ION, SPT in Programming Deal

WEST PALM BEACH /CULVER
CITY, July 6: ION Media Networks has picked up a slate of classic TV series as
well as a selection of feature films from Sony Pictures Television for its
flagship i television
network, available in 90 million U.S. homes.

“This agreement reflects
our strategy of strengthening our i
network’s programming schedule with popular series and theatrical hits with
proven audience appeal,” said Brandon Burgess, the CEO of ION Media Networks.
“We look forward to working with Sony on developing a compelling entertainment
line-up that continues to appeal to our current audience, while attracting new
viewers to the network.”

The TV series included in
the agreement are Charlie’s Angels,
Starsky & Hutch, The
Partridge Family, The Monkees and Silver Spoons, among others. Feature films slated to air on i include A River Runs Through It, Oliver!, Bram Stoker’s Dracula
and Short Circuit. The movies
will begin airing on the network this month, followed by the TV series in
August.

The SPT deal follows the
agreement announced with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution that included
classic shows like Welcome Back, Kotter, Chico and the Man, Scarecrow
& Mrs. King, Alice and Wonder Woman, and more recent hits including The Wonder
Years, Growing Pains and Perfect Strangers. ION also secured an array of Warner Bros.
features, among them Amadeus, One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, All
the President’s Men, Dog Day
Afternoon, 2001: A Space
Odyssey, Superman and Beetlejuice.