FIRST-EVER BROADCAST TV NETWORKS FOR WOMEN & MEN CONTINUE TO EXPAND: UNIVISION TELEVISION GROUP TO CARRY ESCAPE (FOR WOMEN) AND GRIT (FOR MEN) IN WASHINGTON D.C., SAN FRANCISCO AND PHOENIX
COX MEDIA GROUP TO LAUNCH GRIT IN ORLANDO, ESCAPE IN CHARLOTTE, BOTH IN TULSA
KJWP-TV TO CARRY THE TWO NETS IN PHILADELPHIA
CITADEL COMMUNICATIONS TO LAUNCH BOTH IN PROVIDENCE & LINCOLN, NE
Both Networks Now Past 50% of U.S.
ATLANTA (July 17, 2014) – The country’s first-ever female-centric and male-centric over-the-air broadcast television networks – Escape (For Women) and Grit (For Men) – today announced the addition of more markets as they continue to ramp up for launch later this summer:
• Univision Television Group, which owns television stations in major U.S. markets, will launch both networks as a multicast channel in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Phoenix.
• Cox Media Group will carry Grit in Orlando, Escape in Charlotte and both networks in Tulsa.
• Powerful independent station KJWP-TV will carry Escape and Grit in Philadelphia.
• Citadel Communications will launch both networks on its stations in Providence and Lincoln, NE.
The newly-announced distribution drives both Escape and Grit past 50% of the country currently.
“Escape and Grit will provide our local stations ideal companion networks and will allow our Cox Media Group TV stations to better serve our communities in these markets,” commented Jane Williams, Executive Vice President of Television, Cox Media Group. “The leadership team behind both these networks has proven success in the space and we look forward to working with them.”
Univision Television Group previously announced carriage of the two networks on stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Miami. Raycom Media will carry one or both of the networks on their stations in markets including Cleveland/Akron, OH, Charlotte, NC, Cincinnati, OH, West Palm Beach, FL, Birmingham, AL, Memphis, TN, Louisville, KY, Knoxville, TN, Honolulu, HI, Tucson, AZ, Columbia, SC, Huntsville, AL and others.
“The interest in both Escape and Grit is strong and growing and we can firmly say that networks will be available to half the country when they launch – at the least,” Jeffrey Wolf, Chief Distribution Officer for Escape and Grit. “There is a new broadcast television landscape emerging and it resembles the origins of basic cable 35-40 years ago. Distributing demo-specific networks Escape and Grit alongside the successful Bounce TV can help station groups and owners grow and prosper in this new world as consumers combine over-the-air television with over-the-top services.”
Escape will target women 25-54 with a mix of theatrical motion pictures and off-network series anchored in stories of crime and mystery. Action-oriented Grit will reach men 25-54 and be built around the classic male hero archetype with a heavy focus on western, war and action theatrical motion pictures.
Escape and Grit are owned and operated by Katz Broadcasting, a new company established by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. Katz serves as President and CEO of the two new networks while continuing as COO of Bounce TV, the first and fastest-growing broadcast network for African Americans.
The two networks have been actively securing programming, having just recently acquired the television rights to 135 demo-targeted motion pictures in a multi-year licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and 157 motion pictures in a multi-year licensing agreement with NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution, U.S. & Canada.