Antenna TV's Future

[SarahBellum]

Does anything else think there are too many diginets airing sitcoms? Maybe some consolidation will be in order at some point down the road.

[favoriteshow]

Originally Posted by SarahBellum

Does anything else think there are too many diginets airing sitcoms? Maybe some consolidation will be in order at some point down the road.

Aside from Antenna/Rewind, the other channel with limited attention from its parent is Laff. It could be improved with more comedy movies and other types of comedic content besides 4 plus daily showings of a certain sitcom. Or diversify with more sitcoms. Maybe run the black sitcoms they save for Bounce to Laff.

Katz/ION also owns Grit and Grit seems to be a much requested channel and made it to Frndly TV as a result.

With some effort, they could make Laff more requested.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by favoriteshow

feTV has been around for awhile and requires a subscription. It has overlap more to MeTV with the dramas, and only Bewitched/Hazel are noticeably overlapped to Antenna. Note, there might be more shows but as a daytime regular fixture, it is on both channels.

Catchy TV is a rebranding of Decades which had been around for awhile too.

In the end, it is really the ownership direction.

Antenna has centered on Family Ties/Three's Company as anchors to Antenna TV's schedule, but these shows have 24x7 Pluto TV channels. 99% of the country has access to high speed internet and the Pluto app is free. If I am craving the silliness of Three's Company, why would I wait to 7pm to watch Antenna and watch geriatric commercials when I can open the Pluto TV app?

The creation and continuation of Rewind TV has been questionable when they couldn't clear it in all Nexstar markets, or are too unfocused to do so.

I believe it would make sense to consolidate Rewind TV back to Antenna and use that digital space for a NewsNation Plus/Business channel/Scripps News competitor whatever.

It seems anyways the NewsNation brand is their direction, not multiplexing classic tv channels.

Many of us still like watching shows the traditional way on a decent sized TV. I can't stream from my couch or recliner, it is nice that Family Ties gets good slots six days a week on the current schedule. Plus if there are bad storms I shut down my computer to keep it safe, having to rely on internet access then limits options.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by favoriteshow

Aside from Antenna/Rewind, the other channel with limited attention from its parent is Laff. It could be improved with more comedy movies and other types of comedic content besides 4 plus daily showings of a certain sitcom. Or diversify with more sitcoms. Maybe run the black sitcoms they save for Bounce to Laff.

Katz/ION also owns Grit and Grit seems to be a much requested channel and made it to Frndly TV as a result.

With some effort, they could make Laff more requested.

I would gladly give up useless Grit on my cable system to get MeTV, Decades (new name is stupid though), or Cozi which treats Frasier better than Hallmark. LAFF though I would not want to lose, they have been very good to Home Improvement unlike so many other stations that banished it to poor slots.

[treky]

Originally Posted by Merry24

What does the Future hold for Antenna TV?

I thought they were going to be more of a 1950’s & 1960’s & early 1970’s Channel? They have not added any Programming from these decades in years. They haven’t put any of their programming from the 1950’s & 1960’s in their evenings and primetime & overnight time slots in years. Although it is nice to see them holding a Father Knows Best Marathon for Fathers Day and a Bewitched stunt for Halloween.

Has streaming and Catchy TV & Fe TV stopped their mission? There hasn’t been any on air programming suggesting they are a network deticated to the early years of television (like NICK at NITE did in there BEST years), there Schedule effects that unless your watching between 5AM-4pm Weekdays and have also noticed they have cut back on there Special Marathon stunts although they are airing big Three’s Company Weekend Marathon over Labor Day Weekend.

Will this great network be making any major Changes in the Fall 2023? Or will this wonderful loved network keep programming from the 80’s & 90’s in the evenings primetime and overnight and Weekends and stay on autopilot?

I guess I just got to stay tuned!!!!

as long as Antenna TV keeps up crunching the credits I don't give a **** what they do.

[icecream]

TV how it was meant to be with closing credits restored and a lot of former Antenna shows brought back to either Antenna or Rewind. One of their stupidest moves when Rewind launched was also not airing their ace Johnny Carson on that station as well so it would automatically get more coverage. Here is an all-star lineup of current and past shows on both (and future in The John Laroquette Show's case). Yes, some of these shows are currently under contract to rival diginets.

Antenna TV- focusing on 50s, 60s, and 70s shows
Weekdays
5AM Mister Ed
5:30AM Mister Ed
6AM Dennis the Menace
6:30AM Dennis the Menace
7AM Father Knows Best
7:30AM Father Knows Best
8AM My Favorite Martian
8:30AM The Partridge Family
9AM Burns and Allen
9:30AM The Jack Benny Program
10AM Dragnet '67- I would not want a bunch of westerns. But getting rid of dramas totally was a mistake, the three on my weekday schedule are top notch quality.
10:30AM Dragnet '67
11AM Adam-12
11:30AM Adam-12
12PM Alfred Hitchcock Presents
12:30PM Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1PM Hazel
1:30PM Hazel
2PM That Girl
2:30PM That Girl
3PM Green Acres
3:30PM Green Acres
4PM Bachelor Father
4:30PM Bachelor Father
5PM Leave it to Beaver
5:30PM Leave it to Beaver
6PM Welcome Back, Kotter
6:30PM The Patty Duke Show
7PM I Dream of Jeannie
7:30PM I Dream of Jeannie
8PM Bewitched
8:30PM Bewitched
9PM Monday-Thursday Barney Miller Friday The Addams Family
9:30PM Monday-Thursday Barney Miller Friday The Addams Family
10PM Monday-Thursday The Jeffersons Friday The Addams Family
10:30PM The Jeffersons
11PM Monday-Thursday Johnny Carson 90 minute episodes Friday The Jeffersons at 11:00, Barney Miller hour at 11:30
12:30AM Three's Company
1AM Three's Company
1:30AM One Day at a Time
2AM One Day at a Time
2:30AM Alice
3AM Alice
3:30AM Monday-Thursday Johnny Carson encore Friday The Joey Bishop Show 3x

Saturdays
5AM Bewitched
5:30AM Bewitched
6AM I Dream of Jeannie
6:30AM I Dream of Jeannie
7AM Father Knows Best
7:30AM Father Knows Best
8AM Green Acres
8:30AM Green Acres
9AM Mister Ed
9:30AM Mister Ed
10AM Flipper
10:30AM Flipper
11AM The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
11:30AM The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
12PM The Monkees
12:30PM The Monkees
1PM The Partridge Family
1:30PM The Partridge Family
2PM Welcome Back, Kotter
2:30PM Welcome Back, Kotter
3PM One Day at a Time
3:30PM One Day at a Time
4PM Alice
4:30PM Alice
5PM Three's Company
5:30PM Three's Company
6PM The Jeffersons
6:30PM The Jeffersons
7PM Barney Miller
7:30PM Barney Miller
8PM Dragnet '67
8:30PM Dragnet '67
9PM Adam-12
9:30PM Adam-12
10PM Alfred Hitchcock Presents
10:30PM Alfred Hitchcock Presents
11PM Kraft Suspense Theatre
12AM Kraft Suspense Theatre
1AM It Takes a Thief
2AM It Takes a Thief
3AM The Ropers
3:30AM Three's a Crowd
4AM The Paul Lynde Show
4:30AM Lotsa Luck!

Sundays
5AM One Day at a Time
5:30AM One Day at a Time
6AM The Jeffersons
6:30AM The Jeffersons
7AM Barney Miller
7:30AM Barney Miller
8AM Green Acres
8:30AM Green Acres
9AM Mister Ed
9:30AM Flipper
10AM Flipper
10:30AM The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
11AM The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
11:30AM The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
12PM That Girl
12:30PM That Girl
1PM Hazel
1:30PM Hazel
2PM The Patty Duke Show
2:30PM The Patty Duke Show
3PM Leave it to Beaver
3:30PM Leave it to Beaver
4PM Bachelor Father
4:30PM Bachelor Father
5PM Father Knows Best
5:30PM Father Knows Best
6PM Gidget
6:30PM The Flying Nun
7PM The Addams Family
7:30PM The Addams Family
8PM Bewitched
8:30PM Bewitched
9PM I Dream of Jeannie
9:30PM I Dream of Jeannie
10PM My Favorite Martian
10:30PM My Favorite Martian
11PM The Jack Benny Program
11:30PM The Jack Benny Program
12AM The Joey Bishop Show
12:30AM The Joey Bishop Show
1AM Burns and Allen
1:30AM Burns and Allen
2AM Good Morning World
2:30AM My Mother the Car
3AM Three's Company
3:30AM Three's Company
4AM Alice
4:30AM Alice

Rewind all-star schedule coming later

[icecream]

Rewind all-star schedule- focusing on 80s and 90s shows
Weekdays
5AM Dear John
5:30AM Small Wonder
6AM Gimme a Break!
6:30AM Gimme a Break!
7AM Valerie/The Hogan Family
7:30AM Silver Spoons
8AM Growing Pains
8:30AM Growing Pains
9AM Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
9:30AM Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
10AM The John Laroquette Show
10:30AM The John Laroquette Show
11AM Newhart
11:30AM Newhart
12PM Mr. Belvedere
12:30PM Mr. Belvedere
1PM Head of the Class
1:30PM Head of the Class
2PM Diff'rent Strokes
2:30PM Diff'rent Strokes
3PM The Facts of Life
3:30PM The Facts of Life
4PM Family Ties
4:30PM Family Ties
5PM Too Close for Comfort
5:30PM Too Close for Comfort
6PM Benson
6:30PM Benson
7PM Wings
7:30PM Wings
8PM Mad About You
8:30PM Mad About You
9PM WKRP in Cincinnati
9:30PM WKRP in Cincinnati
10PM Johnny Carson 60 minute episodes- five nights a week here as they seem to have a bigger supply of this length
11PM Coach
11:30PM Coach
12AM Murphy Brown
12:30AM Murphy Brown
1AM It's a Living
1:30AM It's a Living
2AM Caroline in the City
2:30AM NewsRadio
3AM Becker
3:30AM Becker
4AM Johnny Carson encore

[Svenfan1234]

Neither of those schedules are happening. Rewind was intended to be sitcoms-only and that’s why Johnny Carson isn’t on there and it’s the biggest draw Antenna has right now so there’s your answer. And now that Antenna (and Rewind) are competing with Catchy Comedy there will be less shows to license and more competition for them. Shows like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie and also likely Barney Miller and The Jeffersons will be almost automatically going to Catchy Comedy once they expire. Disney isn’t letting go of their 20th Fox shows (Small Wonder, WKRP) anytime soon but if they were, it would be to MeTV or Catchy Comedy. The Fox shows haven’t aired since 2019 or around there, and it’s unlikely Antenna will be able to make an agreement for them again. It’s also unlikely they’ll change their schedule for the rest of the year along with Rewind. What they’re doing is working so they won’t change what works.

[icecream]

What they're doing is not working for Rewind since it has very sparse coverage. More affiliates would be interested in Rewind if Antenna's highest rated show also aired there. Antenna TV being the current network would have first crack at an extension for their shows that do well. All of the quartet you mentioned of Bewitched, Jeannie, Barney Miller, and The Jeffersons Antenna won't let go without a fight, especially 2/3 of their primetime schedule. Like you said they won't want to change what works, i.e. getting rid of several shows that have always done well. Catchy Comedy shouldn't be an automatic, Antenna TV isn't going to just hand everything over to them.

[Svenfan1234]

Originally Posted by icecream

What they're doing is not working for Rewind since it has very sparse coverage. More affiliates would be interested in Rewind if Antenna's highest rated show also aired there. Antenna TV being the current network would have first crack at an extension for their shows that do well. All of the quartet you mentioned of Bewitched, Jeannie, Barney Miller, and The Jeffersons Antenna won't let go without a fight, especially 2/3 of their primetime schedule. Like you said they won't want to change what works, i.e. getting rid of several shows that have always done well. Catchy Comedy shouldn't be an automatic, Antenna TV isn't going to just hand everything over to them.

They wouldn’t be handing them over to Catchy Comedy, it would be the distributor’s decision which you don’t understand. They may do well for Antenna, but they have lost the Norman Lear sitcoms which prior to Johnny Carson was their main draw as well and they “handed them over”, as you say, to Get. Antenna does not own those shows, they’re merely licensing for a specific period of time and Me-TV is a much better known network and they have aired those shows all in the past aside from Barney Miller but they did air that one locally so there is precedent. Anyway, it is an automatic for Me-TV and Catchy Comedy since they have much more pull. It’s up to the distributor to make the final call, not Antenna themselves.

[BigManMike]

It’s interesting Maude has lasted the entirety of Antenna’s existence but none of the other Lear shows have. I can definitely see The Jeffersons going back to Catchy once its contract is up with Antenna as it was there before and would pair well with All in the Family, Good Times, and Sanford and Son. Don’t know if One Day at a Time would go to Catchy or not.

[icecream]

I know it is up to the distributor. Yes, MeTV is more known than Antenna (yet Fort Wayne's Comcast seemingly has no intention of ever putting it on ). But Catchy Comedy is MeTV's Rewind, not available like the parent network (hideous name downgrade as well from Decades). MeTV is set with M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show, and Hogan's Heroes permanently taking up spots in prime/access. You would think the distributor would want Barney Miller and The Jeffersons on a widely available network that gives them double episodes in better slots than MeTV would. Happy Days fans are not happy that very long lasting show only gets one episode on MeTV, would take forever to cycle through.

[Svenfan1234]

Originally Posted by icecream

I know it is up to the distributor. Yes, MeTV is more known than Antenna (yet Fort Wayne's Comcast seemingly has no intention of ever putting it on ). But Catchy Comedy is MeTV's Rewind, not available like the parent network (hideous name downgrade as well from Decades). MeTV is set with M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show, and Hogan's Heroes permanently taking up spots in prime/access. You would think the distributor would want Barney Miller and The Jeffersons on a widely available network that gives them double episodes in better slots than MeTV would. Happy Days fans are not happy that very long lasting show only gets one episode on MeTV, would take forever to cycle through.

Catchy Comedy is building in affiliates and is owned by MeTV's company, so there is incentive and Catchy Comedy already got the rights to Good Times, Sanford and Son, All in the Family, and Night Court. MeTV wouldn't have those shows. But it would help build Catchy's brand. This isn't like/dislike or bias, merely facts. At some point those shows are leaving Antenna because Nexstar isn't caring as much about Antenna. Catchy is available in many more markets plus streaming that Rewind doesn't have. It doesn't matter if you don't get it, Antenna isn't going to be able to hold on to those forever and when they inevitably do, Catchy being owned by MeTV will be a lock. Sony and WB went with them in spite of the fact they just started in favor of Antenna and Rewind. Night Court could have gone to Antenna or Rewind, but WB went with Catchy instead which shows that they have more influence right now and I expect more to come.

[icecream]

If I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched do end up leaving, that might not be such a bad thing. Then there would be space to give Bachelor Father and The Jack Benny Program much needed upgrades to afternoon hours. Considering Bachelor Father is not available at all on DVD and there isn't much of Jack Benny, they really could use better treatment. With the Norman Lear shows history, The Jeffersons will probably leave at some point like the others. Barney Miller leaving though, would still be shocking. I doubt distributors hate Antenna that much to take away a bunch of key shows from their lineup. MeTV might have clout, but Catchy Comedy is still nowhere near their affiliate level and never will be. And I watched the livestream for awhile on Decades, but gave up as the livestream is too unreliable coming in. That really isn't a big draw if they can't get a decent signal.

[BigManMike]

I have Catchy on FrndlyTV streaming and my only complaint is the streaming version is a little different from the over the air broadcast version. Some shows can’t be streamed so they have to replace them and others only a limited number of episodes can be streamed. So some binges are completely different shows and others are the same show but only a small number of episodes.