Dec 30, 2007 Comments Off
Cable TV’s search for identity
Excerpt from The Los Angeles Times:
On Jan. 1, a year after its announced re-branding, CourtTV will become TruTV. The tag line “Not reality. Actuality” means the network will continue broadening its reality programming beyond the courtroom to attract “real engagers.” “This is life coming at you in real terms,” said Steve Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment Networks. “All our shows will have a first-person narrative.”
The switch came about after some sophisticated and expensive research into the psychographics of the network’s viewers.
“Court TV has had two audiences,” Koonin said. “The small but passionate daytime audience that tuned in for the court proceedings. At night, in prime time, we had younger men watching the action programming and women watching the mystery-solving programming. We are going to skew more male and more younger by bringing ‘real engager’ programming.”
Koonin, who oversaw TNT’s “We Know Drama” and TBS’ “Very Funny” branding, said this is the first time he has undertaken a re-branding during a time of strong growth. Instead of shrinking the focus, he said he is broadening it. Though Court TV was a clear and recognizable brand, he said it was almost a barrier for new-viewer changes in the schedule.
“In order to continue growing, we have to bring new viewers into the brand,” said Marc Juris, TruTV’s executive vice president and general manager. “We’re trying to unlock our unrealized potential reach.”
