ION Television April 2009 --

Blog Story:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/03/ion-television-april-2009-nick-at-nite.html


Regular schedule changes listed ONLY:

What's gone: Steve Harvey Show

Effective Monday, March 16

Weekdays
6:00PM & 6:30PM M*A*S*H (replaces Steve Harvey/Family Feud)

Mon-Thurs
7:00PM & 7:30PM Family Feud (replaces ER Mon, Boston Legal Tues-Wed, Movie Thurs)



Here is the FULL regular schedule for April:
Mon-Thurs
3:00PM qubo on ION (Wed-Thurs)
4:00PM The Drew Carey Show
4:30PM The Drew Carey Show
5:00PM Quantum Leap
6:00PM M*A*S*H
6:30PM M*A*S*H
7:00PM Family Feud
7:30PM Family Feud
8:00PM ER (Mon); Boston Legal (Tues-Wed); Big Screen Movie (Thurs)
9:00PM NCIS (Mon); Boston Legal (Tues-Wed); Big Screen Movie (Thurs)
10:00PM NCIS (Mon); Boston Legal (Tues-Wed); Big Screen Movie (Thurs)

Fri-Sun
3:00PM qubo on ION (Fri)
4:00PM The Drew Carey Show (Fri)
4:30PM The Drew Carey Show (Fri)
5:00PM Quantum Leap (Fri)
6:00PM M*A*S*H (Fri-Sun)
6:30PM M*A*S*H (Fri-Sun)
7:00PM-11:00PM Big Screen Movies or RHI Entertainment




Movies, Stunts, Marathons




- Total Theatre Thursday
Thursdays in Primetime It Is Big Screen Blockbuster Movies!

April 2 - 9-11pm Jurassic Park III (2001, premiere!) Boston Legal airs at 8p
April 9 - 8:30-11p Malice (1993, premiere) (MASH airs at 8p)
April 16 - 8:30-11p Keeping The Faith (2000, premiere) (MASH airs at 8p)
April 23 - 9-11p Deep Blue Sea (1999, premiere) (Boston Legal airs at 8p)
April 30 - 8:30-11p The American President (1995) (Reba airs at 8p)

Other Big Screen Movie Encores / Premieres: (premieres in bold)
Saturday, April 4 - 9-11pm Jurassic Park III (2001)
Sunday, April 5 - 9-11pm Jurassic Park III (2001)
Friday, April 10 - 8:30-11p Malice (1993, premiere) (MASH airs at 8p)
Saturday, April 11 - 6pm-8:30pm and 8:30pm-11pm Malice (1993)
Wednesday, April 15 - 6pm-8:30pm You've Got Mail (1998, premiere) and 8:30pm-11p You've Got Mail (1998)
Friday, April 24 - 7-9pm and 9-11pm Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Saturday, April 25 - 8:30-11pm Negotiator, The (1998, premiere) (MASH airs 6pm-8:30pm)
Sunday, April 26 - 6pm-8:30pm and 8:30pm-11pm Negotiator, The (1998)
Wednesday, April 29 - 8:30-11p The American President (1995, premiere) (Reba airs at 8p)



- RHI on ION
Sun-Fri 7-11pm
April Programming:

Friday, April 3
7:00PM-9:00PM Jane Doe: How to Fire Your Boss (2008)
9:00PM-11:00PM Mystery Woman: Wild West Murder (2006)

Saturday, April 4
7:00PM-9:00PM Shapeshifter (1999)
9:00PM-11:00PM preempted

Sunday, April 5
7:00PM-9:00PM Bloodknot (1995)
9:00PM-11:00PM preempted

Friday, April 10
preempted for Malice

Saturday, April 11
preempted for M*A*S*H marathon 6-11pm

Sunday, April 12
7:00PM-11:00PM In The Beginning (2000)

Friday, April 17
preempted for Boston Legal marathon 8-11pm

Saturday, April 18
preempted for MASH from 6pm-11pm

Sunday, April 19
preempted for MASH from 6pm-11pm

Friday, April 24
preempted for Deep Blue Sea (1999) double feature

Saturday, April 25
preempted for MASH from 6pm-8:30pm and The Negotiator (1999) from 8:30-11

Sunday, April 26
preempted for The Negotiator (1998) double feature



Read the blog before you post. It will give much more insight than just the schedule, so please link this if you're posting elsewhere:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/03/ion-television-april-2009-nick-at-nite.html

I've never been a MASH fan, but I did predict Steve Harvey/Family Feud would be gone by April. At least we still get Drew Carey every Monday and Friday.

And I see the movies have been cut down even more a bit - definitely glad to see that.

Kinda surprised MASH has made that big comeback....maybe ION realizes it needs to be more patient. With Steve gone, I guess that African American intiative that ION started over a year ago is kaput? Is ION actually making progress on what seasons of Drew it is showing?

As for the RHI movies, you know the contract must be up soon because they are now recycling all those Hallmark Mystery wheel movies (Jane, McBride, Mystery Woman) plus the Warner movies have a bigger presence on the schedule as well.

Kinda surprised MASH has made that big comeback....maybe ION realizes it needs to be more patient. With Steve gone, I guess that African American intiative that ION started over a year ago is kaput? Is ION actually making progress on what seasons of Drew it is showing?

As for the RHI movies, you know the contract must be up soon because they are now recycling all those Hallmark Mystery wheel movies (Jane, McBride, Mystery Woman) plus the Warner movies have a bigger presence on the schedule as well.

I actually read an article somewhere that TV One requested that ION Media Networks end the African-American initiative agreement, because it was negatively impacting their network. I'll try to find the link to the article.

Too bad we couldn't have seen a show like Who's the Boss? or Wonder Years return instead of MASH. They are doing well with Drew Carey, though. We're getting through all the seasons pretty fast - already in the middle of season 4, and it's all in order.

Will Mama's Family ever return? I wish that it would return to TBS. I love the way they treat their shows.

It good to see M*A*S*H back on the Ion weekday schedule in April

Blog story:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/03/ion-television-april-2009-nick-at-nite.html

Words cannot express how much I ABSOLUTELY HATE MASH!!!!!!!!!! One of the worst shows ever!!!!!!! I'm not really a huge fan of Steve Harvey or Family Feud but anything is better than that crap. I went from being a ION lover to a hater. Bring back the classic comedies!!!!!!

Words cannot express how much I ABSOLUTELY HATE MASH!!!!!!!!!! One of the worst shows ever!!!!!!! I'm not really a huge fan of Steve Harvey or Family Feud but anything is better than that crap. I went from being a ION lover to a hater. Bring back the classic comedies!!!!!!

I can't say I disagree. Too bad another show couldn't have returned to the schedule.

Never liked MASH. I also wish it had been another show. Stinks that they're yanking Steve Harvey and Family Feud too. Ion keeps getting worse all the time

Last minute change...it looks like MASH is coming to weekdays two weeks earlier than planned and Family Feud is staying and back to an hour, too!

Effective Monday, March 16

Weekdays
6:00PM & 6:30PM M*A*S*H (replaces Steve Harvey/Family Feud)

Mon-Thurs
7:00PM & 7:30PM Family Feud (replaces ER Mon, Boston Legal Tues-Wed, Movie Thurs)

I am glad M*A*S*H is coming 2 week's early to ION Schedule

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/03/wgn-america-spring-changes-includes.html

That's good that Family Feud will still be on

Family Fued is a good Game Show so is Wipeout that was like Greed,Supermarket Sweep,Shopping Mall,Pyamid,Bingo and so on.
Major Dad?
Dave's World?
Once and Again?
Clarrisa Explains it All?
Family Tiles?
Growing Plains again?
Picket Fences?

Do they really think that Family Feud is going to out perform ER and Boston Legal? Seems like desperation is setting in.

I was wondering how come I am not seeing Ion High Definition Channel on Cox Cable Line up.

Just a heads up for May...ION Television has picked-up a sitcom for air starting in May! We'll announce what that sitcom is on the blog this week...see the end of today's blog for the little blurb about it:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/04/tv-one-may-2009-says-thats-my-mama.htmlahttp://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/04/tv-one-may-2009-says-thats-my-mama.html

Just a heads up for May...ION Television has picked-up a sitcom for air starting in May! We'll announce what that sitcom is on the blog this week...see the end of today's blog for the little blurb about it:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/04/tv-one-may-2009-says-thats-my-mama.htmlahttp://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/04/tv-one-may-2009-says-thats-my-mama.html

What? No hints? ;)

I wonder what it could be - hopefully this is a replacement for MASH or Family Feud. I'd hate to see Drew Carey or Quantum Leap get replaced.

I'd love for it to be a show like Murphy Brown. That would work pretty well with Boston Legal, too.

ION Television Breaks Network Viewership Records in First Quarter 2009

Primetime HH Viewership is Up 26% and Adults 25-54 Jump 44%

Exhibits Double Digit Growth Across Every Hour in Primetime


Tuesday, April 7, 2009 - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- First quarter 2009 has been a record breaking time for ION Television, with double digit growth in primetime viewership among households as well as in the key adults 25-54 demo. The Network delivered more adults 25-54 than at any other time in its history and ION’s top five most watched episodes ever (HH) all aired during the first three months of this year. ION’s extraordinary growth is a continued reflection of the success of its strategy to build viewership through its acquisitions of critically acclaimed off-network series in primetime.

Primetime delivery for households was up 26%, while adults 25-54 rose 44%, year over year. Also during this time period, viewership for adults 25-54 exhibited double digit growth across every hour in primetime: The 8:00 PM hour was up 20%, the 9:00 PM hour grew 49% and the 10:00 PM hour rose 62%.

ION’s primetime off network series continue to deliver. NCIS and Boston Legal have both grown significantly since their launch in fourth quarter 2008. In fact, NCIS delivered ION’s top five most watched episodes ever (HH), reinforcing the Network’s mission in attracting more viewers than ever. NCIS averaged over one million total viewers in first quarter 2009, up 27% among households and up 31% among adults 25-54. Boston Legal’s first quarter 2009 performance has grown 18% among households and 17% among adults 25-54.

ION’s ratings gains provide the Network with considerable momentum as it prepares its programming schedule for the 2009-10 season and beyond. That schedule will feature 12 originally produced movies a year, the new first run series Durham County, The Border and The Guard and the newly acquired off-network hits Ghost Whisperer and Criminal Minds.

“ION Television has never been better positioned for sustained growth,” said Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President, Programming, ION Media Networks. “ION is building a programming platform that attracts and holds key demographic groups, particularly adults 25-54 in primetime. As we roll out new first-run and off-network programming later this year and into 2010, we fully expect to see our ratings and key demographics continue to rise.”

Source: Nielsen Galaxy Explorer; 1Q09, 4Q08 & 1Q08 Primetime (M-Su 8p-11p); HH & A25-54 Live+SD (000)s; network history defined as 2006 to-date.

Pfft. Nobody cares about NCIS. The important question is how is M*A*S*H doing?

What? No hints? ;)

I wonder what it could be - hopefully this is a replacement for MASH or Family Feud. I'd hate to see Drew Carey or Quantum Leap get replaced.

I'd love for it to be a show like Murphy Brown. That would work pretty well with Boston Legal, too.


I hope it's not a show I like because ION will just take advantage of me again-lol

I hope it's not a show I like because ION will just take advantage of me again-lol

Are you a fan of Reba?

Are you a fan of Reba?


Oh that was the one that was already announced?-lol

Doncha just love the positive spin from the press release? ;)

RHI movies have been dropped for the rest of the month...see first post.

The dropping of RHI altogether must mean they were dragging down ION's overall ratings, doncha think?