or


[05/01/08 - 04:31 PM]
Ion Television Presents "Positively Entertaining" Program Lineup at 2008 Sales Presentation
"The Dead Zone" and "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" are the latest additions the network's fall lineup.

[via press release from ION]

ION Television Presents "Positively Entertaining" Program Lineup at 2008 Sales Presentation

Positioning for Broad Audiences with General Entertainment Appeal

"Boston Legal," "ER," "The Dead Zone," "Ghost Whisperer" & "Criminal Minds" Coming To ION Primetime

RHI Showcasing 12 Original Movies in New Season

Programming Schedule Expanding to 4 p.m.

"Denny Crane" Makes Surprise Appearance

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- ION Television today solidified its evolution into a popular, general entertainment network aimed at the 25-54 demographic. At its 2008 sales presentation to the advertising community, held at the New York Public Library in New York City, the Upfront highlighted ION Television's exciting, contemporary programming initiatives for the 2008-2009 television season and promised strong partnerships for advertisers in an ever-changing and competitive marketplace.

ION Media Networks, Inc.'s Chairman and CEO Brandon Burgess led the event, along with President of Sales and Marketing Stephen Appel. In addition to detailing upcoming programming plans, the two introduced ION Television's new "positively entertaining" network branding, showcased a powerful new primetime lineup and touted the expansion of the network's programming block to 4 p.m.

The evening's festivities were punctuated with a special guest appearance by "Boston Legal's" very own Denny Crane, TV icon William Shatner, who stars in the hit series premiering on ION Television in September. In addition, Australian singing sensation Delta Goodrem introduced ION Television's new branding with rousing performances of her break-out singles, "In This Life" and "Believe Again." Ms. Goodrem's music will be featured in the launch of the network's new Fall season.

"ION Television's expanded content and positioning can be summarized in two words: 'Positively Entertaining!'," said Mr. Burgess. "The shows we have lined up to deliver on that promise -� 'Boston Legal,' 'ER,' 'The Dead Zone,' 'Ghost Whisperer' and 'Criminal Minds' �- will positively do just that, bringing large and loyal audiences to ION Television in 2008 and 2009."

"Advertisers aiming to build market share and showcase their products need look no further than our new lineup," added Mr. Appel. "ION Television will be recognized for its value, innovation, ratings growth and expansive reach."

This Fall, viewers will see a great new lineup of top shows during the week and on weekends. RHI Entertainment, ION Television's exclusive partner in weekend primetime programming, will deliver 12 original movies, including three Westerns, during the 2008-2009 season. RHI's high-caliber content has brought impressive ratings returns, demonstrating how well the ION platform does with quality programming. The award-winning producer and distributor of groundbreaking miniseries and movies for television will continue to provide original programming, as well as quality library titles.

ION Television's weeknight schedule will feature the most Emmy-nominated program in history, "ER," a long-standing favorite that has earned 22 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, and 117 total Emmy nominations. A winner of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, the medical drama is currently in its 14th season and remains one of the highest-rated dramas on television. The series features an all-star cast honored with four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series.

Also joining ION Television's primetime lineup will be the bold, outrageous and positively entertaining "Boston Legal." Starring Emmy Award-winners James Spader, Candice Bergen and William Shatner, and created by David E. Kelley, the series has regularly been a top-20 program on ABC and draws one of the most affluent audiences in television. The legal drama has won five Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and a Golden Globe.

USA Network's original series, "The Dead Zone," a science fiction/suspense series from Debmar-Mercury, will appear on ION Television's Fall primetime schedule. Based on characters from the best-selling Stephen King novel and movie of the same title, this hit drama stars Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, a man who awakens from a six-year coma to discover that he has psychic abilities. With the help of his former fianc�e (played by Nicole deBoer) and her husband (played by Chris Bruno), Johnny uses his powers to solve crimes and help people in need.

Through a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, the hit sitcom, "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper," will be on the ION Television Fall lineup. In this popular show, comedian Mark Curry plays Mr. Mark Cooper, a single teacher and basketball coach at a high school in Oakland, California. Mr. Cooper's positive outlook and sense of humor enable him to be a hilarious, yet inspiring figure to his students and players and to navigate the romantic complications in his life. The cast also includes Raven-Symon�, Holly Robinson Peete, Nell Carter, Omar Gooding and more.

As previously announced, the beloved comedic drama, "M*A*S*H," will be included in the Fall lineup, along with three series that have recently begun their run on the network, "The Steve Harvey Show," "Family Feud" and "Quantum Leap." In its continuing commitment to present compelling and entertaining programming aimed at the 25-54 demographic, ION Television will add the much-lauded television series, "Criminal Minds" and "Ghost Whisperer," to its programming block in 2009. Both series are showing ratings strength going into their fourth original seasons on CBS.

About ION Media Networks

ION Media Networks, Inc. owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group and ION Television, which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems, and features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of RHI Entertainment, CBS Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros., among others. Using its digital multicasting capability, the Company has launched several digital TV brands, including qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.





  [may 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· BOSTON LEGAL (ABC)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· DEAD ZONE, THE (USA)
· ER (NBC)
· FAMILY FEUD (SYNDICATION)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· STEVE HARVEY SHOW, THE (WB)





[08/05/26 - 12:00 PM]
Untitled "Gilmore Girls" Documentary in Production and Coming to HBO Max
The film marks the first-ever authorized documentary about the series, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of its debut in 2025.

[08/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
Peacock Renews "The Five Star Weekend" for a Second Season
According to preliminary Nielsen data, the series ranked among the Top 5 streaming original series during its first two weeks following its July 9 premiere.

[08/05/26 - 11:01 AM]
CBS Media Ventures Sets September Premieres for New and Returning Hit Series
New productions include "Adam's Law" and "American Mayhem."

[08/05/26 - 10:32 AM]
Video: TNT Reveals Trailer and First Look at Highly Anticipated Limited Series "High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam" Starring Joel Kinnaman
The first two episodes will debut Sunday, September 13 at 9pm ET/PT, followed by episode three on Monday, September 14 at 9pm ET/PT on TNT.

[08/05/26 - 10:11 AM]
Disastrous Home Renovations Get a Second Chance in New HGTV Series "Botched Homes"
General contractor and master craftsman Charlie Kawas will rescue South Florida homeowners from some of the region's most disastrous renovation projects in the new series, premiering Wednesday, September 2.

[08/05/26 - 10:10 AM]
Cherry Jones, Corey Stoll, Rob Delaney, Abbey Lee Join Netflix Series Based on Dan Brown's "The Secret of Secrets"
They join the previously cast Morgan Spector as Robert Langdon and Rebecca Hall as Katherine Solomon.

[08/05/26 - 09:21 AM]
Grammy Award-Nominated Group Katseye Returns to "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" For First-Ever Late-Night Performance on Wednesday, Aug. 12
Group members Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Yoonchae Jeung and Megan Skiendiel will sit down with Fallon to chat about their new music and upcoming tour.

[08/05/26 - 09:01 AM]
Varnell Hill Is Back in the Spotlight: First Look at the Long-Awaited Comedy Series "The Varnell Hill Show," Premiering Globally September 1 on Paramount+
The eight-episode first season will make its global debut on Paramount+ with two episodes on Tuesday, September 1, followed by one new episode every Tuesday through October 13.

[08/05/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After delivering one of the greatest performances in Rose Bowl history, Texas Longhorns legend Vince Young was the NFL's next big thing, and for a while, he was.

[08/05/26 - 08:46 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Scripted Drama "Trauma"
When terrorists seize a busy London Hospital and take the Prime Minister hostage during surgery, former Royal Marines medic turned ER doctor Jim Marchant (Richard Madden) must fight his way through the building to save everyone inside.

[08/05/26 - 08:41 AM]
Investigation Discovery Exposes the Story Behind One of Television's Most Controversial Reality TV Projects in "O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil"
The four-part documentary event premieres on Monday, September 7 and Tuesday, September 8 at 9/8c on ID, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max.

[08/05/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: UK" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix
A new group of UK singles enter the iconic dating pods in search of love - but who will make it out of the pods and down the aisle?

[08/05/26 - 08:05 AM]
Discovery Channel's "Expedition X" Returns for a Haunting New Season on Wed, August 19, Filled with Shocking Mysteries and Supernatural Encounters
Adventurer Josh Gates teams up with scientist Phil Torres and paranormal investigator Heather Amaro to investigate shocking stories where history, myth and the supernatural collide.

[08/05/26 - 08:01 AM]
HBO and BBC to Co-Produce New Drama Series "1536"
A darkly comic and terrifyingly relevant story about friendship, sisterhood, and a changing world, "1536" explores how the actions of a man in power changes the fate of working-class women on the edges of the country.

[08/05/26 - 07:03 AM]
Red Sox-Dodgers Averages 3.8 Million Viewers on NBC & Peacock, Marking First Time "Sunday Night Baseball" Has Topped 3 Million Viewers in Three Straight Games
Boston defeated Los Angeles, 8-4, this past Sunday night with a TAD of 3.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.