Ion's current method of running predominately syndicated programming is very similar to the international model of broadcasting used in Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia and Australia, which mixes imported and syndicated shows with original programming – a model used only in United States broadcast television by digital multicast services (particularly those that specialize in acquired programs such as MeTV), smaller English language entertainment-based networks (such as America One), PBS member stations, and networks broadcasting in languages other than English (such as Univision and Telemundo). Back to TV Guide. The network also aired a late afternoon sitcom block called "Laugh Attack", which featured reruns of comedy series targeted at African American audiences (originally consisting of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and The Wayans Bros., the latter of which was later replaced by The Steve Harvey Show). The network broadcasts feature films released between the 1980s and the 2000s under the banner "Ion Television at the Movies", which fill the majority of the network's Sunday afternoon and evening schedule (holiday-themed made-for-TV films are also broadcast under the banner throughout the entertainment programming day on weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day regardless of where either holiday falls during the calendar week). In several markets, the station's city of license is considered outside the main portion of a market's metropolitan area. ION Media is the nation’s largest broadcast station group owner with 71 stations reaching 100+ million homes, including the top 50 markets. More recent theatrically released feature films were also added to the lineup, alongside older movie releases from the 1980s and 1990s. The additions of programming such as “The Listener,” “Rookie Blue,” and “Blue Bloods” further strengthens the ION Television roster and spurs a steady growth in ratings. Two major factors that have limited the network's national broadcast coverage are that unlike the major commercial broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and The CW), Ion did not actively seek over-the-air distribution on the digital subchannels of other network-affiliated stations in the five years following the digital television transition (with limited exceptions in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tucson, Arizona and Fresno, California through agreements with Telemundo owned-and- operated stations in those markets), until it reached a multi-station agreement with Media General in November 2015;[46] prior to that deal, it long had very few stations that contractually carry the network's programming (with limited exceptions in markets such as Louisville, Kentucky and Anchorage, Alaska). "[39] Pax TV discontinued the "Pax Kids" block in September 2001, as a result, it became the first major commercial broadcast network in the U.S. that did not supply children's programming, and later one of only two until it restored a children's block in 2006 (UPN eventually joined it in this distinction after it dropped its Disney's One Too block in August 2003, following the termination of a programming agreement with Buena Vista Television). It is owned by ION Media Networks . It includes a 24-hour digital television channel/subchannel, a video on demand service, and a weekly programming block on parent network Ion Television under the name "Qubo Kids Corner".. History. It is operated by Ion Media Networks. On January 21, 2011, Ion Television acquired the U.S. television rights to the Canadian drama series Flashpoint, which gave it first-run rights to the fourth season's final 11 episodes, after CBS aired that season's first eight episodes, as well as rights to air reruns of all episodes produced to date and thereafter;[30] Ion (along with the show's originating Canadian broadcaster, CTV) also renewed the series for a fifth and final season that aired during the fall of 2012. [25] Series currently broadcast by Ion Television (as of October 2015[update]) are mostly dramas such as Criminal Minds, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods, and The Listener. In some cities, a major network affiliate also provided some engineering and other back office services for the PAX station. Rescan the Converter Box or Digital TV one more time. Reconnect the antenna to the Converter Box or Digital TV and plug the unit into the electrical outlet. Ion Television is available throughout most of the United States through its group of 62 owned-and-operated stations, as well as through distribution on cable and satellite providers; since 2014, the network has also increased affiliate distribution in several markets through the digital subchannels of local television stations owned by companies such as NBCUniversal and Nexstar Media Group where the network is unable to maintain a main channel affiliation with or own a standalone station, for the same purpose as the distribution of Ion's main network feed via cable and satellite. Days after the rebrand, California-based entertainment group Positive Ions, Inc. filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Ion Media Networks, claiming that the network stole the "Ion" branding. In some markets, DirecTV carries a "placeholder" simulcast of the national modified feed of the network (for example, Los Angeles area viewers can watch Ion on both channels 30, via local O&O KPXN-TV, and 305; New York City on channel 31 WPXN besides 305). Market: Des Moines-Ames. ION Television ranks #2 in households in primetime among networks airing holiday movies. The network would later carry reruns of the syndicated revival of Family Feud (consisting of episodes from Louie Anderson, Richard Karn and John O'Hurley's tenures as host, airing on a one-year delay from their original syndication broadcast) and, due to its alliance with NBC, The Weakest Link (both from the Anne Robinson-hosted network run and the George Gray-hosted syndicated version) as well as the 2000 revival of Twenty-One. ION Media and the five Katz networks operate in the over-the-air (OTA) television marketplace, which saw 67% growth, to 25% of all TV households, from 2018 to Q3 2019 (Parks Associates research, March 26, 2020), as consumers opted to supplement their digital television services with free over-the-air, linear broadcast television and its quality programming to create a … At launch: PAX aired general entertainment programming on weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and weekends from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central Time. It was launched by Lowell "Bud" Paxson in July 1998 as Pax TV. Cloud (60 miles (97 km) northwest of the Twin Cities); Detroit, where O&O WPXD-TV is licensed to Ann Arbor, Michigan (40 miles (64 km) west of Detroit), though its digital transmitter is located in Southfield, where the bulk of Detroit's television stations base their studios and transmitter facilities; Hartford, where O&O WHPX-TV is licensed to New London, Connecticut (located 40 miles (64 km) to the southeast); and Milwaukee, where O&O WPXE-TV is licensed to Kenosha, with its digital transmitter located at a tower farm on Milwaukee's north side (its former analog transmitter was located south of the city in Racine County). The Qubo Night Owl block was discontinued on January 7, 2019, as Ion Media decided to reduce the amount of paid programming on Ion and Ion Plus by shifting those hours to Qubo's overnight schedule between 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. Eastern. My Account. The network and its stations were expected to be removed from the service by February 28, 2006. Its launch was announced on May 8, 2006, when Ion Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Media, Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics which would later be owned by NBCUniversal) and its Big Idea Productions unit announced plans to create Qubo as a multi-platform children's entertainment endeavor that would extend to a weekly programming block on Ion Television as well as NBC and Telemundo, and a video-on-demand service for digital cable providers. Within 4 years of its initial launch, ION had already cracked the top 10 cable entertainment networks. Ion Television is an American free-to-air television network/syndication service that is owned by Ion Media. Through an agreement with then-Disney owned animation studio DIC Productions L.P., its schedule also included a children's program block called "Cloud Nine" on Saturdays from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. (owned & operated through Ion Media Television; owning more than two television stations in the same market, List of programs broadcast by Ion Television, List of stations owned and operated by Ion Media, List of United States cable and satellite television channels, List of United States over-the-air television networks, "FCC Takes Lid Off National Station Ownership - TVNewsCheck.com", "Source: Northpine.com (screen shot image)", "Lowell W. Paxson, Home Shopping Network co-founder and TV mogul, dies at 79", "Paxson's IN TV: move over UPN, WB (Lowell Paxson predicts that his Infomall TV Network will out perform United Paramount Network and WB Network)", "The Media Business: NBC Completes Acquisition Of 32% Stake in Paxson", "The Media Business: Advertising; NBC Moves to Break Up Relationship with Paxson", "Positive Ions Continues Fight with Ion Media Networks over ION(R)", "Federal Judge to Decide Whether Ion Television Can Continue as Ion", "ION Television Presents "Positively Entertaining" Program Lineup at 2008 Sales Presentation", "Ion To Launch HD Simulcast On February 16, 2009 - Initial Rollout Phase Will Reach 20 DMAs, 46 Million Households", "ION scared off by the DTV transition, postpones debut another month", "RHI Entertainment Announces Results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2009", "Scripps creates national television networks business with acquisition of ION Media,", "No Retrans, No Problem for Scripps’ Ion Deal,", "Ion Adds "M*A*S*H" to Weekdays, Ion Announces New Deals with Studios", "ION Television Acquires the Award-Winning Original TV Series, "Canadian 'Flashpoint' In U.S. Syndie Deal, Will Air Originals On CBS And ION", "Ion Television Inks Starz Media Deal for Six Theatricals", "ION Television Picks Up 'Saving Hope' Season Three", "Paxson, DIC in kidstuff deal for Pax Net", "The Three-Hour Rule Is It Living Up To Expectations? 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