E.W. Scripps Company to Launch Grit and Escape & Expand LAFF Distribution In New Multi-Network Agreement with Katz Broadcasting

Deal Covers 18 Markets, Makes Grit Available in 93 Million Households, Escape in 70 Million HH & LAFF in 64 Million

News provided by

Katz Broadcasting

May 18, 2015, 10:26 ET

ATLANTA, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The E.W. Scripps Company will carry the three emerging Katz Broadcasting television networks - launching Escape and Grit in multiple markets while expanding distribution of LAFF - as part of a major new affiliation agreement announced today.

In the multi-year agreement, Scripps will launch:

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Jonathan Katz is President and Chief Executive Officer of Katz Broadcasting & the Chief Operating Officer of Bounce Media. Katz Broadcasting owns and operates the over-the-air television networks Grit; which reaches men with a heavy focus on westerns, war and action movies; Escape which targets women with a mix of theatrical movies, and off-network series anchored in stories of crime & mystery and the comedy-driven LAFF which features a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms & theatrical motion pictures.
Jonathan Katz is President and Chief Executive Officer of Katz Broadcasting & the Chief Operating Officer of Bounce Media. Katz Broadcasting owns and operates the over-the-air television networks Grit; which reaches men with a heavy focus on westerns, war and action movies; Escape which targets women with a mix of theatrical movies, and off-network series anchored in stories of crime & mystery and the comedy-driven LAFF which features a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms & theatrical motion pictures.

  • Escape on its stations in: Detroit (WMYD-TV), Indianapolis (WRTV-TV), Kansas City (KMCI-TV), Milwaukee (WTMJ-TV), Cincinnati (WCPO-TV), Buffalo (WKBW-TV), Fort Myers (WFTX-TV), Green Bay (WACY-TV), Omaha (KMTV-TV), Boise (KIVI-TV) and Twin Falls (KSAW-TV).
  • LAFF in Nashville (WTVF-TV), Milwaukee (WTMJ-TV), Las Vegas (KTNV-TV), Fort Myers (WFTX-TV), Green Bay (WGBA-TV), Tucson (KGUN-TV), Omaha (KMTV-TV), Boise, (KIVI-TV) and Twin Falls (KSAW-TV).
  • Grit in Tampa (WFTS-TV), Kansas City (KSHB-TV), Las Vegas (KTNV-TV) and Green Bay (WACY-TV).

With the Scripps distribution in place, Grit will be available in 93 million homes and 80 percent of the country, Escape in 70 million homes/60 percent and LAFF will be in 64 million households/55 percent of the U.S.

Scripps already carries LAFF on its stations in Detroit (WXYZ-TV), Phoenix (KNXV-TV), Tampa (WFTS-TV), Denver (KMGH-TV), Cleveland (WEWS-TV), Indianapolis (WRTV-TV), Baltimore (WMAR-TV), San Diego (KGTV-TV), Kansas City (KSHB-TV), Cincinnati (WCPO-TV), West Palm Beach (WPTV-TV), Buffalo (WKBW-TV) and Tulsa  (KJRH-TV).

"Grit, Escape and LAFF are unique and attractive demo-specific networks that will add great value to our stations in these markets, as we've seen with our current LAFF distribution," commented Brian Lawlor, senior vice president for the Scripps broadcast division. "With the acquisition of the Journal stations now complete, we wanted to expand that distribution even further."

Action-oriented Grit reaches men ages 25-54, and is built around the classic male hero archetype with a heavy focus on westerns, war and action movies. Escape targets women ages 25-54 with a mix of theatrical movies, and off-network series anchored in stories of crime and mystery.  Grit and Escape just launched eight months ago. LAFF, which just debuted on April 15, features a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular movies, with a target audience of adults ages 18-49.

Katz Broadcasting was established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. 

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150518/216659

SOURCE Katz Broadcasting

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