New U.S. Comedy Network LAFF Stocks Up on Flicks

ATLANTA: Upcoming U.S. comedy network LAFF has signed film agreements with Sony Pictures Television, The Walt Disney Studios and Miramax, securing the TV rights for more than 250 feature films.

LAFF, an over-the-air broadcast TV network, is set to debut April 15. From the Sony Pictures Television library, the network has picked up Jerry Maguire, Sleepless in Seattle, Punchline, Nothing in Common, The Toy, Stir Crazy, Steel Magnolias and St. Elmo's Fire, among others. Library movies from The Walt Disney Studios include Splash, Old Dogs, Mr. Wrong, Jungle 2 Jungle, The Distinguished Gentleman and The Ref. Finally, several titles were secured from Miramax’s catalogue, among them Clerks, Flirting with Disaster, Keeping Up with the Steins, Adventureland, The Night We Never Met and Happy, Texas.

LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18 to 49. The channel joins GRIT, a broadcast network targeting men, and ESCAPE, an over-the-air network designed for women, in the Katz Broadcasting portfolio.