USA Network

USA Network is keeping its long-running reality series Chrisley Knows Best on the air despite fraud convictions for two of its stars. Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted Tuesday on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion following a three-week trial. A jury found the couple guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in loans, conspiring to defraud the IRS and tax evasion, as presented by federal prosecutors in Atlanta. Julie Chrisley was also convicted on charges of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Through their attorneys, the Chrisleys said they plan to appeal the verdict.

The USA Network reality TV stars were initially indicted in August 2019 and a new indictment was filed in February of this year. Their trial began three weeks ago, and a jury on Tuesday found them guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan in Atlanta. They were also found guilty of conspiring to defraud the IRS and tax evasion, and Julie Chrisley was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Magnum P.I. is looking to join an elite group of popular broadcast series that have overcome shocking cancellations to continue their runs. No one is commenting, but I hear talks are underway for NBC and/or USA Network to potentially carry the series starring Jay Hernandez. An arrangement still is being figured out, but I hear one scenario is for new episodes to air on NBC while USA would run previous seasons of the action drama, a reboot of the 1980s series that starred Tom Selleck

9-1-1 has been acquired by NBCUniversal’s USA Network and the drama about first responders in Los Angeles will start airing in a four-hour primetime block on Wednesday, Jan. 5. The deal between NBCUniversal Television and Streaming and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution covers all four existing seasons of the show — which stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause and Jennifer Love Hewitt — as well the current fifth season and any upcoming seasons. The current season will debut on USA later this year.

NBCUniversal said several of its NBC Sports franchises will be finding new homes on cable on USA Network in 2022, including Premier League soccer, NASCAR and IndyCar races. The shift comes as the company shuts down the NBCSN cable network at the end of the year. Some sports programming will also be appearing on CNBC and Peacock.

Once an icon of cable TV’s money-minting powers, USA Network today symbolizes the industry’s long slide in the face of relentless cord cutting. Now, it’s becoming a crucial test of how much more cash can be wrung from the declining pay TV business.

Chris McCumber, president, Entertainment Networks — USA Network and Syfy, is leaving NBCUniversal after 19 years at the company’s flagship entertainment cable networks. He just notified his team in an internal memo.