This TV

[The King Bee]

So far, I'm impressed with THIS TV (shown here in Louisville on WAVE-DT2, Ch. 47-2).
As I understand, they are owned by and draw programming from the MGM/UA family of programming brands...MGM, United Artists Pictures, MGM/UA, American Intermational Pictures and several associated international producers distributed by them; and certain ZIV Television, MGM-TV, UA-TV and Filmways TV titles.

 

[The King Bee]

Have I missed any programming sources in that first post about THIS TV? As I view the channel, I notice the programs produced by Cincinnati's ZIV Television, which was bought by United Artists in 1959 and co-branded as ZIV-UA Television until changed to UA-TV in 1962.

The shows are classic examples of mid and late '50s to early '60s made-for-syndication TV, particularly "Highway Patrol," which strikes me now as a middle-aged viewer as owing a very heavy debt to one of my favorite TV shows and producers, "Dragnet" and Jack Webb...right down to employing several of Webb's stock players in the episodes I've caught, and VO narration by an Art Gilmore sound-alike announcer on some episodes.

One suggestion to THIS TV programmers...rotate some of the later MGM/UA Televison titles (e.g. "Cagney and Lacey," "CHiPs") into the schedule. I always thought "Mr. ED" was a waste of good film stock and electricity, and you could see Filmways' corner-cutting ways on the air! In fairness, though, the primary actors (Alan Young, Connie Hines, Edna Skinner et al) occasionally got off sone funny lines considering the ridiculous plots. I guess it was that damn horse I didn't care for!

 

[Robnoxious]

This-TV has the rights to MGM property that wasn't gobbled up by Ted Turner (in turn, Time/Warner) years ago. In other words, This' library is made up from the cast offs (read: crap) Ted didn't want. That's not to say there aren't a few treasure nuggets in there but you have to weed through a lot of cow patties before you unearth a truffle.

I like This-TV because some of those truly awful movies are campy and have future stars that forever wished those performances weren't part of their resume. It serves a purpose and as I've said before, the channel has ZERO infomercials (any infotastic programming you might see on This-TV is plugged in at your station's local level per their decision).

 

[landtuna]

This-TV has the rights to MGM property that wasn't gobbled up by Ted Turner (in turn, Time/Warner) years ago. In other words, This' library is made up from the cast offs (read: crap) Ted didn't want. That's not to say there aren't a few treasure nuggets in there but you have to weed through a lot of cow patties before you unearth a truffle.

Amen!

 

[Iowan]

I just discovered something. On most nights (Monday thru Friday), This TV airs a movie at 7 P.M., then repeats the exact same movie at 9 P.M. The only difference is that the THIS logo is missing in the initial 7 P.M. broadcast, but appears during the 9 P.M. repeat. Why do they do that?

Also (just out of curiousity), if all children's programming is a part of Cookie Jar Toons on This TV, why use that branding only on Saturday morning cartoons and not on the weekday programming or on Sunday?

 

[ionosphere]

I like ThisTV (mainly for reruns of The Outer Limits), but I REALLY like RTV. If you don't have that in your market, it's a shame.

 

[dave73]

I just discovered something. On most nights (Monday thru Friday), This TV airs a movie at 7 P.M., then repeats the exact same movie at 9 P.M. The only difference is that the THIS logo is missing in the initial 7 P.M. broadcast, but appears during the 9 P.M. repeat. Why do they do that?

Whenever I watch This TV on WCIU 26.4, the logo is always displayed. I don't know if this is at your local station's end or not. I know at least in Chicago, "This" is always being displayed during a show or movie. The only time the logo disappears is during commercial breaks. When the logo shows, it shows This & Chicago underneath This. When I once picked up WKOW Madison Wisconsin from Gary Indiana, it had This & WKOW 27 Madison underneath This. I don't know if nationally that the This logo is the only part displayed, or displayed by each station locally. All I know is Weigel Broadcasting (owners of WCIU in Chicago & WDJT & WBME in Milwaukee) has a stake in the channel, but don't know if This TV is run from the WCIU studios or somewhere else.

I like ThisTV (mainly for reruns of The Outer Limits), but I REALLY like RTV. If you don't have that in your market, it's a shame.

RTV won't come to Chicago due to Weigel Broadcasting owning practically all the Chicago rights to many of the shows that RTV shows on their channel. Weigel has MeTV & MeToo that they don't want to affiliate with RTV.

 

[anotherguyTN]

This TV is on Charter Cable in Jackson, TN as part of WMC in Memphis's subchannels. I wish they would show the Outer Limits during the day at some time rather than late night/extremely early morning. I'd also like to see them go more of the RTV route and have more classic TV shows and less movies.

Perhaps the This logo is missing on the first run because of being syndicated to local stations.

 

[dave73]

This TV is on Charter Cable in Jackson, TN as part of WMC in Memphis's subchannels. I wish they would show the Outer Limits during the day at some time rather than late night/extremely early morning. I'd also like to see them go more of the RTV route and have more classic TV shows and less movies.

Perhaps the This logo is missing on the first run because of being syndicated to local stations.

That's fine if This TV went that route, & be able to have market to market rights to certain TV shows. That's the problem RTV has with some markets. In some markets, RTV might have a difficult time customizing the schedule enough to bring their channel to the market. I believe Chicago might be the most difficult market to bring RTV to, due to Weigel owning the Chicago rights to some of the same shows they carry. Unless other shows could be substituted, RTV in Chicago would have to either reair some episodes later in the day, or air a lot of infomercials in the timeslots that the shows that normally would air can't, due to another station owning the rights to those shows. Besides, I don't know who would be interested in carrying RTV in Chicago as Weigel would be the most logical choice, but they're committed to their MeTV & MeToo, which are actually programmed better than RTV. I know that Amen, A-Team, Dragnet, Hardy Boys/Nancy
Drew Mysteries, The Incredible Hulk, Jack Benny, Knight Rider, Leave It To Beaver, Magnum PI, McHale's Navy, Night Gallery, The Rifleman, & The Rockford Files are held by Weigel in the Chicago market. I don't know what other shows Weigel holds that RTV also carries, but the list I compiled was based on what's listed on their website. It was like when WEDE-CA carried Family Net, they couldn't air My Three Sons, Happy Days, and I believe Leave It To Beaver (don't remember this one 100%) due to Weigel holding the Chicago rights to the shows. WEDE-CA would cut away from the network feed to air local sermons during times those shows were on the air. They're not on Family Net at this time. Besides, WEDE-CA dropped their affiliation with FamilyNet to run sermons & other religious shows.

 

[azumanga]

I'd also like to see them go more of the RTV route and have more classic TV shows and less movies.

That's fine if This TV went that route, & be able to have market to market rights to certain TV shows. That's the problem RTV has with some markets. In some markets, RTV might have a difficult time customizing the schedule enough to bring their channel to the market.

Of course, those who watch RTV long enough would realise that RTV had many other problems, such as showing the same handful of shows over and over again, running the segments out of order, problems with satellite and picture quality, and others.

Is RTV still having those problems?

 

[travisl5678]

My market (San Francisco) Dosen't have a THIS Tv affilate or an RTV Affilate

 

[MarcB]

Here in Hartrford THIS-TV is Channel 20.2 Channel 291 on Comcast and Channel 811 on COX. The This logo is on the screen at all times except during commercials. At the top of the hour the old WTXX Logo pops up. And underneath it says WTXX 20.2 Waterbury-Hartford.

A couple weeks ago there was an ad for THIS-TV in The Hartford Courant. It said available on Comcast. (Would've been nice if it said the channel number. It also said Channel 20.2). It should be noted that WTXX and The Hartford Courant are owned by Tribune along with WTIC-TV. There is no Channel 61.2

 

[landtuna]

My market (San Francisco) Dosen't have a THIS Tv affilate or an RTV Affilate

You're not missing much. RTV's lousy audio and sync problems will drive you crazy (if their selection of old shows don't). THIS is better technically but their programming (movies) is mostly 'B' features and English-language foreign films.

 

[Markxxx]

RTV won't come to Chicago due to Weigel Broadcasting owning practically all the Chicago rights to many of the shows that RTV shows on their channel. Weigel has MeTV & MeToo that they don't want to affiliate with RTV.

I know in Milwaukee Weigel runs a version of ME-TV and RTV is on another station's subchannel. I'm sure ME-TV Milwaukee is different enough from Chicago's ME-TV which seems to have sewed up the rights to most TV shows prior to 1990.

Here's a list of shows currently run by RTV

 

[Ultimajock]

This-TV has the rights to MGM property that wasn't gobbled up by Ted Turner (in turn, Time/Warner) years ago. In other words, This' library is made up from the cast offs (read: crap) Ted didn't want. That's not to say there aren't a few treasure nuggets in there but you have to weed through a lot of cow patties before you unearth a truffle.

...hence, ThisTV has access to Fame (an MGM-TV item Ted didn't want) and not Gilligan's Island (which Ted wanted desperately)...

 

[azumanga]

ThisTV has access to Fame (an MGM-TV item Ted didn't want) and not Gilligan's Island (which Ted wanted desperately)...

Yet, for some reason, Turner got the 1980 motion picture that the ''Fame'' TV series was based on (MGM, however, owns all other aspects of the franchise, including the TV series and the 2009 film remake).

 

[cowboybud]

This-TV has the rights to MGM property that wasn't gobbled up by Ted Turner (in turn, Time/Warner) years ago. In other words, This' library is made up from the cast offs (read: crap) Ted didn't want. That's not to say there aren't a few treasure nuggets in there but you have to weed through a lot of cow patties before you unearth a truffle.

...hence, ThisTV has access to Fame (an MGM-TV item Ted didn't want) and not Gilligan's Island (which Ted wanted desperately)...

I just realized that Gilligan's Island isn't running *anywhere* now. Hard to believe.

 

[dave73]

RTV won't come to Chicago due to Weigel Broadcasting owning practically all the Chicago rights to many of the shows that RTV shows on their channel. Weigel has MeTV & MeToo that they don't want to affiliate with RTV.

I know in Milwaukee Weigel runs a version of ME-TV and RTV is on another station's subchannel. I'm sure ME-TV Milwaukee is different enough from Chicago's ME-TV which seems to have sewed up the rights to most TV shows prior to 1990.

Here's a list of shows currently run by RTV

WITI was able to get RTV on in Milwaukee before MeTV Milwaukee could even attempt to acquire enough shows to not make it worth the effort to put it on there. MeTV hasn't been on in Milwaukee as long as it has in Chicago (only a year in Milwaukee vs. 5 years fulltime in Chicago). I know if RTV still holds the rights to the CBS Distribution library, that library would be nearly impossible to show on RTV if in Chicago, due to Weigel holding the Chicago rights to nearly every show in the list.

As for This TV; I believe the station is fine the way it is.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Great! I can't wait for my next trip to the States. I'll be able to say to all my friends "I'm not watching that, I'm watching THIS!" ;D

 

[DToTheJ]

ThisTV has access to Fame (an MGM-TV item Ted didn't want)...

"Fame" reruns also air on the new Centric channel (formerly "BET On Jazz").