FremantleMedia & Debmar-Mercury Team for Game Show Channel

NEW YORK/BURBANK: FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) and Debmar-Mercury have partnered on the channel BUZZR TV, which has scored carriage on FOX Television Stations across the U.S.

BUZZR TV will draw from FremantleMedia's library of game show content. The network is set to launch this summer in all 17 markets where FOX owned-and-operated networks are present.

Thom Beers, the CEO of FremantleMedia North America, said: “FremantleMedia has consistently been the leader in the game show space, with long-running and more-popular-than-ever titles such as Family Feud and The Price Is Right. When I joined the company two years ago, it became instantly clear that there was a huge opportunity for us to not only be a producer in the space, but also a programmer. We are thrilled to have FOX, one of the nation’s largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, as our launch partner on BUZZR TV. Jack Abernethy and Frank Cicha’s enthusiasm for both the channel and our product was clear from the get-go, and we look forward to bringing this beloved genre to viewers across the country.”

Frank Cicha, the senior VP of programming for FOX Television Stations, said, “BUZZR will be a great addition to our D2 portfolio. The possibilities to have fun creatively, and to make it fun for the viewer, are endless. And in a D2 landscape this competitive, the ability to control your own product is a big plus. FremantleMedia can certainly do that.”

“There is nothing else like BUZZR TV,” added Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, co-presidents of Lionsgate-owned Debmar-Mercury. “It will be the only game show network operating in the digital multicast universe, providing stations with a highly marketable asset. We believe the depth of the FremantleMedia library will allow the network to secure its future, offering viewers a proven, quality and unique alternative to other digital channels.”