Court TV Prepares Major Rebranding Initiative As truTV

Court TV Prepares Major Rebranding Initiative As truTV

New Tagline for truTV - "Not Reality. Actuality." - Will Break Through Clutter and Separate the Network from Today's Reality Television

List of Planned Series Continues to Expand

Court TV to be Renamed truTV Jan. 1, with Branding Campaign to Start Nov. 1; Network Will Evolve to Lure More Fans Who Love Real-Life Excitement

NEW YORK, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The upcoming revamp of Court TV into truTV will feature a new tagline and a growing list of original series that are designed to target an audience of viewers who want first-person access to exciting, real-life stories.

"Not Reality. Actuality." will serve as truTV's tagline when the network's new name debuts Jan. 1. In a television world increasingly cluttered by reality shows with manufactured and manipulated situations, the tagline -- unveiled today -- will serve as a promise to viewers: truTV will be a destination for programming with real situations, real stakes and real people. The channel also will continue to air trial coverage every weekday.

"We're preparing to make this already solid network even stronger," said Marc Juris, general manager of Court TV. "Renaming is just part of the process of building truTV into a powerful brand."

The Jan. 1 launch of truTV will be followed by a continuous evolution in programming as the network adds to a strong lineup that already includes original series such as Forensic Files. The network today announced plans for two additional series:

    * SKY RACERS - When working in the most crowded airspace in the country,      being a news helicopter pilot in Los Angeles means rushing to a story      the moment it breaks.  These pilots assist police during high-speed      pursuits, all while using aerial acrobatics to jockey for position.      This new series puts viewers inside the cockpit with Desiree Horton, a      rare female news pilot and one of the best in the business.     * ONE FALSE MOVE - This gripping series will follow people whose jobs and      adventures take them to the brink of disaster - like rescue crews that      blast two miles below the Earth's surface or perform daring rope      maneuvers hundreds of feet above ground.  As this show will prove, a      single mistake can be deadly.   

These series join a previously announced slate in production or development. That lineup includes:

    * THE REAL HUSTLE - Premiering Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT),      this series from Objective Productions/Crook Productions shows how an      elite team of experts can steal a person's money, possessions and even      identity.  It features Apollo Robbins, an expert pick-pocket and      personal security consultant; Ryan Oakes, a sleight-of-hand and      psychology specialist; and Dani Marco, a professionally trained actress      skilled in distraction techniques.  Taking on savvy New Yorkers, this      trio will offer insider knowledge into the mechanics and psychology of      how a con is executed.     * NEIGHBORS 911 - From Granada America and executive producer Curt      Northrup (Nanny 911) comes this new series in which former Green Beret      Myke Hawke goes into the homes of people whose feuding has escalated      into all-out conflict.  Hawke is the judge and jury as he uses video      evidence to force neighbors to confront each other and resolve their      differences.     * SKI PATROL (working title) - This exciting series from Bunim/Murray      Productions (The Real World) gets viewers up-close and personal with      the men and women who work in some of the most extreme environments in      the country.  They do everything from dynamiting snowdrifts to daring,      out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking to party      on the slopes.     * BLACK GOLD (working title) - Few jobs have higher stakes than those of      "wildcatters" in Texas, where oil prospectors race one another to tap      into the last remaining U.S. reserves.  From Original Productions' Thom      Beers, an executive producer of the hit series Deadliest Catch, this      show will follow several of these wildcatters and their crew of      roughnecks as they risk lives, limbs and hundreds of thousands of      dollars attempting to strike oil.   

The programming day on the former Court TV will begin, as it does now, with trial coverage at 9 a.m. (ET). This portion of the day will continue through 3 p.m. (ET) and will not be rated by Nielsen Media Research. At 3 p.m., programming will shift from trials to truTV's Star Jones. During the afternoon and primetime hours, truTV will feature engaging, real-life original series, the success of which will be measured through Nielsen ratings.

The changes will broaden the appeal of the entire channel. Popular series like Forensic Files, Haunting Evidence and Psychic Detectives will continue. Over time, truTV's lineup will grow to include an even broader schedule of original offerings. Trial coverage will continue to serve a core audience that loves court action.

The tagline -- "Not Reality. Actuality." -- will be a key element in bringing more viewers to truTV. "Over time, the meaning of the term 'reality TV' has changed and now includes shows that have very little to do with anything real," Juris said. "truTV is aiming for an audience that wants real- life excitement and situations."

Court TV is part of Turner Entertainment Networks, a unit of Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System. Turner Entertainment Networks has a great track record in successfully rebranding and repositioning networks. Steve Koonin took leadership of TNT in 2000 and was the architect of the network's "We Know Drama" branding. He was later given oversight of sister network TBS and led the creation of the highly successful "Very Funny" branding.

"In today's fractured media world, it is critical to build strong brands," said Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "We're preparing for a solid future by rebranding Court TV as truTV."

truTV will be television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households as Court TV and enjoying more than a year of solid and consistent ratings growth, the soon-to-be rebranded network will feature high- stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. Among truTV's primetime fan favorites are the original series Forensic Files, Ocean Force, Haunting Evidence, Psychic Detectives and Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice. During the daytime, the channel will feature expert trial coverage.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

    CONTACTS:    Karen Cassell      Atlanta     404/885-4238   karen.cassell@turner.com    Vicky Kahn         New York    212/973-7944   vicky.kahn@turner.com  

Source: Court TV

CONTACT: Karen Cassell, +1-404-885-4238, karen.cassell@turner.com; or
Vicky Kahn, +1-212-973-7944, vicky.kahn@turner.com, both for Court TV

Web site: http://www.courttv.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment