Hubbry Logo
This TVThis TVMain
Open search
This TV
Community hub
This TV
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
This TV
This TV
This TV
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

This TV (also known as This TV Network and alternately stylized as thisTV) was an American free-to-air television network owned by Allen Media Broadcast Networks, LLC, part of the Allen Media Group division of Entertainment Studios. Originally formed in 2008 as a joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Weigel Broadcasting, the network carried various unscripted series from Entertainment Studios' library. The network previously had a large programming emphasis on films, primarily sourced from the library of former owner MGM, but all films were dropped from the schedule in 2024. Classic television series and children's programming had also aired on the network previously. The network quietly closed and merged into TheGrio on May 31, 2024, with the website eventually being shuttered July 13.

Key Information

The network was available in many media markets via broadcast television stations, primarily on their digital subchannels, and on select cable television providers through carriage of a local affiliate (primarily on digital cable tiers). This TV's programming and business operations were headquartered in Century City, California with the rest of Entertainment Studio's operations; MGM handled advertising sales for the network through offices in New York City.[1]

History

[edit]
Logo from 2008 to 2021 (although the logo was still used in TV idents).

Film and television studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Chicago, Illinois-based television station owner Weigel Broadcasting announced the formation of This TV on July 28, 2008, with a launch planned for that fall.[2][3][4] The "This TV" name was chosen as a branding and marketing avenue for the network and its stations, with slogans such as "This is the Place for Movies", "It Doesn't Get Any Better than This", "This is What You're Watching", "Stay Here for This" and "This is the Channel!" proposed for use in on-air promotions.[1]

This TV formally launched at 9:00 p.m. ET on November 1, 2008, with the 1986 Spike Lee-directed film She's Gotta Have It as the network's first program.[5] However, some initial affiliates may have "soft launched" the network one day earlier – on October 31, 2008 – to carry some Halloween-themed programming that was provided by the network.[5] At launch, in addition to featuring content sourced largely from the MGM film and television library, Canada-based Cookie Jar Group (now WildBrain) provided children's programming for This TV's daily morning schedule until November 2013.[1]

Under Weigel Broadcasting part-ownership, the network's operations were overseen by Neal Sabin, who in his role as Weigel's executive vice president oversaw the national launch of MeTV, a classic television network similar in format to This TV though with an almost exclusive focus on comedic and dramatic series. Jim Marketti, president/CEO of Marketti Creative Group, was hired in August 2008 as This TV's creative director, focusing on the network's marketing and promotion.[6]

On May 13, 2013, Weigel Broadcasting announced that it would be leaving the This TV partnership in order to focus on Movies!, a similar film-oriented multicast network that Weigel launched in partnership with Fox Television Stations in January 2013. Tribune Broadcasting, owners of the classic television multicast network Antenna TV, took over daily operations of This TV on November 1, 2013; concurrently, the network moved its affiliation in Chicago from the fifth digital subchannel of Weigel flagship station WCIU-TV (channel 26) to a newly created third subchannel of Tribune's television flagship WGN-TV (channel 9).[7][8][9] On May 2, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its "KidsClick" children's programming block that would air on This TV starting on July 1, 2017.[10] KidsClick left This TV on July 1, 2018.

On October 28, 2020, Byron Allen's Allen Media Group (which also controls Entertainment Studios) announced that it would be buying This TV and Light TV from MGM.[11] After the transition, This TV launched a permanent high-definition master feed, allowing its affiliates to carry the network in a widescreen format for the first time.

Throughout 2024, many This TV affiliates dropped the network, with coverage sharply declining from 73.6% of the U.S. population in January to 1.42% by July.[12][13] This included affiliates from ABC Owned Television Stations, who gave the network coverage in major cities, and network owner Allen Media Group. Although an exact date is unconfirmed, This TV shuttered on May 31, 2024; its website was blanked and on July 13, it was completely shut down.

Programming

[edit]
Main article: List of programs broadcast by This TV

This TV's program schedule relied primarily on the programs of Entertainment Studios as of 2024, having previously relied on the library of films owned by previous network co-owner MGM and subsidiary United Artists.[14] The use of on-air presenters had once been considered for This TV's movie broadcasts.[1] However, the network did display a digital on-screen graphic during its programs, and affiliates were inclined to include regional descriptors reflecting the station's primary broadcast area or the station's own logo underneath the network bug. The network added three hours of paid programming time in 2021, expanded to 6 hours as of 2024.

Films broadcast on the network featured commercial interruption, and breaks during its programming primarily consist of direct response television advertising, generic national advertising, and public service announcements. The network's first continuity announcer was Milwaukee radio personality Robb Edwards, who was replaced later in the Weigel era by Jim Cummings; Andy Geller, the primary promo voice of ABC through the 2000s, took over when Tribune assumed partial ownership of This TV.

In January 2022, the network underwent a format change: episodes of The Rat Patrol stopped airing, movies began airing starting in the late afternoon, and the morning and early to mid-afternoon timeslots were filled with E/I programming. Four months later, the E/I programming block was shortened and movies began airing at noon precisely.

In January 2024, the network lost access to the MGM library after its acquisition by Amazon and non-renewal of its content agreement, and started airing library content from the AMG library, mainly weather-related reality series from The Weather Channel, including Storm Of Suspicion and Weather Gone Viral.

Movies

[edit]

This TV's daily schedule formerly consisted largely of feature films, which aired on Monday through Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., and Sundays from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m., 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time (sometimes starting earlier or ending later depending on the length of the films). The film roster did not concentrate on films from any specific era (although the network's film slate primarily focused on releases made after 1960), meaning any film from the Great Depression to contemporary times, and films made for either television, home video/DVD or theatrical release would be featured.

The network's film telecasts usually, by far, were "television" cuts meant for broadcast syndication which feature content edits, dubbing or muting of profanities (including some that may otherwise be permissible on broadcast television) and some time edits by removing superfluous plotting or adult scenes toned down to fit within a two-hour timeslot with commercials. Before the transition to an HD master feed, many of the syndicated versions of the network's films were older cuts unoptimized for HD presentation, shown in a pan and scan format more suitable for older fullscreen television sets, along with abrupt cuts for commercials that are ill-suited to a digital television network, rather than a traditional television station.

Films featured on This TV consisted of releases from previous network co-parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and its subsidiaries United Artists (post-1952 films) and The Samuel Goldwyn Company (pre-1997 films), as well as films produced by defunct studios whose libraries were purchased by MGM, including Orion Pictures (post-1981 films and its Orion Classics division), The Cannon Group, Inc. (except for those co-produced with Warner Bros.), American International Pictures, and The Mirisch Company (all of which were acquired by MGM). In addition, the pre-1996 library of films recently held by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment were also featured on the network, alongside various Miramax films (a former subsidiary of Disney) depending on which owner holds the rights to a film. Under Weigel co-ownership, This TV aired The Pink Panther short cartoons to interstitial program surplus airtime when a film concludes more than five minutes before the end of the film's allotted timeslot.

Film blocks

[edit]

This TV also commonly featured themed movie presentations, with the entire day's schedule consisting of films from a particular genre once a week throughout the month (such as Mondays, which feature drama and romance films under the theme "From the Heart" and Wednesdays, which feature action and Western films under the theme "Wednesdays Are Wild"). On certain days, the network would air varying genres of films separated by daypart (for example, crime films during the day and comedies at night). The network also broadcast a featured movie in primetime at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday through Friday nights.

Until October 31, 2013, the weeknight prime movie presentations were typically replayed later in the evening (usually at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, depending on the length of the film that preceded it), which allows viewers which have This TV's primetime pre-empted by a secondary network to watch those films. From the network's launch until October 26, 2013, This TV ran a family film block preceding the network's Saturday morning "Cookie Jar Toons" lineup called "This Family Friendly"; under Tribune part-ownership, this block was discontinued, with a wider variety of films (mostly targeted at an adult audience) filling the block's former Saturday morning slot; however, family-oriented films remain part of the network's schedule, only airing on certain days in random timeslots and depending in part on the titles selected for that month's film slate. During 2014, the network shared select older film titles with sister network Antenna TV (which ran its own movie block until January 2015), with some films airing on both networks at several times during the same day or week.

Classic television series

[edit]

In addition to its film content, the network also carried a modest amount of vintage comedy and drama series from the 1950s to the 1990s, airing in the early morning most days of the week and on weekend evenings. Its core bIock of classic programming was called "TV Night on This," a weekend-only prime time and late night television lineup – comprising multi-episode blocks of two series each night – which launched on January 10, 2016 as an extension of an existing Sunday evening rerun block that maintained a more generalized format dating back to the network's launch; as of September 2016, the lineup consisted of Westerns (The Magnificent Seven and Dead Man's Gun) on Saturdays and police procedurals (In the Heat of the Night[15] and Cagney & Lacey) on Sundays. As of the year 2021, most MGM-owned library TV series have been eliminated from the lineup.

Most of the network's series programming aired during the early morning hours during pre-determined breaks within the network's movie schedule (which consisted of Sea Hunt, Flipper and Mackenzie's Raiders, as of September 2016). After Tribune Broadcasting assumed operations of This TV, three series formerly seen on the network – The Patty Duke Show, Mister Ed and Green Acres – were moved from the network to new sister network Antenna TV.[15]

Children's programming

[edit]
Main articles: Cookie Jar Toons and KidsClick

Under Weigel's co-ownership, This TV featured a daily morning block of children's programs that was handled by Canada-based Cookie Jar Group, then by WildBrain (known as DHX Media at the time) when it purchased Cookie Jar in 2012. It also featured a Weigel-produced program originally produced for its Chicago flagship WCIU-TV, Green Screen Adventures (which now airs exclusively on MeTV outside of the Chicago market). The block's main children's programming was branded under the banner name "This is for Kids", while a separate lineup of Cookie Jar-produced shows that met the Federal Communications Commission's regulations on children's television programming in the United States requirements was branded under the name "Cookie Jar Toons". Children's programs were featured in both blocks included library content from CJE entities DiC Entertainment and Cinar, as well as recent originally produced content by Cookie Jar.

Once Tribune assumed part-ownership of This TV, the network relegated its children's program only to Sunday mornings, coinciding with discontinuance of the network's agreement with Cookie Jar/DHX (effectively ending This is status as the only digital multicast network and one of only two broadcast networks, alongside The CW (which discontinued their children's block Vortexx in favor of the fully E/I-compliant One Magnificent Morning in October 2014), to carry a traditional entertainment-based children's block instead of a strictly educational-based lineup); the former Cookie Jar Toons/This is for Kids block was replaced with a three-hour weekly block of E/I-compliant programs originally distributed for syndication by Bellum Entertainment Group; these were joined by select series from Steve Rotfeld Productions in March 2016.

On May 3, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it would launch KidsClick, a multi-platform children's programming endeavor featuring long-form and short-form animated content from various production studios. Sinclair named This TV as the national carrier of the venture's three-hour morning cartoon block, which introduced on July 1 – coinciding with the launch of a syndicated version that would initially be carried on Sinclair-operated stations in certain markets.[10] On July 1, 2018, This TV discontinued carriage of KidsClick, which was transferred full-time to Sinclair-owned online content-focused network TBD (which began carrying the block on a transitional basis two months prior on May 7).[16] KidsClick would later be discontinued on March 31, 2019.[17]

Affiliates

[edit]

In addition to its carriage on Weigel-owned stations in Chicago (WCIU-TV), Milwaukee (WDJT-TV) and South Bend, Indiana (WCWW-LD) at the network's launch, This TV reached affiliation agreements with several television station groups – including Hearst Television, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Graham Media Group, Fisher Communications, Raycom Media and Belo – to add the network on the subchannels of some of their stations in 2009.[18][19] A May 2010 renewal of its affiliation agreement with Tribune Broadcasting expanded the network to additional stations owned by the company in markets such as KTLA, WPIX, WSFL-TV and KSWB-TV, helping increase This TV's market coverage to 85% of the U.S.[20] and making it the largest subchannel network by population reach percentage (a status that has since been surpassed by former sister network MeTV). A number of NBC affiliates added This TV as a replacement for the now-defunct NBC Weather Plus service, which shut down in November 2008. Additionally, Equity Media Holdings selected This TV as a replacement for the Retro Television Network on some of its stations after the company terminated its relationship with RTN in January 2009 due to a payment dispute; the Equity-owned stations have since been sold, with several disaffiliating from This TV or ceasing operations completely.

Stations that carried This TV had the option to air select programming from the network on their main channels; affiliates also had the option to preempt select This TV programs, running alternate programming in place of certain shows from the network's national schedule (some stations may even switch to scheduled alternate programming while a film is in progress), either via a secondary affiliation deal with another network such as The CW or MyNetworkTV (this is particularly common with This TV affiliates in smaller markets), substitutions by locally produced programming, or in the most common case, moving network programming to the This subchannel to accommodate local sports or breaking news coverage on the main channel.[21]

With Tribune Broadcasting taking over operational responsibilities for the network, This TV became one of the few television networks to move its flagship station; the network moved from WCIU to a digital subchannel of Tribune's Chicago flagship WGN-TV (which until November 1, 2013 was the largest Tribune-owned station by market size not to carry This TV).[7] In Milwaukee, Weigel continued to carry the network on WDJT following Tribune's December 2013 acquisition of the market's Fox affiliate, WITI (which also carries sister network Antenna TV); on March 3, 2015, Weigel moved This to WDJT's sister independent station, WMLW-TV, on its DT3 subchannel; its former channel slot on WDJT was concurrently filled by the Weigel-owned network Heroes & Icons, effectively consolidating the group's main subchannel networks onto WDJT's digital signal while allowing Weigel to fulfill its existing contract for This TV; through the move, the network's cable coverage was affected in the channel exchange with some area cable providers having to sign new agreements to carry the network via WMLW-DT3.[22] In South Bend, its status on WCWW did not change, partly because Tribune does not own a television station in that market, unlike in Chicago and Milwaukee. Weigel transferred This to WYTU-LD3 on January 8, 2018 due to a large-scale channel remapping involving the spectrum auction, finally discontinuing their run of This TV in Milwaukee on September 3, 2018 upon the launch of Start TV (it has since become a subchannel of local independent subchannel outlet WIWN).

In 2014, Tribune began to produce promotional advertisements for This TV that it distributes to its affiliates for broadcast on their main signals (which are modified to allow stations to insert over-the-air and cable channel information) in high-definition television.

A number of former Tribune stations (Tribune had been acquired by Nexstar Media Group on September 19, 2019) dropped This TV towards the end of October 2019 due to a new agreement with Katz Broadcasting to carry a reincarnated version of the court/true crime news network Court TV made before the close of the Nexstar deal.[23] A few markets saw This TV move to a new station, though for the most part, the network temporarilly lost distribution in many major markets, or saw downgrades to low-power television stations with no pay TV coverage.

In April 2021, Allen Media Group announced that the ABC Owned Television Stations had picked up the network as a replacement for Laff in the wake of Ion Television coming under the management of the Katz Broadcasting division of Scripps (which would then move Laff to Ion stations in those markets), restoring much of the major-market coverage loss from 2019. ABC Owned Television Stations would later replace This TV with Charge!, a network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, on April 1, 2024.[24]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

This TV

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
This TV (stylized as thisTV) was an American owned by Byron Allen's , specializing in classic movies and vintage television programming. Launched on November 1, 2008, as a between (MGM) and Co., the network drew primarily from MGM's extensive library of over 4,000 films, alongside syndicated series and content to fill its 24-hour schedule. The network operated as a subchannel service, distributed through agreements with local broadcast stations across the , allowing viewers to access it over-the-air via digital antennas without subscription fees. By 2021, following its acquisition by from in October 2020, This TV had expanded its footprint to reach approximately 86 million households, including a major affiliation deal with eight ABC-owned stations in key markets such as New York, , and . This TV's programming emphasized entertainment, featuring blockbuster films from the 1930s to the , classic sitcoms, dramas, and occasional reality series, positioning it as a nostalgic alternative to mainstream broadcast and cable options. Affiliates typically aired the network on secondary digital subchannels (e.g., .2 or .3), complementing local news and network primetime on primary channels.

History

Launch and Early Development

This TV was established in 2008 as a between (MGM) and , marking one of the early efforts to capitalize on the growing availability of digital subchannels following the U.S. transition to . contributed its vast library of over 4,000 films, spanning classic Hollywood titles and more contemporary works, to form the core of the network's content. , a -based station group, handled distribution, technical operations, and initial affiliations, leveraging its experience in multicast programming to launch the service on its own stations, including WCIU in and WDJT in . The network officially launched on November 1, 2008, preceded by a on October 31 featuring horror films for Halloween. From the outset, This TV emphasized classic films in its 24/7 schedule, airing titles such as and The Calendar Girl Murders, alongside select vintage television series like Mr. Ed and The Outer Limits to fill non-prime hours. As a digital multicast network, it targeted over-the-air viewers via subchannels of local broadcasters, with initial carriage agreements secured in over 30 markets to provide ad-supported entertainment without subscription fees. Headquartered in alongside Weigel Broadcasting's operations, This TV quickly pursued expansion through additional station partnerships. By , the network had achieved broad reach, with affiliates covering approximately 85% of U.S. television households, demonstrating robust early growth in the competitive diginet landscape. This expansion solidified its identity as a movie-centric service accessible to a wide via standard antennas.

Ownership Transitions

In 2013, Tribune Broadcasting acquired Weigel Broadcasting's 50 percent ownership stake in This TV, assuming operational control of the digital multicast network while Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) retained its equal partnership interest. This transition integrated This TV into Tribune's growing portfolio of subchannel networks, such as Antenna TV, and ensured continued carriage on key Tribune stations including WPIX in New York and KTLA in Los Angeles. The change allowed Tribune to leverage its broadcast infrastructure for enhanced distribution and programming oversight, building on the original MGM-Weigel collaboration established at the network's 2008 launch. Under Tribune's management from 2013 to 2019, This TV maintained its core reliance on MGM's extensive film library for the majority of its schedule, featuring classic movies as the network's primary draw. This period saw stable operations focused on movie-centric content, with MGM's affiliation agreement preserved to support clearances on Tribune's stations across major markets. The partnership emphasized cost-effective programming to fill subchannel bandwidth, contributing to the network's reach of over 80 million households by the late . The ownership landscape shifted again in late 2019 following Nexstar Media Group's $6.4 billion acquisition of , after which numerous former stations discontinued carriage of This TV in October, reducing its footprint and prompting to assume full operational and ownership control of the network. This divestiture aligned with Nexstar's strategy to optimize subchannel usage amid post-merger integrations, leaving solely responsible for content and distribution decisions. In October 2020, Byron Allen's acquired This TV from as part of a broader expansion into broadcast networks, adding the service—along with MGM's Light TV—to its portfolio of over-the-air and digital properties. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, positioned This TV within Allen Media's diverse holdings, which include local stations and other channels, to capitalize on synergies in content distribution and advertising sales. Under Allen's stewardship, the network pursued carriage expansions, such as affiliations with ABC-owned station subchannels in eight major markets starting in April 2021, reaching an estimated 86 million households. These efforts reflected Allen Media's operational focus on growth through strategic affiliations, alongside company-wide cost-management initiatives like centralized production hubs implemented across its broader assets to enhance efficiency and stability.

Programming Shifts and Decline

Following the acquisition of This TV by in October 2020, the network underwent significant programming adjustments as its core reliance on MGM's film library diminished after the loss of licensing rights in early 2022. With fewer classic movies available, the schedule increasingly incorporated reality series from Allen Media's in-house production slate, such as reruns of low-budget talk and court shows, alongside blocks of infomercials and paid programming to fill airtime. This diversification marked a departure from the network's original movie-centric format, aiming to leverage Allen's existing content assets amid rising distribution costs. Between 2021 and 2023, This TV introduced additional non-movie blocks featuring classic sitcoms like archived episodes from Entertainment Studios libraries, supplemented by limited original content such as short-form comedy sketches and lifestyle segments. These changes were intended to broaden appeal and reduce dependence on expensive film licensing, but they coincided with broader industry challenges. Viewer ratings for the network declined notably, reflecting the cumulative effects of cord-cutting and intensified competition from streaming services that offered on-demand access to similar classic content. In an effort to stem the erosion, This TV experimented with temporary programming expansions. However, these initiatives failed to reverse the downward trends, as audience fragmentation and the shift toward ad-supported streaming platforms continued to undermine linear viability. By early 2024, affiliate carriage had contracted sharply, exacerbating the network's reduced reach and underscoring the challenges faced by traditional diginets in a streaming-dominated .

Shutdown and Dissolution

This TV ceased broadcasts on May 31, 2024, following the expiration of carriage agreements with eight ABC-owned stations in major markets such as New York, , and , which sharply reduced the network's distribution footprint and rendered it financially unviable amid declining linear television viewership and broader industry challenges. This closure capped a period of programming shifts and affiliate losses that had already eroded the network's reach earlier in the year. The cessation impacted the network's remaining affiliates, whose subchannels largely reverted to local programming, infomercials, or alternative multicast services such as Toons or . The shutdown marked the end of This TV's 16-year run as a film and television network, with no transitional programming aired during the final days. The network's website was taken offline shortly after the shutdown, and proceeded with the liquidation of remaining rights to the film library that had formed the core of This TV's original content slate. The shutdown resulted in layoffs for network staff, consistent with broader cost-cutting measures across , which eliminated hundreds of positions company-wide to streamline operations.

Programming

Movies and Film Programming

This TV's programming was anchored by an extensive selection of feature films sourced primarily from the (MGM) library, which included over 4,000 titles spanning genres such as drama, comedy, , horror, musicals, and westerns from through the . The library encompassed films from MGM's core catalog as well as acquired collections like , , Cannon Films, , and , enabling a diverse mix of Depression-era classics, vehicles, Beach Blanket Bingo-style comedies, and over 115 horror titles. This film-centric approach defined the network's identity from its launch, with movies comprising the majority of its 24/7 ad-supported schedule to appeal to audiences seeking nostalgic entertainment. Scheduling emphasized immersive film viewing through dedicated blocks, including nightly prime-time slots from 7 to 11 PM ET and extended weekend marathons that ran for up to 48 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. These segments featured high-rotation classics aired with commercial interruptions, highlighting thematic focuses like holiday specials, genre tributes, and star retrospectives to foster viewer engagement. For instance, launch programming included contemporary MGM titles such as Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It (1986) and the thriller The Calendar Girl Murders (1987), alongside vintage offerings to blend eras. All programming on This TV, including films, ended with the network's shutdown on May 31, 2024.

Classic Television Series

This TV's classic television series programming primarily featured syndicated reruns of sitcoms and dramas from the through the , drawn from libraries of major studios and syndicators such as Warner Bros. Television and Paramount Domestic Television. These shows served as the network's episodic content backbone, offering viewers nostalgic fare outside of its dominant movie lineup. Key examples included the gothic sitcom (1964–1966), produced by and distributed by Warner Bros., which aired in weekend blocks. Dramas like (1982–1988), an MGM Television production, and In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995), also from MGM, highlighted strong female leads and small-town policing themes, respectively. Additional sitcoms such as (1965–1971), (1963–1966), and (1961–1966) rounded out the selection, emphasizing rural humor and family dynamics. Action-adventure series like (1989–1992) and underwater drama (1958–1961) added variety to the mix. The series were typically scheduled in off-peak slots, with a core "TV Night on This" block dedicated to multi-episode marathons on weekends during prime time and late night. Weekday airings were more limited, often featuring single episodes of shows like Highway Patrol (1955–1959) in early morning or overnight hours, totaling around 12 hours of classic TV daily on the national feed. Affiliates could opt out of the feed and insert local programming, resulting in variable coverage across markets. Some episodes aired uncut, preserving original runtimes (e.g., Sea Hunt at 26 minutes), while others were edited for syndication (e.g., Green Acres at 22 minutes). This approach prioritized accessible, family-friendly classics that appealed to older demographics, integrating seamlessly with the network's film-focused identity without overlapping into children's or contemporary content. All programming on This TV, including classic series, ended with the network's shutdown on May 31, 2024.

Children's Programming

This TV introduced a dedicated children's programming block in to fulfill the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) educational/interactive (E/I) requirements for broadcast stations, airing Saturdays from 7 to 10 a.m. ET. The block was designed to provide affiliates with compliant content, focusing on educational themes while aligning with the network's overall emphasis on classic movies and series. Key programs in the lineup included educational episodes of the teen sitcom (1989–1993), which addressed topics like social issues and personal growth, and public domain cartoons such as , featuring classic animation with moral lessons. These selections targeted children aged 7 to 14, emphasizing values like , , and through short-form narratives suitable for young viewers. The limited three-hour weekly duration allowed This TV to prioritize its core film and classic TV offerings without expanding into full-time kids' scheduling. The block evolved over time to include additional animated series such as The Adventures of (1993–1994). All programming on This TV, including the children's block, ended with the network's shutdown on May 31, 2024.

Affiliates and Distribution

Major Affiliate Groups

This TV's distribution relied heavily on digital subchannels of local broadcast stations, with major affiliate groups playing a central role in its reach. The network's primary partners included , , and Gray Television. These groups provided much of This TV's over-the-air footprint, enabling the network to target mid-sized and large markets through existing infrastructure. Partnerships with these affiliates typically followed a revenue-sharing model common to digital multicast networks, where stations shared in national advertising sales generated by the subchannel, while This TV managed all programming, scheduling, and national sales efforts. This structure minimized costs for affiliates, who contributed bandwidth on their digital multiplex without additional programming responsibilities, fostering growth in non-primetime slots. Notable examples among these affiliations included WBBM-DT2 in (owned by ), KTTV-DT3 in (Fox Television Stations), and WXMI-DT2 in Grand Rapids (Tribune Broadcasting, later integrated into similar group models). In 2021, This TV expanded through a major affiliation deal with ABC Owned Television Stations, adding eight stations in key markets including New York, , and , boosting its reach to approximately 86 million households. In urban centers, This TV maintained a presence in New York on WNYW-DT2 until 2022, when it shifted to other programming. Overall, these affiliations contributed to This TV's coverage of approximately 86 million households as of 2021.

Coverage and Carriage Agreements

This TV attained its maximum national footprint in 2021, reaching approximately 86 million households via over-the-air, cable, and online platforms. This extensive distribution leveraged the growing availability of digital multicast capacity following the DTV transition, allowing the network to penetrate a broad array of markets without relying on primary channels. Carriage agreements for This TV followed standard practices for digital multicast networks, structured as non-exclusive deals with local broadcasters that provided subchannel space in exchange for minimal reverse compensation fees paid to affiliates. These arrangements emphasized low-cost affiliation, with renewals occurring annually through 2023 to accommodate shifting station priorities and content strategies. Such contracts enabled wide deployment while keeping operational costs down for both the network and its partners, though they offered limited financial incentives compared to primary network affiliations. The network's coverage experienced a marked decline beginning in early 2024, falling to 73.6% of U.S. households by January amid affiliate defections, before plummeting to just 1.42% by July after its operational shutdown on May 31. This rapid contraction reflected broader challenges in the sector, including reduced advertiser support and competition from streaming services. Technically, This TV transmitted in standard definition format on most subchannels to optimize bandwidth in digital environments. However, starting in 2015, select affiliates in top-20 markets introduced high-definition upgrades, enhancing viewer experience in major urban areas while maintaining SD compatibility elsewhere.

Legacy and Impact

Cultural and Industry Influence

This TV contributed significantly to the revival of classic films by providing widespread access to pre-1980s Hollywood cinema, primarily drawn from the library, through its digital multicast format. As the leading movie-oriented diginet, the network reached over 85% of the U.S. television market, exposing millions of viewers to and older titles that might otherwise have limited exposure in the modern streaming era. This accessibility helped foster greater public awareness and appreciation for classic media, bridging generational gaps by introducing younger audiences to foundational works of American history via free over-the-air broadcasting. In the industry landscape, This TV pioneered the ad-supported multicast model for niche content delivery, launching in 2008 as one of the earliest national diginets focused on films and demonstrating profitability through on subchannels. It influenced the expansion of similar networks like by validating the use of digital subchannels for retro programming, which encouraged broadcasters to utilize unused spectrum capacity. This growth aligned with FCC policies promoting usage following the 2009 digital transition, helping shape regulations that supported subchannel development and diversified local station offerings. The network received recognition for its branding efforts, including a 2012 nomination for PromaxBDA awards in promotion and design, highlighting its innovative approach to identity. Additionally, This TV was featured in 2015 Nielsen reports analyzing the surge in niche viewership, underscoring its role in the burgeoning diginet sector.

Replacement by Successor Networks

Following the closure of This TV on May 31, 2024, pivoted many of its subchannel slots to , its Black-focused television network, as the primary successor. However, ceased linear TV operations on January 1, 2025. Not all transitions followed this pattern; on ABC-owned stations, This TV slots were replaced by Charge!, an action-oriented network emphasizing crime dramas and thrillers, effective April 1, 2024. Approximately 10 Gray Television stations also replaced This TV with Charge!, aligning with local market preferences for genre-specific content. Following TheGrio's shutdown, several former slots shifted to other programming, such as Sinclair's TBD network on affiliates in major markets, effective January 15, 2025. These varied replacements reflected the fragmented nature of decisions post-shutdown. The strategic rationale behind Allen Media's decisions centered on a broader shift toward niche, demographically targeted programming amid declining linear TV viewership. This move was part of Allen Media's ongoing portfolio optimization, including layoffs, the 2025 shutdown of , and the August 2025 sale of 10 television stations to Gray Media for $171 million to reduce debt and prioritize high-engagement assets over general classic TV syndication. The remainder of This TV's audience dispersed to alternative options, including free ad-supported streaming services like for classic films and series, underscoring the accelerating shift from over-the-air subchannels to on-demand platforms.

References

  1. https://www.nexttv.com/news/weigel-mgm-hope-things-hit-85323
  2. https://tvnewscheck.com/uncategorized/article/weigel-mgm-hope-this-things-a-hit/
  3. https://deadline.com/2020/10/allen-media-group-buys-two-networks-mgm-1234605235/
  4. https://deadline.com/2021/04/this-tv-expands-abc-owned-stations-deal-byron-allen-1234728196/
  5. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/87469/mgm-launches-this-tv-channel-strong-on-kids-show.html
  6. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/06/29/neal-sabin-the-programming-mastermind-behind-me-tv/
  7. https://variety.com/2010/scene/markets-festivals/mgm-keeps-tv-lights-on-1118019836/
  8. https://www.tdogmedia.com/2013/05/tribune-to-take-over-this-tv.html
  9. https://www.nexttv.com/news/tribune-replaces-weigel-partner-tv-44044
  10. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tribune-broadcasting-forges-new-relationship-with-mgm-television-to-oversee-all-programming-operations-for-digital-network-this-tv-207180481.html
  11. https://www.tribunemedia.com/tribune-broadcasting-forges-new-relationship-with-mgm-television-to-oversee-all-programming-operations-for-digital-network-this-tv/
  12. https://www.tdogmedia.com/2022/03/the-media-notepad-maury-to-end-after-31-seasons.html
  13. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/01/03/once-again-in-2023-many-cable-networks-had-a-decline-in-audience/
  14. https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/cord-cutting-statistics
  15. https://www.tdogmedia.com/2024/04/sinclairs-charge-shifts-to-wls-tv-under-new-abc-owned-station-deal.html
  16. https://thedesk.net/2025/01/allen-media-laying-off-tv-forecasters/
  17. https://deadline.com/feature/hollywood-media-layoffs-list-1236007845/
  18. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32632106
  19. https://www.tvobscurities.com/2013/05/classic-tv-on-tv-this-tv/
  20. https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-educational-television
  21. https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/weigel-mgm-hope-things-hit/85323
  22. https://tvnewscheck.com/programming/article/allen-media-groups-this-tv-adds-abc-oos/
  23. https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2019/nielsen-estimates-120-6-million-tv-homes-in-the-u-s-for-the-2019-202-tv-season/
  24. https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/diginets-come-of-age
  25. https://www.rabbitears.info/search.php?request=network_search&network=This%2BTV
  26. https://www.nexttv.com/news/honoring-tvs-new-pioneers-375301
  27. https://www.nexttv.com/news/diginets-bloom-mega-businesses-169869
  28. https://www.tdogmedia.com/2024/06/the-media-notepad-nbc-sports-philadelphia-to-continue-despite-nbc-sports-chicago-closing.html
  29. https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/the-grio-tv-shut-down.774613/
  30. https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/tbd-to-go-on-5-4-on-january-15-replacing-the-grio.774397/
  31. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/byron-allen-allen-media-group-174727280.html
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.