ION Television May 2009 --

Blog Story:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/04/ion-television-may-2009-adds-reba-nick.html


Regular schedule changes listed ONLY:

What's new: Reba
What's gone: The Drew Carey Show, ER, and RHI Entertainment

Effective Monday, April 27

Weekdays
4:00PM Quantum Leap (replaces Drew Carey Show 2x)
5:00PM M*A*S*H (replaces Quantum Leap)
5:30PM M*A*S*H (replaces Quantum Leap cont.)
6:00PM Family Feud (replaces M*A*S*H)
6:30PM Family Feud (replaces M*A*S*H)
7:00PM Reba (replaces Family Feud)
7:30PM Reba (replaces Family Feud)

Mondays
8:00PM & 8:30PM Reba (replaces ER)

Wednesdays
8:00PM & 8:30PM Reba (replaces Boston Legal)
9:00-11:00PM Big Screen Movies (replaces Boston Legal 2x)

Fridays
8:00PM & 8:30PM Reba (replaces RHI Entertainment)
9:00-11:00PM Big Screen Movie (replaces RHI Entertainment)


Effective Saturday, May 9
Weekends
7:00-11:00PM Big Screen Movies (replaces RHI Entertainment)



Here is the FULL regular schedule for May:
Mon-Thurs
3:00PM qubo on ION (Wed-Thurs)
4:00PM Quantum Leap
5:00PM M*A*S*H
5:30PM M*A*S*H
6:00PM Family Feud
6:30PM Family Feud
7:00PM Reba
7:30PM Reba
8:00PM Reba 2x (Mon, Wed-Thurs); Boston Legal (Tues)
9:00PM NCIS (Mon); Boston Legal (Tues); Big Screen Movie (Wed-Thurs)
10:00PM NCIS (Mon); Boston Legal (Tues); Big Screen Movie (Wed-Thurs)

Friday
3:00PM qubo on ION
4:00PM Quantum Leap
5:00PM M*A*S*H
5:30PM M*A*S*H
6:00PM Family Feud
6:30PM Family Feud
7:00PM Reba
7:30PM Reba
8:00PM Reba
8:30PM Reba (or start of Movie)
9:00PM-11:00PM Big Screen Movies

Saturday & Sundays
6:00PM-11:00PM M*A*S*H/Big Screen Movies




Movies, Stunts, Marathons




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

* April 30 - 8:30-11p The American President (1995) (Reba airs at 8p)
* May 7 - 9-11pm Lethal Weapon (1987, Premiere) (Reba airs 8-9pm)
* May 14 - 8:30-11p The Hunt for Red October (1990, premiere) (Reba airs at 8p)
* May 21 - 8-11pm Octopussy (1983)
* May 28 - 9-11p Rocky IV (1985) (Reba airs 8-9pm)


Other Big Screen Movie Encores / Premieres: (premieres in bold)
* Wednesday, April 29 - 8:30-11p The American President (1995, premiere) (Reba airs at 8p)
* Friday, May 1 - 9-11pm Rocky IV (1985)
* Wednesday, May 6 - 8-11pm Octopussy (1983)
* Friday, May 8 - 8:30-11pm Lethal Weapon 3 (1992, Premiere)
* Saturday, May 9 - 6:30pm-8:30pm Lethal Weapon (1987) and 8:30pm-11pm Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) (MASH airs at 6p)
* Wednesday, May 13 - 8:30p-11pm Presumed Innocent (1990, Premiere) Reba airs at 8p
* Friday, May 15 - 8:30pm-11p Presumed Innocent (1990) Reba airs at 8p
* Saturday, May 16 - 6:00pm-8:30p and 8:30pm-11pm You've Got Mail (1998)
* Wednesday, May 20 - 9pm-11pm American Outlaws (2001, premiere)
* Friday, May 22 - 8:30p-11pm The Mask (1994, Premiere)
* Saturday, May 23 - 6p-8:30p Rocky IV (1985) and 8:30-11pm Presumed Innocent (1990)
* Wednesday, May 27 - 8:30p-11pm Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) Reba airs at 8
* Friday, May 29 - 7-9pm and 9-11pm American Outlaws (2001)
* Saturday, May 30 - 7-9pm and 9-11pm Angel Eyes (2001, Premiere) (MASH airs 6-7pm)
* Sunday, May 31 - 7-9pm and 9pm-11pm The Fugitive (1993, Premiere) (MASH airs 6-7pm)



- RHI on ION
May programming

Saturday, May 2
(6:00PM 6th Annual Charlotte Jumper Classic)
7:00PM-11:00PM The Last Templar (2009)

Not airing after that!





- M*A*S*H Sunday Marathons
Sundays from 6pm-11pm
(except May 31 is only 6-7pm)




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/2009/04/ion-television-may-2009-adds-reba-nick.html

Reba is a surprise, but since I like the show, I welcome it. I know Drew fans are bummed since ION never aired the entire run of the show, correct? As for RHI, hurrah!!!!! :lol:

Hey Pavan, I think "7:30PM Family Feud (replaces Reba)" for weekdays is a mistake. :)

ION will now have shows I like from 5-8PM with M*A*S*H, Family Feud, and Reba back-to-back. :) Although M*A*SH will now air on three different stations at 5PM: Hallmark, ION, and my NBC station. :lol: Good riddance to the RHI!

A better schedule with the same shows from 5-8 would be Family Feud at 5, Reba at 6, and M*A*S*H at 7. That way the Reba airings wouldn't conflict with Lifetime, and the M*A*S*H airings wouldn't conflict with Hallmark. Although Family Feud would end up against a GSN airing, but that would be Karn not O'Hurley.

This is terrible news. I was all excited thinking ION was actually gonna air a comedy and now I found out they're not. I gave up on ION after they stopped airing the classics a few years ago. I'll come back when they decide to air good shows again.

Reba is an okay show - but, I'd much prefer Drew Carey. This is a low blow to the show, because it never finished its first cycle when it aired before, and won't finish this time, either. It should end somewhere in the middle of season 7 by May, out of seasons.

What a shame - too bad we couldn't see it move to 3pm or something, with ION adding an hour. And, too bad MASH couldn't leave instead.

Seems like every show ION picks up eventually fades in the ratings and get dropped-lol I'm sure the same will happen to REBA

Is Ion still on the air? :lol:

Is Ion still on the air? :lol:



Not in my apartment it ain't-LOL

Not in my apartment it ain't-LOL

With no Drew Carey, it's not in my house, either :lol:

I mostly forget there is a channel called ION....it never crosses my mind to see what is playing....besides infomercials.......ooooooooooo, rimshot! :lol:

I mostly forget there is a channel called ION....it never crosses my mind to see what is playing....besides infomercials.......ooooooooooo, rimshot! :lol:


ION is the "BABY TOE" of my Channel Listings-LOL

It's not even on my foot, Sol! :lol:

I dropped the ION network when they dropped Perfect Strangers!

Reba is an okay show - but, I'd much prefer Drew Carey. This is a low blow to the show, because it never finished its first cycle when it aired before, and won't finish this time, either. It should end somewhere in the middle of season 7 by May, out of seasons.

What a shame - too bad we couldn't see it move to 3pm or something, with ION adding an hour. And, too bad MASH couldn't leave instead.


Ion management is totally clueless. Everything they do it seems is designed to punish any viewer who is actually crazy enough to watch their network for more than a few months. I don't think there is any show that lasts more than 3 or 4 months on that network. Well, they've finally scared this one off for good!!

Ion management is totally clueless. Everything they do it seems is designed to punish any viewer who is actually crazy enough to watch their network for more than a few months. I don't think there is any show that lasts more than 3 or 4 months on that network. Well, they've finally scared this one off for good!!

You're right. It definitely would have been nice to finish out the series this time around. Another month or so was all we needed, and they couldn't have given it that?

If they had followed the pattern of picking up where they left off, like they did with Alice....but nooooooooooo.......

If they had followed the pattern of picking up where they left off, like they did with Alice....but nooooooooooo.......

Sometimes, they just make stupid decisions. When DC was canned before, it was in the middle of season 3. If they had picked it up from there, we would have been in season 9 by now, the last season.

Sometimes, they just make stupid decisions. When DC was canned before, it was in the middle of season 3. If they had picked it up from there, we would have been in season 9 by now, the last season.


That sucks, damm you can accept a cancellation a lot better when you can get all the eps-lol atleast BET did complete the cycle of Diffrent Strokes before yanking it of the schedule

That sucks, damm you can accept a cancellation a lot better when you can get all the eps-lol atleast BET did complete the cycle of Diffrent Strokes before yanking it of the schedule

Yeah, there's always torrents I guess. I haven't seen the last 3 seasons of the show since ABC aired them years ago. it would have been nice to see them again.

Sometimes, they just make stupid decisions. When DC was canned before, it was in the middle of season 3. If they had picked it up from there, we would have been in season 9 by now, the last season.

Didn't they originally stop at like season 5 and restart the show when they did a time period change the first go round?

Didn't they originally stop at like season 5 and restart the show when they did a time period change the first go round?

Yeah, when the show moved from 9pm to 10pm, they started from seaon 1 again. So literally 3 cycles of the show, and none of them will get to the end.

The CW shows Drew Carey at 6pm and 6:30pm as part of their "Easy View" lineup. However, since they are only on the 1997 episodes, I doubt you will be able to see the final season. (That is if The CW drops this lineup they have right now, which I'm betting they will.)

The CW shows Drew Carey at 6pm and 6:30pm as part of their "Easy View" lineup. However, since they are only on the 1997 episodes, I doubt you will be able to see the final season. (That is if The CW drops this lineup they have right now, which I'm betting they will.)

That's what I was saying. No way we'll ever get to where ION will end up stopping.

Any idea on how the DC ratings have been on the CW?

That's what I was saying. No way we'll ever get to where ION will end up stopping.

Any idea on how the DC ratings have been on the CW?
Since Jericho at 7pm is so low, I'm betting Drew Carey is even lower.

Well I hope Reba does well for ION.

No offense to any Reba or ION fans, and I hope they give Reba a full run and don't remove from you fans before its finished like they did to us DC fans.

Drew Carey was the only reason I ever watched this channel but its deleted for good now.

What I can't believe is they still will not increase their schedule. All the way back from the PAX days, to "i" and then ION... its all the same. Infomercials all the time every day. People have been waiting for them to expand their schedule to other dayparts for years now.

Then they come out with statements like this: http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/73626

"ION shares, (OTC: IION) doubled Jan. 9 from $1.50 to $3. The West Palm Beach, Fla. company has market capitalization of more than $205 million. ION reported operating income of $14.4 million on revenues of $56.5 million for the quarter ending Sept. 20."

So we know they have NO intention of ever cutting back on the infomercials. Its just an INFOMERCIAL NETWORK that is disguised as a real broadcast network by putting a few hours of non-infomercial programming on in the evening to keep it from being totally deleted from people's TVs. Well it's deleted for good now in my household.

Until they can significantly expand their broadcast schedule they will remain off my tv. And we all know it will only be expanded if someone else buys it and makes it into a true broadcast network like CBS, NBC, FOX, etc and allows local affiliates to have local programming outside of primetime.

WOW, is this strange. According to ION's schedule, after they finish airing season 5, they're going to start airing the show from the beginning again. This makes no sense - they keep stopping the show after season 5.

Does ION not have rights to air seasons 6-9 of Drew Carey? If so, yanking it from the schedule makes sense, since we'll have seen these episodes in 3 cycles already. Why aren't they airing season 6?

Interesting. Have they ever aired an episode from seasons 6-9 on special occasions? I'll ask ION if they don't have rights to it.

Interesting. Have they ever aired an episode from seasons 6-9 on special occasions? I'll ask ION if they don't have rights to it.

Never. Even for the New Years Eve launch marathon it had last year, it only aired episodes from seasons 2-5. And with ION stopping at season 5 3 times now, it only makes sense that they don't have the rights to the final 4 seasons. That would also make it logical as to why they're taking it off the schedule in May.

But, if they do have rights, their logic would make no sense at all . . .

They definitely don't have the rights for seasons 6-9. Last week they aired "A Very special drew", the last episode of season 5 during the first half hour. The second half hour went back to the pilot episode. No wonder they've never shown the last 100+ episodes. I can safely stop watching Ion now...

BTW Pavan, in your articles about Ion's ratings, you refer to their growth as "extraordinary". Is that your word or theirs? I think most people would agree that Ion's ratings would have to increase many hundreds of percentage points for them just to move beyond the category of "miniscule" for a broadcast network of their size.

That is from an ION press release. Their wording. They have gone up, that is true.

They definitely don't have the rights for seasons 6-9. Last week they aired "A Very special drew", the last episode of season 5 during the first half hour. The second half hour went back to the pilot episode. No wonder they've never shown the last 100+ episodes. I can safely stop watching Ion now...

BTW Pavan, in your articles about Ion's ratings, you refer to their growth as "extraordinary". Is that your word or theirs? I think most people would agree that Ion's ratings would have to increase many hundreds of percentage points for them just to move beyond the category of "miniscule" for a broadcast network of their size.

That's what I was saying. It's very frustration for a fan of the show, because we've been watching since January, hoping to see it finish all 9 seasons. But, that obviously won't happen now. Once Drew is gone in May, I can also say my daily ION viewing will be stopped.

Pavan....does ION still have the Universal, Sony, and WB packages for the shows like they were using in '06-'07....that had Wonder Years, WTB, Designing Women, etc. I'm thinking Quantum Leap is from one? If they have them, any idea when they run out?

If so...do you think they'll ever see the light of day on ION again? The shows in those packages are obviously out of their programming strategy/focus now. So many good shows...such high hopes :( too bad Hallmark or WGN didn't get something like that.

ION Television Inks Deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to Acquire a Slate of "A-List" Feature Films

Movie Package Includes Exclusive Windows for "The Departed" and "Ocean's Thirteen"

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Reinforcing an aggressive commitment to build its primetime schedule with high-profile, event-driven programming, ION Television has acquired a major new feature film package from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) which includes exclusive windows for multiple Oscar winner "The Departed" and acclaimed hit "Ocean's Thirteen." The announcement was made today by Leslie Chesloff, Executive Vice President, Programming, ION Media Networks. The movies will air immediately beginning this month, with broadcast runs as far out as 2010.

This announcement underscores ION Television's continued positioning as a leading network destination for "A-list" feature films. This movie package expands upon ION's current roster of hit films from WBDTD, which will now boast nearly 70 titles. In addition to "The Departed" and "Ocean's Thirteen," the new WBDTD film package features a dozen hit movies, including "Heat," starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and directed by Michael Mann; "The Matrix Reloaded," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss, written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, and produced by Joel Silver; "The Perfect Storm," starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; "Passenger 57," starring Wesley Snipes; and "Assassins," starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore, produced by Joel Silver and directed by Richard Donner; among others.

"We have built a strong momentum in acquiring hit films from all the major studios, with this being the fourth recent acquisition from Warner Bros.," said Chesloff. "This deal reinforces our mission to bring our viewers a prime time programming mix that combines compelling first run and top network series with major theatrical titles, including exclusive windows for features. We are confident that as viewers continue to gravitate toward ION's positively entertaining programming, we will maintain and expand the level of dramatic audience growth that has been a signature of our success since last year's re-launch."

"We are thrilled to continue our close relationship with ION, which has provided a very strong television home for our films," said WBDTD President Ken Werner. "Theatrical motion pictures continue to deliver strong ratings, providing networks with powerful programming options that come with high awareness, built-in audience and the ability to recruit new viewers."

"The Departed" earned four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin. The screenplay is by William Monahan, and the producers are Brad Pitt, Brad Grey and Graham King.

"Ocean's Thirteen" reunites stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison and Shaobo Qin with Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould. Al Pacino joins the cast as Willy Bank, with Ellen Barkin starring as his right-hand woman, Abigail Sponder. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien, produced by Jerry Weintraub, and has grossed over $300 million worldwide to date.

ION primetime ratings (8-11pm) for May sweeps (so far):

Thursday, April 23, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.4/1
8:30PM MASH 0.5/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Deep Blue Sea 0.3/0

Friday, April 24, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.3/1
8:30PM MASH 0.4/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Deep Blue Sea 0.4/1

Saturday, April 25, 2009
8:00PM MASH 0.4/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The Negotiator 0.4/1

Sunday, April 26, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.4/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.5/1
8:30PM Sunday Night Movie: The Negotiator 0.4/1

Monday, April 27, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM NCIS 1.0/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.9/1

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.4/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The American President 0.5/1

Thursday, April 30, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM ION Movie: The American President 0.4/1

Friday, May 1, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Rocky IV 0.3/1

Saturday, May 2, 2009
7:00PM ION Movie: The Last Templar 0.4/1

Sunday, May 3, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.3/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.5/1
8:30PM MASH 0.6/1
9:00PM MASH 0.5/1
9:30PM MASH 0.6/1
10:00PM MASH 0.4/1
10:30PM MASH 0.3/1

Monday, May 4, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.2/0
8:30PM Reba 0.2/0
9:00PM NCIS 0.8/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.6/1

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
8:00PM ION Movie: Octopussy 0.3/0

Thursday, May 7, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM Movie: Lethal Weapon 0.3/0

Friday, May 8, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.2/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM ION Movie: Lethal Weapon 3 0.3/1

Saturday, May 9, 2009
8:30PM ION Movie: Lethal Weapon 3 0.5/1

Sunday, May 10, 2009
7:00PM MASH 0.3/1
7:30PM MASH 0.4/1
8:00PM MASH 0.6/1
8:30PM MASH 0.5/1
9:00PM MASH 0.4/1
9:30PM MASH 0.5/1
10:00PM MASH 0.5/1
10:30PM MASH 0.4/1

Monday, May 11, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/0
8:30PM Reba 0.3/1
9:00PM NCIS 0.9/1
10:00PM NCIS 0.8/1

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
8:00PM Boston Legal 0.2/0
9:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/0
10:00PM Boston Legal 0.3/1

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8:00PM Reba 0.3/1
8:30PM ION Movie: Presumed Innocent 0.3/0

Yeah, NCIS is what's holding this network together. Boston Legal doesn't seem to be doing well, and both Reba and the movies don't seem to be, either.

Don't understand how NCIS does well. Nielsen is so strange (they lean towards certain shows). They need to change the sampling to get a better taste of who is watching what.

MASH is doing pretty decent for an old show on ION. Those Sunday marathons are doing well.

Boston Legal would seem to be a goner by fall, since Criminal Minds is heading to ION.

Boston Legal has fallen in recent weeks. Before it was doing close to NCIS ratings.

Has NCIS improved or has it been doing these ratings all along?

Don't understand how NCIS does well. Nielsen is so strange (they lean towards certain shows). They need to change the sampling to get a better taste of who is watching what.

Couldn't agree more with that. NCIS is 3 or 4 steps above everything else on the network. I bet Boston Legal will either be gone or moved somewhere else once the fall shows premiere daily, though. It's really being overplayed.