Court TV to rebrand as "truTV" on 1/1/2008

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COURT TV®'s NEW NAME UNVEILED: truTV

New Name is Latest Step in Major Branding Initiative Targeting Highly Coveted "Real Engagers" Psychographic

Projects from Granada America, Original Productions, Bunim/Murray Productions and Tiger Aspect USA in Development

Newly Re-branded Network Slated To Launch Jan. 1, 2008

As part of an extensive branding initiative that will also include a new look, new logo and expanded line-up, COURT TV® is about to become truTV. This new name reflects the network's popular line-up of series that offer first-person access to exciting, real-life stories, according to the announcement today by Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, and Marc Juris, the network's general manager. Through a dynamic original programming line-up that has been providing the network with strong and consistent audience growth, truTV will target a highly coveted psychographic known as "Real Engagers." In addition, the network has put four new projects into development in support of the new brand, including shows from Granada Television, producer of Nanny 911; Original Productions, co-producer of Deadliest Catch; Bunim/Murray Productions, creators of The Real World; and Tiger Aspect USA, producer of Ms. Adventure. The complete re-branding will launch Jan. 1, 2008.

"The success of the Turner Entertainment Networks can be attributed in a big way to the fact that we have built strong brands that resonate with viewers," said Koonin. "With this new name, truTV joins its sister networks TNT, TBS and TCM in establishing itself a solid, identifiable brand, paving the way for continued growth."

Developing the truTV network name is the latest step in a nearly year-long process of rebranding the network. The process began with extensive research into who the network's prime-time and late-night viewers are and what kind of programming they desire. The compiled data showed that the line-up attracts a dual-gender audience that loves programming with real people in exciting real-life situations and a strong interest in compelling stories and characters.

"Early in the rebranding process, we realized that the current network name doesn't reflect the direction of our programming or our growing target audience of Real Engagers," said Juris. "In truTV, we now have the ideal name that fits both the programming and the target audience. The network will be top of mind for Real Engagers seeking real-life action programming, real-life emotion and access to places they can't normally go."

Each weekday morning, truTV will continue to feature a six-hour block of the network's award-winning trial coverage, with continuing broadband coverage online. Nielsen measurement will commence weekdays at 3 p.m. with the new talk show STAR JONES. This one-hour show, which will air live from Jones' studio, will feature the day's top stories and top guests from the worlds of pop culture, entertainment, crime and justice.

In prime time, early fringe and late night, truTV will continue to feature a line-up of already-popular signature series that target Real Engagers, including such shows as SPEEDERS, FORENSIC FILES and HAUNTING EVIDENCE. Upcoming series slated to join the line-up in support of the new brand include projects like BOUNTY GIRLS, featuring four tough, smart, beautiful and diverse female professionals on the hunt for some of Miami's most dangerous fugitives; THE REAL HUSTLE, featuring a trio of con artists going after unsuspecting marks; and MOST DARING, a gripping series that focuses on life-or-death rescues.

The network is also in development on a number of unique, high-profile series and specials from top-name producers. "Our new development projects are the kind of compelling stories and people our audience of Real Engagers is seeking," said Juris. "We're proud to be working with successful, top-name producers in crafting series that will continue building on the network's growing success."

Among the projects in development are the following:

NEIGHBORS 911 (working title) – From Granada America and executive producer Curt Northrup (Nanny 911) comes this new series in which former Green Beret Myke Hawke goes into the homes of people whose feuding has escalated into all-out war. He then uses video evidence to force them to confront each other and resolve their differences.

SKI PATROL (working title) – This exciting, character-driven series from Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World) gets viewers up close and personal with the men and women who work in some of the most extreme environments in the country. They do everything from dynamiting snowdrifts and performing daring out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking to party on the slopes.

BLACK GOLD (working title) – Few jobs have higher stakes than those of "wildcatters" in Texas, oil prospectors who race one another to tap into the last remaining U.S. reserves. From Original Productions' Thom Beers, executive producer of hit series Deadliest Catch, this show will follow several of these wildcatters and their crew of roughnecks as they risk their lives, limbs and hundreds of thousands of dollars setting up rigs in an attempt to strike oil.

OUTLAW CHASERS (working title) – Randy Hicks and Lanny Dean are a renegade pair of storm junkies who, armed with just a radio and some video cameras, pursue twisters all around the Midwest in their customized pick-up truck. Using incredibly dramatic present and past-tense footage from their most exciting pursuits, this collection of specials from Tiger Aspect USA and executive producer Lawrence Cumbo (Ms. Adventure) will tell their story while following them in their quest to fulfill their dream: filming a tornado from the inside.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the cable industry.

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New Tagline for truTV – "Not Reality. Actuality." – Will Break Through Clutter and Separate the Network from Today's Reality Television

List of Planned Series Continues to Expand

Court TV to be Renamed truTV Jan. 1, with Branding Campaign to Start Nov. 1; Network Will Evolve to Lure More Fans Who Love Real-Life Excitement

The upcoming revamp of Court TV into truTV will feature a new tagline and a growing list of original series that are designed to target an audience of viewers who want first-person access to exciting, real-life stories.

"Not Reality. Actuality." will serve as truTV's tagline when the network's new name debuts Jan. 1. In a television world increasingly cluttered by reality shows with manufactured and manipulated situations, the tagline – unveiled today – will serve as a promise to viewers: truTV will be a destination for programming with real situations, real stakes and real people. The channel also will continue to air trial coverage every weekday.

"We're preparing to make this already solid network even stronger," said Marc Juris, general manager of Court TV. "Renaming is just part of the process of building truTV into a powerful brand."

The Jan. 1 launch of truTV will be followed by a continuous evolution in programming as the network adds to a strong lineup that already includes original series such as Forensic Files. The network today announced plans for two additional series:

SKY RACERS – When working in the most crowded airspace in the country, being a news helicopter pilot in Los Angeles means rushing to a story the moment it breaks. These pilots assist police during high-speed pursuits, all while using aerial acrobatics to jockey for position. This new series puts viewers inside the cockpit with Desiree Horton, a rare female news pilot and one of the best in the business.

ONE FALSE MOVE – This gripping series will follow people whose jobs and adventures take them to the brink of disaster – like rescue crews that blast two miles below the Earth's surface or perform daring rope maneuvers hundreds of feet above ground. As this show will prove, a single mistake can be deadly.

These series join a previously announced slate in production or development. That lineup includes:

THE REAL HUSTLE – Premiering Thursday, Jan. 22, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), this series from Objective Productions/Crook Productions shows how an elite team of experts can steal a person's money, possessions and even identity. It features Apollo Robbins, an expert pick-pocket and personal security consultant; Ryan Oakes, a sleight-of-hand and psychology specialist; and Dani Marco, a professionally trained actress skilled in distraction techniques. Taking on savvy New Yorkers, this trio will offer insider knowledge into the mechanics and psychology of how a con is executed.

NEIGHBORS 911 – From Granada America and executive producer Curt Northrup (Nanny 911) comes this new series in which former Green Beret Myke Hawke goes into the homes of people whose feuding has escalated into all-out conflict. Hawke is the judge and jury as he uses video evidence to force neighbors to confront each other and resolve their differences.

SKI PATROL (working title) – This exciting series from Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World) gets viewers up-close and personal with the men and women who work in some of the most extreme environments in the country. They do everything from dynamiting snowdrifts to daring, out-of-bounds rescues to busting unruly snowboarders looking to party on the slopes.

BLACK GOLD (working title) – Few jobs have higher stakes than those of "wildcatters" in Texas, where oil prospectors race one another to tap into the last remaining U.S. reserves. From Original Productions' Thom Beers, an executive producer of the hit series Deadliest Catch, this show will follow several of these wildcatters and their crew of roughnecks as they risk lives, limbs and hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to strike oil.

The programming day on the former Court TV will begin, as it does now, with trial coverage at 9 a.m. (ET). This portion of the day will continue through 3 p.m. (ET) and will not be rated by Nielsen Media Research. At 3 p.m., programming will shift from trials to truTV's Star Jones. During the afternoon and primetime hours, truTV will feature engaging, real-life original series, the success of which will be measured through Nielsen ratings.

The changes will broaden the appeal of the entire channel. Popular series like Forensic Files, Haunting Evidence and Psychic Detectives will continue. Over time, truTV's lineup will grow to include an even broader schedule of original offerings. Trial coverage will continue to serve a core audience that loves court action.

The tagline – "Not Reality. Actuality." – will be a key element in bringing more viewers to truTV. "Over time, the meaning of the term 'reality TV' has changed and now includes shows that have very little to do with anything real," Juris said. "truTV is aiming for an audience that wants real-life excitement and situations."

Court TV is part of Turner Entertainment Networks, a unit of Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System. Turner Entertainment Networks has a great track record in successfully rebranding and repositioning networks. Steve Koonin took leadership of TNT in 2000 and was the architect of the network's "We Know Drama" branding. He was later given oversight of sister network TBS and led the creation of the highly successful "Very Funny" branding.

"In today's fractured media world, it is critical to build strong brands," said Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "We're preparing for a solid future by rebranding Court TV as truTV."

truTV will be television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households as Court TV and enjoying more than a year of solid and consistent ratings growth, the soon-to-be rebranded network will feature high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. Among truTV's primetime fan favorites are the original series Forensic Files, Ocean Force, Haunting Evidence, Psychic Detectives and Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice. During the daytime, the channel will feature expert trial coverage.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.