Escape (TV network)

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Escape
Type Digital broadcast television network
Country United States
Availability Nationwide via OTA digital television
(covering 60% of the U.S.)[1]
Founded April 3, 2014 (2014-04-03)
by Jonathan Katz
Slogan Slip Away.
Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia
Owner Escape Media, LLC
Parent Katz Broadcasting
Key people
 Jonathan Katz
(president/CEO, Katz Broadcasting)
Walter Naarr (SVP of programming)[2]
Launch date
 August 18, 2014 (2014-08-18)
Picture format
 480i (SDTV)
Affiliates List of Escape affiliates
Official website
 escapetv.com

Escape is an American digital multicast television network that is owned by Katz Broadcasting. The network, which is targeted at women between the ages of 25 and 54 years old, primarily focuses on feature films, but also carries some true crime documentary series.

The network is available in several media markets via the digital subchannels of broadcast television stations and on the digital tiers of select cable providers through a local affiliate of the network. Although the network mainly competes with digital multicast networks such as This TV, Movies! and GetTV, the network's gender-targeted format is similar to that of cable channels such as Lifetime and Oxygen.

Original, Katz sold the network to affiliated TV stations via ad split but by October 2015 had moved to a carriage fees in exchange for the network get the ad inventory due to greater inventory with stations adding a third or fourth subchannel.[3]1 Escape used direct response advertising as a meter of viewers before switching to Neilsen rating C-3.[3]3

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History

Katz Broadcasting announced the formation of Escape and sister network Grit on April 3, 2014, with a formal launch scheduled for that summer. When the network was first announced, Katz Broadcasting entered into an affiliation agreement with Univision Communications, which planned to launch Grit in 22 markets served by a station owned by the group or operated through local marketing agreements with Entravision Communications – giving Grit affiliates in 17 of the 20 largest U.S. television markets (including markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth). The network immediately sought carriage on the digital subchannels of television stations owned by other broadcasting companies.[4] On June 17, 2014, Katz signed group deals to carry Escape on stations owned and/or operated by Raycom Media in six markets.[5]

On August 11, 2014, Katz announced that the two networks would launch simultaneously on August 18. Escape launched at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on that date,[6] with the 1981 film Body Heat as the network's inaugural broadcast.[7]

Katz estimated, based on direct response advertising business by September 2015, the network has close to 250,000 prime time viewer. At that time, Escape along with its brother network, Grit, were signing up for national ratings from Nielsen.[8]

Programming

Escape mainly features a mix of theatrically released feature films focusing on the crime drama and mystery genres, as well as off-network reality-based crime re-enactment series. Katz Broadcasting president and CEO Jonathan Katz based the demographic-targeted concept of Escape and Grit after Bounce TV, a network Katz co-founded with Martin Luther King III and Andrew Young in 2011 that is targeted at African American audiences; Katz stated Escape and Grit are "the country’s first ever male-centric and female-centric broadcast networks," featuring different programming from other classic television multicast networks that Katz referred to as "generic brands with generic names, created by studios to serve the studios."[9]

Movies

Escape's program schedule relies primarily on an extensive library of films through multi-year program licensing agreements with several major film studios, Warner Bros. Pictures (distributed through Warner Bros. Television Distribution),[10] Universal Pictures (through NBCUniversal Television Distribution),[11] Paramount Pictures (through Trifecta Entertainment & Media)[12] and Sony Pictures Entertainment.[13]

Television series

The majority of Escape's schedule consists of off-network reality-based crime re-enactment series. Shortly before the network's launch, on August 1, 2014, Escape acquired the syndication rights to three true crime series – Forensic Files, Snapped and the Dennis Farina run of Unsolved Mysteries – through respective deals with Trifecta Entertainment & Media, NBCUniversal Television Distribution and Cosgrove/Meurer Productions for its initial schedule.[14][15]

Affiliates

At introduction in August 2014, Escape had current or pending affiliation agreements with television stations in 33 media markets encompassing 19 states (including stations in 23 of the 50 largest Nielsen markets), covering approximately 50% of the United States. As of May 2015, Escape has affiliates covering over 60% of the US TV market.[16]

On July 17, 2014, Katz announced affiliation deals with the Cox Media Group to carry Escape on 2 stations; as well as a deal with PMCM TV, LLC to carry Escape and Grit in the Philadelphia market, and Citadel Communications for 2 stations. It also expanded its affiliation deal with Univision Communications to add stations in 3 stations to the network's originally announced Univision-owned charter affiliates.[17][18]

On November 16, 2015, Katz announced new affiliation deals with Media General and Tribune Media adding the network to eight more markets.[19]

List of affiliates

City of license/market Station[20] Virtual
channel		 Owner Notes †

Alabama
Montgomery WALE-LD 17.3 Woods Communications Company Launched August 11, 2015

Arizona
Green Valley (Tucson) KUVE-DT 46.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Phoenix KFPH-CD 35.4 Launched August 18, 2014

California
Bakersfield KBTF-CD 31.3 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Hanford (Fresno) KFTV-DT 21.3 Launched August 18, 2014
Modesto (Sacramento) KUVS-DT 19.4 Launched August 18, 2014
Ontario (Los Angeles) KFTR-DT 46.3 Launched August 18, 2014
San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose KDTV-DT 14.4 Launched August 18, 2014

Colorado
Boulder (Denver) KTFD-DT 14.4 Univision Communications
(operated by Entravision Communications)		 Launched August 18, 2014

Connecticut
Hartford WFSB 3.2 Meredith Corporation[21] Launched April 15, 2015

Delaware
Wilmington (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) KJWP 2.2 PMCM TV, LLC Launched August 18, 2014

Florida
Cape Coral (Fort Myers) WFTX-TV 36.2 E.W. Scripps Company Launched January, 2016
Melbourne (Orlando) WOTF-DT 43.4 Univision Communications
(operated by Entravision Communications)		 Launched August 18, 2014
Miami WLTV-DT 23.3 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Tampa WFTT-DT 50.4 Univision Communications
(operated by Entravision Communications)		 Launched August 18, 2014

Georgia
Athens (Atlanta) WUVG-DT 34.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Columbus WXTX 54.3 American Spirit Media
(operated by Raycom Media)		 Launched August 18, 2014
Macon WMGT-TV 41.4 Morris Multimedia Launched March 18, 2016

Hawaii
Honolulu KGMB 5.3 Raycom Media Launched March 2014

Idaho
Nampa (Boise) KIVI-TV 6.3 E.W. Scripps Company July 1, 2015
Twin Falls KSAW-LD 51.3 E.W. Scripps Company July 1, 2015

Illinois
Aurora (Chicago) WXFT-DT 60.3 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014

Indiana
Evansville WEIN-LD 40.2 DTV America Corporation Launches February 2016
Indianapolis WRTV 6.4 E.W. Scripps Company Launched June 16, 2015

Kansas
Lawrence (Kansas City, Missouri) KMCI-TV 38.3 E.W. Scripps Company Launched April 15, 2015
Wichita KGPT-CD 26.4 Great Plains Television Network, LLC Launched December 2014

Kentucky
Bowling Green WCZU-LD 39.5 DTV America Corporation Launches Summer 2016

Louisiana
Baton Rouge WBXH-CD 39.2 Raycom Media
Crowley/Lafayette K36MG-D
K43MS-D
K47NC-D
K48MK-D		 36.3
43.3
47.3
48.3		 DTV America Launches Soon
Lake Charles KVHP 29.3 American Spirit Media Launches after sale completion with National Communications is complete and approved.
New Orleans WGNO-TV 26.3 Tribune Broadcasting Launched Feb. 1, 2016

Massachusetts
Boston WFXT 25.2 Cox Media Group Launched May 2016
Marlborough (Boston) WUTF-DT 66.4 Univision Communications
(operated by Entravision Communications)		 Launched August 18, 2014
New Bedford (Providence, Rhode Island) WLNE-TV 6.3 Citadel Communications Launched August 18, 2014

Michigan
Detroit WMYD 20.3 E.W. Scripps Company Launched July 1, 2015

Mississippi
Jackson WLBT 3.3 Raycom Media Launched January 2, 2015

Nebraska
Lincoln KLKN 8.3 Citadel Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Omaha KMTV-TV 3.3 E.W. Scripps Company TBD

Nevada
Las Vegas KVVU-TV 5.3 Meredith Corporation

New Jersey
Newark WFUT-DT 68.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Operates as satellite of WFTY-DT

New Mexico
Albuquerque KASY-TV 50.2 Tamer Media Launched January 11, 2016

New York
Buffalo WKBW-TV 7.3 E. W. Scripps Company Launched April 28, 2015
Smithtown (New York City) WFTY-DT 68.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014

North Carolina
Kannapolis (Charlotte) WAXN-TV 64.3 Cox Media Group Launched August 18, 2014
Lexington (Greensboro) WCWG 20.2 Lockwood Broadcast Group Launched July 1, 2015
Manteo (Norfolk, Virginia) WSKY-TV 4.2 Lockwood Broadcast Group Launched March 2015
Wilmington WECT 6.3 Raycom Media Launched August 18, 2014

North Dakota
Fargo/Valley City KRDK-TV 4.7 (38) Major Market Broadcasting Launched April 1, 2015

Ohio
Cincinnati WCPO-TV 9.2 E. W. Scripps Company Launched April 15, 2015
Cleveland WQHS-DT 61.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Toledo WUPW 36.3 American Spirit Media
(operated by Raycom Media)		 Launched November 18, 2014
Dayton WDTN 2.2 Media General Launched December 31, 2015

Oklahoma
Tulsa KOKI-TV 23.3 Cox Media Group Launched August 18, 2014
Oklahoma City KAUT-TV 43.3 Tribute Broadcasting Launched January 2016

Oregon
Portland KPDX-TV 49.2 Meredith Corporation[21] Launched October 8, 2015

South Carolina
Greenville WHNS 21.3 Meredith Corporation[21] Launched April 15, 2015

Tennessee
Crossville (Knoxville) WBXX-TV 20.2 Lockwood Broadcast Group TBD
Jackson W20DJ-D 20.1 DTV America Corporation Launched in 2016
White House (Nashville) WKUW-LD 40.3 Launched January 27, 2016

Texas
Amarillo KLKW-LD 22.6 DTV America Corporation Launches February 2016
Blanco (San Antonio) KNIC-DT 17.2 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014
Garland (Dallas–Fort Worth) KUVN-DT 23.3 Launched August 18, 2014
Killeen (Austin) KAKW-DT 62.4 Launched August 18, 2014
Rosenberg (Houston) KXLN-DT 45.3 Launched August 18, 2014

Utah
Provo (Salt Lake City) KUTH-DT 32.4 Univision Communications Launched August 18, 2014

Virginia
Arlington (Washington, D.C.) WFDC-DT 14.4 Univision Communications
(operated by Entravision Communications)		 Launched August 18, 2014
Richmond WWBT 12.3 Raycom Media Launched August 18, 2014

Washington
Seattle (Seattle-Tacoma) KCPQ-TV 13.3 Tribune Media Company Launched January 28, 2016

Wisconsin
Appleton (Green Bay) WACY-TV 32.3 E.W. Scripps Company Launched August 11, 2015
Milwaukee WTSJ-LP 38.3 DTV America Launched May 5,2016; in lieu of previous deal
with Scripps' WTMJ-TV
due to lack of subchannel space

References

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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/85403/scripps-in-multinet-deal-for-katz-diginets
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/katz-broadcasting-announces-major-distribution-agreements-with-media-general-and-tribune-media-300179251.html
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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