, 2015[21] | Launch was originally planned for April 15, 2015, but was delayed two weeks due to technical problems with the equipment used to transmit WKBW's subchannels.[22] |
| New York City | WABC-TV | 7.3 | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015[6] | ||
North Carolina | ||||||
| Charlotte | WSOC-TV | 9.2 | ABC | Cox Media Group | April 15, 2015[7] | |
| Greensboro–Winston-Salem– High Point |
WCWG | 20.3 | The CW | Lockwood Broadcast Group | June 1, 2015 | |
| Greenville | WPDU-LD | 45.4 | Grit | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Raleigh–Durham | WTVD | 11.3 | ABC | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015 | |
| Wilmington | WADA-LD | 18.1 | Independent | DTV America Corporation | January 4, 2016 | |
North Dakota | ||||||
| Fargo–Grand Forks | KRDK-TV | 4.8 | Cozi TV | Major Market Broadcasting | April 2015 | |
Ohio | ||||||
| Cincinnati | WCPO-TV | 9.3 | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
| Cleveland | WEWS-TV | 5.3 | ||||
| Dayton | WHIO-TV | 7.3 | CBS | Cox Media Group[7] | ||
| Youngstown | WYFX-LD[19] | 19.3 | Fox | Media General | December 31, 2015 | |
Oklahoma | ||||||
| Oklahoma City | KBZC-LD | 42.2 | Bounce TV | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Tulsa | KJRH-TV | 2.3 | NBC | E. W. Scripps Company | April 15, 2015 | |
Oregon | ||||||
| Portland | KPTV | 12.3 | Fox | Meredith Corporation | October 8, 2015[8] | |
Pennsylvania | ||||||
| Philadelphia | WPVI-TV | 6.3 | ABC | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015 | |
| Pittsburgh | WPXI | 11.3 | NBC | Cox Media Group | June 1, 2015[7] | |
Rhode Island | ||||||
| Providence | WNAC-TV[19] | 64.3 | Fox | Super Towers, Inc. (operated through LMA by Media General) |
February 29, 2016 | |
South Carolina | ||||||
| Charleston | WBSE-LP | 20.1 | Independent | Regal Media | January 4, 2016 | |
Tennessee | ||||||
| Jackson | W20DJ-D | 20.2 | Escape | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Kingsport | WAPK-CD | 36.3 | Me-TV | Glenwood Communications Corporation | April 30, 2016 | |
| Knoxville | WATE-TV[19] | 6.3 | ABC | Media General (sale pending to Nexstar Broadcasting Group) |
January 10, 2016 | |
| Memphis | WQEK-LD | 36.2 | Escape | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Nashville | WTVF | 5.3 | CBS | E.W. Scripps Company[20] | September 20, 2015 | |
Texas | ||||||
| Austin | KNVA[18] | 54.3 | The CW | Vaughan Media, LLC (operated through LMA by Media General) |
February 1, 2016 | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | KUVN-DT | 23.4 | Univision | Univision Communications | August 4, 2015 | |
| Houston | KTRK-TV | 13.3 | ABC | ABC Owned Television Stations | April 15, 2015 | |
| Lubbock | KMYL-LD | 14.2 | MyNetworkTV | Ramar Communications | June 1, 2015 | |
| San Antonio | KNIC-DT | 17.4 | UniMás | Univision Communications | September 1, 2015 | |
| Tyler | KQKT-LD | 21.2 | Escape | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Waco | KZCZ-LD | 34.2 | Bounce TV | |||
Utah | ||||||
| Salt Lake City | KTMW | 20.4 | Telemundo | Serestar Communications | October 7, 2015 | |
Virginia | ||||||
| Norfolk-Hampton Roads | WSKY-TV | 4.3 | Independent | Lockwood Broadcast Group | November 16, 2015 | |
| Richmond | WWBK-LP | 28.1 | Regal Media | TBD | ||
Washington | ||||||
| Seattle | KIRO-TV | 7.3 | CBS | Cox Media Group | April 15, 2015[7] | |
West Virginia | ||||||
| Charleston-Huntington | WTZP-LD | 50.3 | Cozi TV | Eagle Broadcasting Group, Inc. | December 1, 2015 | |
Wisconsin | ||||||
| Green Bay | WGBA-TV | 26.3 | NBC | E.W. Scripps Company[20] | August 11, 2015 | |
| Madison | WZCK-LP | 8.4 | Bounce TV | DTV America Corporation | TBD | |
| Milwaukee | WTMJ-TV | 4.2 | NBC | E.W. Scripps Company[20] | September 28, 2015 | |
References
- ^ Downey, Kevin (May 18, 2015). "Scripps in Multi-Net Deal For Katz Diginets". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
Laff in 64 million households/55%.
- ^ a b Robert Channick (January 19, 2015). "Laff comedy network to launch on WLS-Ch.7 digital subchannel". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. 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.
- ^ a b Jon Lafayette (January 18, 2015). "Exclusive: Comedy Multicast Net Launching on ABC, Scripps". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c Littleton, Cynthia (January 18, 2015). "ABC Sticks with Live Well Digital Channel, Adds Comedy Net". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c Pergament, Alan (January 20, 2015). "Ch.7 to add comedy network called LAFF in mid-April on sub-channel". Talkin' TV. Buffalo News. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jon Lafayette (March 13, 2015). "Cox Gets Joke And Gives Viewers LAFF". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
- ^ a b c d "Meredith To Add Three Katz Diginets". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. March 20, 2015.
- ^ Jon Lafayette (March 20, 2015). "Meredith To Carry Grit, Escape, LAFF Networks". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ "LAFF Comedy Diginet Lands Five Sitcoms". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. February 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c Jon Lafayette (March 17, 2015). "LAFF Makes Rights Deals to Air 250 Movie Comedies". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ David Bloom (January 18, 2015). "LAFF Comedy Broadcast Network To Launch April 15 in 21 Markets". Deadline.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ "LAFF Announces First Film Licensing Agreements". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. March 17, 2015.
- ^ http://www.laff.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LAF-Website-EST-Grid-02-22-16-thru-03-27-16.pdf. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e f "Laff Diginet Rolls Out On Multiple Platforms". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. April 15, 2015.
- ^ a b "Stations for Network - Laff". RabbitEars. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ Jon Lafayette (March 20, 2015). "Meredith To Carry Grit, Escape, LAFF Networks". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ^ a b c http://www.laff.com/find-us/. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Lafayette, Jon (November 16, 2015). "Media General, Tribune to Carry Katz Diginets". Broadcasting & Cablle. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Lafayette, Jon (May 18, 2015). "Scripps Stations to Launch Grit and Escape Networks". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ^ Alan Pergament (April 30, 2015). "LAFF and Escape arrive; DIY's "American Rehab: Buffalo" may arrive soon". The Buffalo News. BH Media Group, LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ^ Alan Pergament (April 17, 2015). "New comedy network premiere delayed; WGR's Capaccio replaces Buscaglia". The Buffalo News. BH Media Group, LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2015.