A year after Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased AXS TV from entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the music channel is looking to hit all the right distribution and content notes under new general manager Frank Tanki. 

The Viacom vet assumed operations of AXS TV and HDNet Movies in June, and is positioning AXS TV to fill a void for music programming with shows such as documentaries Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams, which tells the band’s history through interviews, archival footage and performances from its global Head Full of Dreams tour; and Hype!, profiling the 1990s grunge music scene; and with the return of such brand-defining shows as The Big Interview with Dan Rather. Tanki spoke with senior content producer, programming R. Thomas Umstead. Here’s an edited transcript of that conversation.

As an independent network, how do you see AXS TV navigating an evolving television environment? The industry is evolving … it feels like every day, there’s a new dynamic and a new challenge. But we feel that the music category is still very, very valuable to a linear audience. I feel like that white space plus the investments that we’re making in original content has us well-positioned for growth. We’ve had a lot of good conversations on the linear side — we just did a recent renewal with the NCTC [National Cable Television Cooperative] that I think is a sign that we’ve got good things to come. On the digital side, we’re talking to literally every player and we’ve received a lot of great feedback while we continue shoring up our linear distribution. 

How does AXS TV differentiate itself in a very crowded TV environment? I feel like there is definitely a white space that is underserved in linear cable TV and in the music space. We like to offer great music storytelling, whether that be through live concerts or more behind the scenes stories. That’s the heart of who we are and where we want to be. I think we’re just going to sharpen it a bit more.

Where does HDNet Movies fit in Anthem’s cable network strategy? It’s got a very loyal core base on linear TV. If you look at movie ratings on some cable networks, they’re higher than they’ve ever been. So we think it plays a really important part of our portfolio. We've got a great lineup of movies from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and we’re going to look at different opportunities to pitch and catch content between the two brands. 

AXS TV also televises Impact Wrestling. Do you see the service getting more involved in live sports in the future? The answer is a firm yes. AXS has a long history with pro wrestling and MMA, and I also have a little background with MMA given my days at Spike TV and Bellator, which is still a very important part of ViacomCBS today. I think we’ll have a defined enough home for music that we can put a couple of other things under our roof. Working with Anthem, which owns the Fight Network, we’ll look for ways to be really smart about what we can add to the sports side of our portfolio. 

What’s the key for brands that want to survive the current evolution of the television industry? There's a major evolution happening right now. I remember a moment in time earlier in my career where we were debating, is [digital] an evolution or a phase? Now we know it’s an evolution, so we have to embrace that and be more nimble with how and where we distribute our content. We all have to look for new opportunities. For us, linear is still our bread and butter, but I think it all comes down to the communication that we’re having with our audience. It’s more of a direct, two-way street now, and the brands that will succeed are those that are smartly defined and are laser-focused on what the white space is while continuing to have a dialogue with their audience.

Anthem Sports and Entertainment founder and CEO Len Asper found himself in a bit of a firestorm Wednesday. The day after he signed what is so far the biggest deal yet for his fledgling sports and music company -- the purchase of a majority stake in AXS TV and HDNet Movies-- reports spread quickly claiming the deal gutted the acquired companies' employee ranks, a contention the Anthem chief denies.

After news of the deal broke, there was a smattering of talk that as many as 40 people at AXS would lose their jobs as a result, a number that tended to escalate as more people got into the mix. According to some articles, the actual number of AXS employees without jobs could be as high as 80, when contract employees and freelancers were counted.

Asper confirmed the 40 layoffs in an interview, but added that it included contract and freelance workers. He estimated that AXS had between 130 and 140 employees before the deal closed, and now has about 100. Combined, he said Anthem and AXS currently have about 210 employees and that there are no further layoffs planned.

Asper added that most of the layoffs were in positions that were duplicated at Anthem and that the bulk occurred in Denver. At its Los Angeles location, four employees were let go, while eight still remain. He added that the layoffs represented less than 20% of the workforce.

Anthem held Town Hall meetings with employees in Los Angeles and Denver to explain the workforce reductions, Asper said. 

“We were very clear with the staff. We spoke to the staff yesterday,” Asper said. “We did it all at once.”

It was expected that employees that were terminated received substantial severance packages from AXS.

Asper also disputed reports that AXS TV closed its Dallas office -- he claimed that prior to the deal closing AXS had about a dozen workers in the Dallas area that were working from home or occupying space at a facility owned by AXS founder Mark Cuban in the city. But he declined to say how many remain.

“Some are staying and some are not,” Asper said.

In an email message, Cuban declined to comment. But other sources familiar with AXS said that the financial blow to many employees was likely lightened by bonuses Cuban issued company-wide in the summer. Those sources said the bonuses amounted to more than $5 million in total. While it couldn’t be determined if every employee received a bonus, sources said that most did. And though the payouts were likely based on each employee’s base salary and probably varied widely, at $5 million, each one of AXS TV’s 140 employees would have received an average bonus of $35,714.

Toronto-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. and William “Billy” Corgan said they completed an agreement to resolve Corgan’s litigation against Impact Ventures, parent company of TNA Impact Wrestling. Anthem acquired Corgan’s loan to Impact Ventures on undisclosed terms, and Corgan has dismissed his proceedings against Impact Ventures and TNA Impact Wrestling, the principals said in a release.

Anthem Sports & Entertainment operates Fight Network, Impact Wrestling’s exclusive broadcaster in Canada, and is the worldwide digital streaming partner for all TNA programming and owns equity in Impact Ventures. Pop airs Impact Wrestling fare in the United States.

Anthem executive vice president Ed Nordholm said in the release: “We are pleased to conclude these arrangements with Mr. Corgan. The events leading to litigation were unfortunate but also reflected all parties’ desire in good faith to support the company. The arrangements we have made with Mr. Corgan respect all parties’ gratitude for his contributions to Impact Wrestling, both creatively and financially. We can now close this chapter and look forward to making Impact Wrestling a leader in the professional wrestling world.”

Corgan -- the Smashing Pumpkins frontman and wrestling fan who has actively stated his views on the implosion of his relationship with Impact on Twitter -- said in the release: "I'm pleased that an agreement is now in place that allows wrestling operations to continue, for my interest from the start was to provide support, be it material or creative, to such a great roster and crew. And as I plan on continuing in the business side of pro wrestling, I look forward to seeing where Anthem's leadership takes the company in 2017, and wish them the best."

Following up on an earlier offer, Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it's provided a credit facility to fund the operations of TNA Impact Wrestling and that Anthem, which also owns equity in the wrestling outfit, will manage TNA's operations, including pay-per-view events and Impact Wrestling shows that air on Pop.

The move follows recent legal challenges between TNA (for Total Nonstop Action) parent Impact Ventures and Billy Corgan, who is the frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins and erstwhile backer and president of TNA. "Billy Corgan is no longer with the company," Anthem and Impact said in a release today. Corgan, though, said in a series of tweets that he had not been paid what TNA "swore to in front of a judge" and that he is exploring all legal remedies, including "converting to 36 pct. equity." Fight Network (which Anthem owns) replied on Twitter, in part, that "(t)here is a solid financial plan for @IMPACTWRESTLING & Mr. Corgan's loan will be dealt with appropriately." 

Anthem EVP Ed Nordholm will join the Impact Ventures board of managers, and the board will manage the company, Anthem said. Dixie Carter stays on as company chair and is on the board of managers.

“We have had a successful, long-term partnership with Fight Network as our Canadian broadcaster, and more recently as our global digital partner,” Carter said in a release. “Anthem’s team has extensive media experience, and I am excited to have that available to us as we plan for the future.” Anthem is the parent of Fight Network.

Anthem CEO Leonard Asper said in the release: “We have consistently maintained that investing in content as we grow our distribution is important as a strategic necessity, and working more closely with a strong brand like TNA is in line with that. This financing is an extension of the support we have been providing since the beginning of the year. There are tremendous opportunities to support the company’s growth on all platforms and in all media along side Dixie and the incredible talent and staff at TNA.”

Pop, owned by CBS and Lionsgate, airs Impact Wrestling on Thursday nights year round and has continued to do so through the recent offscreen turmoil involving Carter and Corgan. Pop president Brad Schwartz told Multichannel News in a statement, "Pop remains committed to Impact Wresting and its amazing team and athletes. The show continues to be one of Pop’s most watched original programs with continued quarter over quarter ratings growth. We look forward to what lies ahead.”

Anthem Sports & Entertainment said today (Oct. 19) it confirmed recently making a "working capital loan" to fund the operations of TNA Impact Wrestling, the financially troubled wrestling organization, and that it had offered to provide money to repay loans made to TNA by The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

Corgan, a huge wrestling fan, was named president of Impact Ventures in August, overseeing day to day operations of TNA, as Rolling Stone reported. Since then, Corgan has sued the TNA organization and principals, including chairman Dixie Carter, according to several reports (including this one), and a hearing has reportedly been scheduled for tomorrow (Oct. 20) on Corgan's receipt of a restraining order and temporary injunction.

Toronto-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it licenses TNA programming for Fight Network in the United States, Canada and other international markets and has exclusive streaming rights of TNA shows for streaming Internet-delivered TV. TNA Impact Wrestling airs Thursday nights on Pop in a deal the network announced in November 2015. TNA programming previously aired on Destination America and Spike.

“TNA is a strong property for Fight Network and as a licensee and global distribution partner we have a keen interest in seeing the company not only survive but continue to grow and thrive, alongside our own growth,” Leonard Asper, CEO of Anthem, said in the statement. “We are hopeful that the company can soon get back to doing what it does best, which is to produce great wrestling content.”

CenturyLink's Prism TV today (April 19) launched Prism Sports Plus, a package of six full-time channels and five part-time services for $8.99 per month. New additions to the Prism TV lineup via the tier are Fox-distributed YES Network and Fox Soccer Plus; ESPN's Bases Loaded (baseball), Buzzer Beater (basketball) and Goal Line (football) college-sports live look-in services; MLB Strike Zone, the pro-baseball look-in service; Anthem Media's Fight Network and Fantasy Sports Network; equestrian-focused Ride TV and international-focused One World Sports.

NFL Red Zone, the pro football look-in service that Prism TV had offered for a $64.99 annual fee, also is included in the new sports package, an increasingly popular way for multichannel distributors to increase their sports-programming quotient without adding to expanded-basic programming charges.

Anthem and One World Sports put out press releases announcing their additions onto Prism TV, the IP-based service that ended 2015 with a reported 285,000 customers amid a possible universe of 3.2 million homes.

The telco has launched Prism TV in markets including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; Seattle; LaCrosse and Platteville, Wisc.; Columbia and Jefferson City, Mo.; Tallahassee and central and southwest Florida; Las Vegas; central North Carolina; Phoenix; Omaha, Neb.; Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City. Some markets will see the Sports Plus service launch on May 20, CenturyLink said. All services have launched in high-definition format in addition to standard definition.