Sinclair And ABC O&Os Set New Charge! Affiliation Agreement

Sinclair Broadcast Group today announced a new broadcast affiliate distribution agreement with ABC Owned Television Stations that will make Charge!, one of Sinclair’s free, over-the-air, national broadcast TV networks, available on ABC Owned Television Stations’ subchannels.

Beginning today, Charge! which features a lineup of the police procedural franchises, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent and CSI NY, will launch on these ABC Owned Television Stations: WABC New York (ch. 7.3), KABC Los Angeles (7.3,) WLS-TV Chicago (7.3), WPVI Philadelphia (6.3), KTRK Houston (13.3,) KGO-TV San Francisco (7.3),  WTVD Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (11.3) and KFSN Fresno, Calif. (30.3).

Charge!’s move into the Big 4 network channel positions adds more than 4 million new, over-the-air TV households as well as 3.73 million new pay TV/cable households, Sinclair said. With the addition of this distribution agreement, Charge! can now be seen over-the-air in 109 U.S. markets, including nine of the top 10 markets.

Lee Schlazer, Sinclair SVP of distribution, said: “We are thrilled to launch Charge! and broaden our partnership with ABC Owned Television Stations. Sinclair continues to grow our multicast networks and securing Big 4 network row positioning for the launch of charge! on all eight ABC powerhouse stations was a key strategic initiative.”