Court TV is being relaunched as a 24-hour channel, according to a Monday announcement by Katz Networks.
The cable channel that focuses on crimes and trials was originally launched in 1991. It enjoyed success, particularly leading up to and during the O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony trials, but was eventually converted to truTV in 2008.
“Court TV was a top-20 cable network and at the height of its popularity when the network was taken off the air in 2008,” said Jonathan Katz, CEO of Katz Networks.
“Today, while consumer interest in the real-life drama of true-crime programming is at an all-time high, there is no dedicated daily court coverage on television. We expect the new Court TV to fill that void on cable, satellite, over-the-air and over-the-top.”{mosads}
Katz also says it has acquired the intellectual property of the original Court TV, which includes 100,000 hours of the Court TV library.
Former Court TV anchor Vinnie Politan, 43, will serve as lead anchor.
“Like the original Court TV, the network will be devoted to around-the-clock coverage and analysis of the nation’s top trials,” the announcement from Katz Networks states. “The acquisition of the Court TV assets includes footage of more than 1,000 trials, providing a wealth of content that will allow Court TV to enhance new courtroom coverage, revisit past trials and create original programming and specials.”
Katz reports it has secured distribution agreements with Tribune, Scripps and Univision, allowing it to broadcast to 50 percent of the country at its launch.
The relaunch is planned for May 2019. Its studios will be based in Atlanta.
Court TV alumni include ABC’s Dan Abrams and Terry Moran, Fox News Channel’s Gregg Jarrett, and former HLN host Nancy Grace.