TrueReal was an American digital multicast television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, targeting women aged 25–54.
 | |
| Type | Digital multicast television network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080p (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | E. W. Scripps Company |
| Parent | Scripps Networks, LLC |
| History | |
| Launched | July 1, 2021 |
| Closed | March 27, 2023 (1 year, 8 months and 26 days) |
TrueReal and Defy TV, a complementary network targeted at men aged 25–54, launched together on July 1, 2021, with broadcast coverage of 92% of the United States. On March 27, 2023, TrueReal's schedule was merged with Defy and its channel space was reused to carry programming from Jewelry Television.[1]
History
editOn March 2, 2021, Scripps announced that it would launch two new multicast networks—Defy and TrueReal—in the wake of its acquisition of Ion Media and television transmitters across the United States.[2] The channels are part of Scripps's strategy to increase penetration among cord cutters that do not have traditional pay-TV packages.[3] The tentative name for the network before launch was Doozy, but the name was later changed to TrueReal, clarifying the network's content.
The services launched on July 1 with 92% national coverage, mostly through Ion Television stations, but also on subchannels of some Scripps local TV stations and by agreement with other station groups.[4]
On March 10, 2023, Scripps announced that TrueReal would shut down on March 27, merging its programming with that of Defy TV. After its closure, Scripps began leasing the open spectrum it created on its owned and operated stations to Jewelry Television.[5] Defy TV and its schedule would be wound down on June 30, 2024 to make way for a re-launch of Ion Plus over-the-air, with the A&E library moved to a new network, simply called Defy, under the management of Free TV Networks.
Programming
editTrueReal's schedule mainly included reality programs from the library of A&E Networks, including Storage Wars, Little Women: LA, Intervention, Hoarders, My Crazy Ex and Wahlburgers.[6]
References
edit- ^ Allen, Joseph (2023-03-28). "TrueReal Fans Were Confused After the Channel Was Replaced by Jewelry Shows". Distractify. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2021-03-02). "E.W. Scripps Co. to Launch Doozy and Defy TV Multicast Networks". Variety. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
- ^ Roettgers, Janko (2021-06-02). "Scripps's response to cord cutting: Launch new TV networks". Protocol. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
- ^ Jon, Lafayette (July 1, 2021). "New Scripps Networks Defy TV, TrueReal Launch in 92% of U.S." Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (2023-03-10). "E.W. Scripps Folding TrueReal Digital Network Into Defy TV". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
- ^ Miller, Mark (2021-07-01). "Defy TV And TrueReal To Debut Today". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
This article about a television station in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |