ION Television Announces Plans to Produce 12 Original Movies a Year as Expansion of Primetime Line-Up Continues
Original Films to Offer Integrated Marketing Ops For Advertisers
West Palm Beach - March 25, 2009 - Underscoring its commitment to build its primetime programming schedule, ION Television announced plans to develop and produce 12 original films a year, with the first film set to premiere in fourth quarter 2009. The announcement was made today by Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President Programming, ION Media Networks.
ION Television plans to commission originally produced films and offer integrated marketing opportunities to advertisers who seek an alternative and expanded way to reach the consumer. Genres being explored include drama, romance, thriller, action and holiday -- all of which will be created to appeal to the broad based general entertainment audience that ION Television continues to attract. These films will complement the Network's growing library of blockbuster and critically acclaimed films from the major movie studios.
The announcement reinforces ION Television's strategy of expanding its programming mix through a strong combination of quality major network TV series, as well as signature originals produced specifically for ION Television. These films will join a line-up that includes the previously announced off network series "Ghost Whisperer" and "Criminal Minds" and the new original acquired series "Durham County," "The Guard" and "The Border". New programming will begin roll out on ION Television starting this fall.
"ION is committed to a programming strategy that operates simultaneously on two tracks," said Chesloff. "First, as is indicated by the development of these films, we are fast-tracking the production of our own original content. Second, as our success with Boston Legal and NCIS proves, there is an audience for top rated off-network series. We are in the market for hit comedies and dramas and we will continue to add to our schedule as they become available. The announcement of these 12 movies is only the first step as we continue to expand our original production schedule."
About ION Television
ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television 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. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands 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.
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