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MyNetworkTV and Belo Corp. Enter Into Affiliation Agreement for KTTU-TV/Tucson
NEW YORK, DALLAS and TUCSON, Arizona, March 24 --
MyNetworkTV, the new primetime general entertainment television network, and
Belo Corp. (NYSE: BLC) have entered into an affiliation agreement for KTTU-
TV/Tucson (DMA #71). The Tucson clearance increases MyNetworkTV affiliates to
65 stations throughout the country. MyNetworkTV will debut Tuesday,
September 5, 2006.
Regarding the announcement, Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television
Stations, commented, "Belo Corp. is one of the country's strongest station
groups and this affiliation with KTTU establishes a strong link for
MyNetworkTV to viewers and advertisers in Tucson."
"We are excited about extending Belo's relationship with News Corp. in the
Tucson market," said Dunia Shive, Belo's president/Media Operations.
"MyNetworkTV's programming will provide a mix of fresh, new shows on KTTU that
will attract viewers in key target groups. When combined with our current Fox
affiliate, KMSB-TV, this dual-station partnership will strengthen our
advertising revenue opportunities and existing presence in Tucson."
Belo also announced today that KTTU will become the new over-the-air home
in Tucson for the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning with the 2008 season,
providing more top-quality local sports programming and further positioning
the station as a major player in the Tucson television market.
Cleared in more than 55% of the U.S., MyNetworkTV's affiliates include
WWOR/New York (DMA #1), KCOP/Los Angeles (#2), WPWR/Chicago (#3), KRON/San
Francisco (#6), KDFI/Dallas (#7), WDCA/Washington, D.C. (#8), KTXH/Houston
(#10), WDWB/Detroit (#11), WTTA/Tampa (#12), KUTP/Phoenix (#14),
WFTC/Minneapolis (#15), WUAB/Cleveland (#16), WRBW/Orlando (#20), WRBU/St.
Louis (#21), WCWB/Pittsburgh (#22), KPDX/Portland, OR (#23), WUTB/Baltimore
(#24), XUPN/San Diego (#26), WWWB/Charlotte (#27), WRDC/Raleigh (#29),
WUXP/Nashville (#30), KSMO/Kansas City (#31), WCGV/Milwaukee (#33),
WSTR/Cincinnati (#34), WBSC/Greenville (#35), KRRT/San Antonio (#37),
WABM/Birmingham (#40), WTVZ/Norfolk (#42), KASY/Albuquerque (#46),
WUPN/Greensboro (#47), KVWB/Las Vegas (#48), WNYO/Buffalo (#49),
WFTE/Louisville (#50), WNYA/Albany (#55), WFGX/Mobile (#62), WACY/Green Bay-
Appleton (#69), KTTU/Tucson (#71), KFVE/Honolulu (#72), WNYS/Syracuse (#76),
WBGT/Rochester (#79), WDKA/Paducah (#80), KSHV/Shreveport (#81), WISC-
DT/Madison (#85), WMYT/South Bend (#87), WUFX/Jackson (#89), KWKT/Waco-Temple-
Bryan (#94), WBQD/Davenport (#95), WBXH/Baton Rouge (#96), WTSN-WEVV-
DT/Evansville (#100), WMMP/Charleston, SC (#101), WISE-DT/Ft. Wayne (#106),
WHTV/ Lansing, MI (#110), KLPN-KFXK-DT/Tyler-Longview, TX (#111), KAME/Reno
(#112), WAOE/Peoria (#117), WKBT-DT/LaCrosse-Eau Claire (#123), KLAF-KADN-DT/
Lafayette, LA (#124), KTOV/Corpus Christi (#129), WCBI-DT/Columbus-Tupelo-West
Point, MS (#132), KBJR-DT/Duluth-Superior (#137), KPSE/Palm Springs (#153),
NOSA-DT/Odessa-Midland, TX (#159), WJKP/Elmira (#173), WNTZ/Alexandria (#176)
and KKRA/Rapid City (#177).
Targeted to Adults 18-49, the broadcast network will provide broadcasters
with operational flexibility through a seamless flow of original primetime
programming and branded national marketing initiatives that allow stations to
maintain and strengthen their localism. Twelve hours of programming will air
on MyNetworkTV Monday through Saturday.
MyNetworkTV will launch with Twentieth Television's new scripted primetime
drama strips "Desire" and "Secret Obsessions." The hour-long programs will
feature a 65-episode story arc stripped Monday through Friday over the span of
13 weeks. Each Saturday, a re-cap episode highlighting the two programs'
previous week's storylines will air. "Desire" follows two close brothers on
the run from the mafia who both fall in love with, and then passionately
battle for, the same woman. "Secret Obsessions" takes an in-depth look at the
dreams, successes and tragedies found everyday in the fashion industry.
KMSB-TV and KTTU-TV are part of Belo Corp., one of the nation's largest
media companies with a diversified group of market-leading television,
newspaper, cable and interactive media assets. A Fortune 1000 company with
7,700 employees and $1.5 billion in annual revenues, Belo operates in some of
America's most dynamic markets in Texas, the Northwest, the Southwest, Rhode
Island, and the Mid-Atlantic. Belo owns 19 television stations, six of which
are in the 15 largest U.S. broadcast markets. The Company also owns or
operates seven cable news channels and manages one television station through
a local marketing agreement. Belo's daily newspapers are The Dallas Morning
News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) and the
Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, TX). The Company also publishes specialty
publications targeting young adults and the fast-growing Hispanic market,
including Quick and Al Dia in Dallas/Fort Worth, and El D and La Prensa in
Riverside. Belo operates more than 30 Web sites associated with its operating
companies.
The Fox Television Stations group, one of the nation's largest owned-and-
operated network broadcast groups, comprises 35 stations in 26 markets,
covering nearly 45% of U.S. television homes. This includes five duopolies in
the top 10 markets, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Washington
D.C., as well as duopolies in Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.
A leader in the U.S. program production and distribution arena, Twentieth
Television is a unit of Fox Television and headed by Fox Television Stations'
Chairman Roger Ailes while CEO Jack Abernethy oversees day-to-day operations.
Twentieth Television provides a wide array of first-run and off-network
programming, as well as feature film packages, to the syndication and cable
marketplaces. First-run programs distributed by Twentieth Television include
"Geraldo at Large," the news strip hosted by Geraldo Rivera, and the popular
court shows "Divorce Court" and "Judge Alex," the number one new first-run
program of the 2005-06 season. In addition to "Desire" and "Secret
Obsessions," the company is set to launch the new court show "Cristina's
Court," hosted by Cristina Perez, in Fall 2006. Twentieth Television also
oversees the domestic sales of one of the most extensive libraries of off-net
programming in the entertainment industry. Last fall, the company launched
the groundbreaking drama "24," starring Kiefer Sutherland, and The Peabody
Award-winning sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show" in off-net syndication.
Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation, is principally
engaged in the development, production and worldwide distribution of feature
films and television programs, television broadcasting and cable network
programming. The unit's studios, production facilities and film and
television library provide high-quality creative content, and broadcasting and
cable networks provide extensive distribution platforms for the Company's
programs.
SOURCE Belo Corp.
Web Site: http://www.belo.com
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