Fremantle launching game show digital channel

[cmjb13]

Got an email from a Fremantle rep about Price airing..

The Price is Right won’t be one of the titles featured when the channel launches, but it may be programmed at a future date.

[jjman920]

I think the most interesting thing from that passage is the mention of Louie Anderson Feud. I don't think that's ever been reran anywhere, certainly not on GSN. Right? I'd love to see broadcast quality episodes again.

I wonder how far back they're going to go. With the format and set of Buzzr Password, and the inclusion of What's My Line?, which I don't believe has any series past 1975 (correct me if I'm wrong), they're probably going back to the 50s/60s. If so, I wonder what, at all, are they going to do about shows with cigarette sponsorship. Air them intact, edit them in someway, or not air them at all. It's been a while since I've seen Winston-era IGAS, which, in my opinion, features some of the best episodes of the series.

[daveromanjr]

Louie's Feud was on PAX for a while (airing 1 year behind the then-current season... including the first season of the Karn years) and once again on Thanksgiving 2013 on GSN.

[aaron sica]

Louie's Feud was on PAX for a while (airing 1 year behind the then-current season... including the first season of the Karn years) and once again on Thanksgiving 2013 on GSN.

Be good to your families!

[pianogeek]

Be good to your families!

...and come back and see our families on the Family Feud.  **tosses Fast Money mini clipboard to the ground**

// Yes...send me to the TTD'90 "YOU WIN!" punishment room.

[chrisholland03]

Here's a new article on the project: http://www.tvinsider.com/article/212/retro-game-shows-find-a-new-network-home

Some relevant passages:

The only costs to FremantleMedia are residual paychecks for the game shows’ hosts and the fees to convert the episodes to digital.  “Since we own all the product, the cost of programming is next to nothing,” says Thom Beers, CEO of FremantleMedia North America. “It’s a beautiful model. We only have one competitor [GSN]. That’s not a bad place to be.”

I find the above statement interesting.  A fortune was spent (by someone) converting the media to DigiBeta for air on GSN beginning in 1992.  Does this imply that Freemantle does not own that physical media and is having to do their own conversion?  Does this imply that DigiBeta is not really digital?   I'm out of the loop on the current relationship between Sony/Freemantle/GSN/who owns what/licenses what/etc.  It used to be pretty simple.

[NickintheATL]

What they are referring to is this:  DigiBeta is on a physical tape (albeit digital).  The conversion process this time is to get it from tape to a server of some kind.   There isn't any restorative work going on here, just transferring from one to the other.   There is still cost involved, obviously.

[clemon79]

**tosses Fast Money mini clipboard to the ground**

Predecessor to the mic drop, perhaps?

[chrisholland03]

What they are referring to is this:  DigiBeta is on a physical tape (albeit digital).  The conversion process this time is to get it from tape to a server of some kind.   There isn't any restorative work going on here, just transferring from one of the other.   There is still cost involved, obviously.

Mucho gracias, kind sir

[That Don Guy]

My only problem with this is, it's not going to be a dedicated cable channel, but a subchannel attached to existing Fox stations.  While San Francisco is (presumably) one of the cities included, I have AT&T U-Verse, which makes it a point not to include subchannels except when they are broadcasting one of the four major networks (they won't even include CW stations that are subchannels), and I live too far away, with nearby hills blocking any direct LOS to Sutro Tower, to get reception from an OTA antenna, especially as I live in a townhouse and can't install anything on the roof.

I am under the impression that DirecTV also has this "problem" involving lack of subchannels.  Looks like something to add to the list of "reasons to consider crawling back to Xfinity"...

[The Pyramids]

Louie isa go but I wonder about 'Feud '94'. That would a big reason I would want the channel (and also to see WML? on more than two weeks out of the year).

[Matt Ottinger]

My only problem with this is, it's not going to be a dedicated cable channel, but a subchannel attached to existing Fox stations. 

Everybody seems to be hung up on the "FOX stations" thing.  The small handful of owned FOX stations (a little more than a dozen, I think) are the only ones who are guaranteed to be offering Buzzr, but Fremantle will try to make it available throughout the country.  This is precisely the sort of thing people could be lobbying your local stations to pick up -- if, of course, you can receive their subchannels. 

I am under the impression that DirecTV also has this "problem" involving lack of subchannels. 

It does.  Locally, Comcast customers DO get the subchannels, so I'm told, but I've heard of cable systems where they're not offered.  So it's a bit of a crapshoot at the local cable level.  I'm fortunate that I invested in a decent antenna in addition to my satellite package, so subchannels aren't a problem.  Still way too early to know whether I'll get Buzzr or not.

[CarbonCpy]

This is precisely the sort of thing people could be lobbying your local stations to pick up -- if, of course, you can receive their subchannels. 

I feel like it's worth pointing out there's ~50 affiliates that will need content when they get around to closing down LiveWell.

[BrandonFG]

This is precisely the sort of thing people could be lobbying your local stations to pick up -- if, of course, you can receive their subchannels. 

I feel like it's worth pointing out there's ~50 affiliates that will need content when they get around to closing down LiveWell.

If they haven't already done so. Our local LWN affiliate already switched over to the "Justice Network". Seems to be a Gannett trend for its former LWN stations.

[Joe Mello]

Locally, Comcast customers DO get the subchannels, so I'm told, but I've heard of cable systems where they're not offered.  So it's a bit of a crapshoot at the local cable level.  I'm fortunate that I invested in a decent antenna in addition to my satellite package, so subchannels aren't a problem.  Still way too early to know whether I'll get Buzzr or not.

Verizon offers subchannels in Pittsburgh. They're all in the upper 400's, but they aren't all represented, and certainly not the FOX ones.  It almost makes me wonder if it'd be worth it to find an antenna.

/Do modern TV's even take coaxial?
//Recently remembered that retroTV had classic Doctor Who
/// <3 Pertwee