Me-TV

Weigel Broadcasting, Chicago-based parent company of the popular Me-TV Network, is suing Los Angeles-based Pervasive TV for using the name ReachMe.TV. In a lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court, Weigel is claiming trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices by Pervasive, which shows its ReachMe.TV mobile entertainment network online and on screens at airports and hotels across the country.

One of the staples of the multicasting universe are networks that offer programming from television and film’s past. While some of the early efforts haven’t survived, there are many that have and more slotted to launch. The diginet with the widest distribution, in fact, is Me-TV, the classic channel from Weigel Broadcasting. This is part 2 of a three-part special report. Read part 1 here.

The multicast networks that stations are using to populate their subchannels are estimated to generate between $250 million and $350 million a year in total ad revenues, growing 4% to 5% a year. “It’s still early in the game, says Katz TV Media’s Bill Carroll. “They’re in the ‘build-out phase,’ the news being they’ve extended the reach, and enhanced the profile, of broadcast stations. A few are already visible in ratings terms, and others are quickly becoming so.” Here’s a look at the diginet trends and our exclusive ranking of the top 25 by TV household coverage.

Will Givens joins from KSWB San Diego to oversee marketing for the two Weigel Broadcasting diginets.

Me-TV, Memorable Entertainment Television, has signed affiliation agreements with KACN-LP, Anchorage, Alaska (DMA 146), and WBGR-LP, Bangor, Maine (DMA 153). KACN, owned by North Star Television Network, will launch on April 24 and be seen on over-the-air ch. 38, digital ch. 33.3, GCI Cable 95 and Dish 38. WBGR, owned by Maine Family Broadcasting, will […]

The classic TV diginet now is cleared in 91% of the U.S. with 160 affiliates.

Dave Ward says he will “focus on branding, marketing, social media, launch and sustained promotion … amongst many other assignments” for PMCM’s KVNV New York and KJWP Philadelphia that were moved from Nevada and Wyoming. Both will be Me-TV affils.

The classic TV multicast network from Weigel Broadcasting will be on the primary channels of KVNV New York and KJWP Philadelphia.

With the addition, the classic TV diginet expands its coverage to 90% of the U.S., with 157 affiliates. In Odessa, Texas, it moves from a multicast channel to KWWT’s primary channel.

The classic TV diginet is back on the air in the No. 5 market, signing CBS’s independent to air it on ch. 21.2 beginning next week.

KTXD says its original programs like The Texas Daily, The Broadcast, Lone Star Roads, DFW Sports Beat, Troubadour, TX and Bronco Roads “have garnered loyal audiences and been so successful” that it’s also expanding the programs to six additional Texas markets, and plans to do the same with new productions.

The new stations bring the classic TV network to 155 markets, boosts its coverage to over 90% of the U.S.

With so much talk recently about the casting of Ben Affleck as star of the upcoming Batman film,  the Me-TV diginet is taking the opportunity to promote its airings of the classic TV show. It’s asking viewers to sign a petition and leave a comment in support of putting Adam West in the new movie. The network plans on presenting the petition and comments to West. You can sign it here.

After years of experimentation, broadcasting specialty networks on subchannels is starting to draw viewers and revenue in amounts that really matter. Some peg the take at more than $200 million. While classic TV shows and movies are popular formats, others see the future in original programming.

Stations started dabbling with inserting newscasts into their diginet subchannels about five years ago and they say they expect the practice to become more pervasive as more stations recognize the revenue and promotional potential. Among the experiments is producing newscasts that air at non-traditional times — 7-9 a.m. or 9 p.m. — when primary channels are airing network programming.

The classic TV series Rhoda is coming to diginet Me-TV Network beginning July 8. The series stars Valerie Harper and the show will follow The Mary Tyler Moore Show weeknights at 9 p.m. ET. Me-TV said in a statement: “Valerie Harper has been in the news recently due to her health issues and we’re delighted […]

The Me-TV Network has signed three new affiliation agreements with Gray Television stations: KSNB Lincoln, Neb. (DMA 105); WSWG Albany, Ga. (DMA 145); and WTVY Dothan, Ala. (DMA 169). These new affiliates bring Me-TV to 150 markets with coverage in 90% of the United States. “We at Gray Television are proud to be adding three […]

The Weigel Broadcasting classic TV network now is cleared 89% of the U.S.

National ratings measurement of the Weigel-owned classic TV diginet will begin in the spring.

The classic TV diginet is now available in all of the top 10 U.S. markets and covers 87% of the country with 141 affiliates.

The Me-TV Network has signed an affiliate agreement with Belo Television Group’s ABC affiliate WVEC Norfolk, Va. (DMA  44). The station will launch Me-TV on Jan. 16, 2013; it will be seen over the air on ch. 13.3. With this addition, Me-TV clears more than 84% of the U.S. through 139 affiliates. “We are excited […]

The Me-TV Network has added affiliates from both existing and new station groups. Hearst Television-owned WPTZ, Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, N.Y. (DMA 97) will launch Me-TV on Jan. 2, 2013, and Hoak Media-owned KVLY Fargo, N.D. (DMA 117) will debut the classic TV diginet on Jan. 1. This will be the first Hoak Media-owned station to become […]

The new multicast channel featuring a mix of classic TV shows, movies and original programming will debut on the 10 NBC Owned Television Stations early next year and the group is looking for affiliates in other markets.

Boston viewers woke up to a new broadcast television station this morning, when Hearst Television-owned WCVB Boston (DMA 7 began broadcasting Me-TV (Memorable Entertainment Television) on its ch. 5.2. Me-TV is a classic television diginet from Weigel Broadcasting Co. and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. With the addition of WCVB, Me-TV covers over 83% of […]

With the addition of WBIR Knoxville and three other affiliates over the past week, the classic TV diginet now counts 136 outlets that cover more than 83% of TV homes.

The classic TV diginet is now carried on subchannels of Newport-owned KTVX Salt Lake City and KOKI Tulsa, Okla. Another Newport station, ABC affiliate WSYR Syracuse, N.Y. will launch Me-TV on Sept. 10.

The diginet will now be carried on subchannels of WCVB Boston, KCRA Sacramento, WBAL Baltimore, KOCO Oklahoma City and WXII Greensboro, N.C. The group owner also extended affiliation deals with Me-TV in nine additional markets.

While multicasting is still in its infancy, a growing number of the D2 and D3 channels have turned into new revenue streams, accounting for about 3% of station ad money, according to BIA/Kelsey. The biggest earners are broadcast networks that don’t have a full-power home, but multicast-only nets like This TV, Live Well, Antenna TV, Bounce TV and Me-TV are creating their own growing niches as well.

Fisher Communications-owned KATU Portland, Ore. (DMA 22), will begin airing diginet Me-TV on June 24 on its ch. 2.2 as well as on Comcast ch.l 302, Charter ch. 292 and Wave Broadband ch. 60. Me-TV is owned and operated by Weigel Broadcasting Co. and distributed by MGM Television. It now clears more than 79% of […]

The Post-Newsweek ABC affiliate will begin airing the classic TV programming service on April 24 on its OTA ch. 10.2.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. announced increased distribution for its classic TV network Me-TV in Southern California with a new primary channel affiliation with KVME Bishop, Calif. Me-TV begins airing its “memorable entertainment” programming Monday, April 30 on KVME and will also continue to air on Los Angeles independent KDOC, ch. 56.3. Both stations will brand themselves as […]

Morgan Murphy Media-owned KXLY Spokane, Wash. (DMA 73) and KAPP Yakima, Wash. (DMA 123), are the latest stations to add classic TV diginet Me-TV. ABC affiliate KXLY will carry Me-TV over the air on ch. 4.2 and ABC affil KAPP will carry it on ch. 35.2. Both stations are scheduled to launch Me-TV this fall […]

Grant Broadcasting-owned WLAX-WEUX, LaCrosse-Eau Claire, Wis. (DMA 128); WZDX Huntsville, Ala. (DMA 79); and KGCW Davenport, Iowa (DMA 100), are the latest stations to add classic TV diginet Me-TV. WLAX-WEUX carries Me-TV over the air on ch. 25.2 in LaCrosse and ch.l 48.2 in Eau Claire. WZDX Huntsville will launch on April 17 and will […]

Hearst Television-owned NBC affiliate WDSU New Orleans (DMA 52) will launch classic TV diginet Me-TV on April 1. The station will carry Me-TV over the air on ch. 6.2 and it will also be carried by local cable systems. “Viewers in Southeast Louisiana are in for a treat, “said WDSU President-GM Joel Vilmenay. “Watching Me-TV, […]

Post-Newsweek-owned ABC affiliate KSAT San Antonio, Texas (DMA 36) will launch classic TV diginet Me-TV on April 2. The station will carry Me-TV over the air on ch. 12.2 as well as on all local cable systems. Me-TV covers more than 77% of the country and has more than 120 affiliates. “We feel that Me-TV, […]

Raycom Media-owned WWBT Richmond, Va. (DMA 57), and WTOL Toledo, Ohio (DMA 74) have added diginet Me-TV to their subchannel lineups. The addition of these two stations brings bring the network’s coverage to more than 77% of the U.S. Me-TV has more than 115 affiliates. WWBT carries Me-TV over the air on ch. 12.2, as […]

With the addition of the Post-Newsweek ABC affiliate, the Weigel Broadcasting Co./MGM Television diginet expands its distribution to over 74% of the U.S..