ION Ramps Up Movie Slate

WEST PALM BEACH: ION Television is planning to develop and produce 12 original movies per year, with the first set to roll out in the fourth quarter.

Genres being explored for the new titles, which will offer integrated marketing opportunities to advertisers, include drama, romance, thriller, action and holiday features, targeted at ION’s broad-based general-entertainment audience. The original features will complement ION’s slate of movies from the Hollywood studios, as well off-network series such as Ghost Whisperer and Criminal Minds and original acquired series like Durham County, The Guard and The Border. 

Leslie Chesloff, the executive VP of programming at ION Media Networks, noted: “ION is committed to a programming strategy that operates simultaneously on two tracks. First, as is indicated by the development of these films, we are fast-tracking the production of our own original content. Second, as our success with Boston Legal and NCIS proves, there is an audience for top rated off-network series. We are in the market for hit comedies and dramas and we will continue to add to our schedule as they become available. The announcement of these 12 movies is only the first step as we continue to expand our original production schedule.”