BYUtv has revealed its winter programming lineup, which includes season eight of hidden-camera series Random Acts, season five of para-athlete program All-Round Champion and season three of family competition series Survivalists, all starting January 15. 

Teen drama Silverpoint has its series premiere February 5, with all of the first season on the BYUtv app and BYUtv.org, and volunteer-oriented Making Good starts season five February 19. The first five episodes of Making Good will be on the digital platforms that day. 

“We have always felt it was important to keep the spirit and charitable feelings of Christmas with us all through the year, so we’re very happy to be able to usher in January with such hopeful new episodes of some of our fan favorites that truly personify that spirit,” said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. “Random Acts and Making Good both illustrate how much of a difference any one of us can make by spreading kindness in our own backyard. We get such an encouraging response from viewers that these shows have inspired them to find volunteer opportunities in their own communities, and that means the world to us. All-Round Champion and Survivalists are a perfect balance of athleticism and heart and really have something for everyone in the family. There are so many surprises in store for audiences this season across the board, and we can’t wait for audiences to tune in.”

Kirby Heyborne hosts Making Good, as he volunteers with organizations regardless of the circumstances and his background or experience.

Scripted series Silverpoint, from CBBC in the U.K., sees four kids vanish in the woods in 1997. Twenty-three years later, one boy aims to find out what happened.  

“We are also thrilled to add Silverpoint to the BYUtv family,” added Duke. “The affection and enthusiasm viewers have expressed for Malory Towers and Emmy winner The Canterville Ghost showed us that our audiences have a great love for beautiful, thoughtful stories from across the pond in the U.K., and we know this series will especially resonate with kids and teenagers, as well as their families.” ■

Season 14 of family drama Heartland begins on the BYUtv app Friday, April 1, followed by the season premiere on BYUtv April 5. The show airs on CBC in Canada. 

The whole season will be available to stream on the BYUtv app. 

BYUtv is a family entertainment network available over cable and satellite, and online. Streaming is free. 

Streaming service Up Faith & Family began season 15 of Heartland March 17. Angela Cannon, VP and channel manager, Up Faith & Family, called the show a “fan favorite.” Season 15 aired on CBC late last year.

Murray Shostak created Heartland, which is the longest-running one-hour drama in Canadian TV history. It is based on the series of books by Lauren Brooke. 

In the show, sisters, played by Amber Marshall and Michelle Morgan, keep the family’s horse ranch in the Canadian Rockies up and running. The Heartland ranch treats troubled or neglected horses, and finds new homes for them. 

Shaun Johnston and Alisha Newton are also in the cast.

The executive producers are Michael Weinberg, Tom Cox, Jordy Randall and Heather Conkie, who is showrunner. ■

With loads of natural beauty and a bit of available space, people have been flocking to Salt Lake City since the pandemic began. The local news outlets are expanding their offerings as the population grows. KUCW, for one, added the 7 a.m. hour of Good Morning Utah in late 2020 (Good Morning Utah airs 5-7 a.m. on sibling KTVX), and tacked on a half hour to the station’s primetime news at the same time, shifting the newscast from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

“We continue to upgrade the show,” said Richard Doutre Jones, KTVX-KUCW VP/general manager, of the prime news program. (Doutre Jones retired as of March 18.) “With an hour-long news, we’re able to put some longer-form content in there, including interviews with community leaders.”

Nexstar has ABC-The CW pair KTVX and KUCW. Sinclair Broadcast Group holds CBS affiliate KUTV, MyNetworkTV station KMYU and independent KJZZ. Bonneville International has NBC station KSL and local radio outlets. Scripps owns Fox affiliate KSTU and former Ion station KUPX. 

Also: Local News Close-Up: Stations Battle for Booming Houston’s New Arrivals

On the Spanish-language side, NBCUniversal has Telemundo station KULX and Univision Communications owns KUTH.

Just outside Salt Lake City is family entertainment network BYUtv, based in Provo and owned by Brigham Young University. 

Comcast is the dominant pay TV operator in DMA No. 30. 

The market picked up nearly 150,000 homes from 2020 to 2021, per Nielsen, and home prices shot up in the double digits. “There are a bunch of cranes in the sky,” said Jose Suarez, president and general manager, KULX. 

KSL is the market leader in household ratings, and KSTU is strong in the demo. Neither station returned multiple calls seeking comment. KUTV did not comment either. 

KTVX has expanded lifestyle show Good Things Utah an hour, going 9 to 11 a.m. weekdays. The show offers a mix of sponsored content and general stories of interest. “The clients love it and it does great,” said Doutre Jones. 

KTVX has The View at 11, then news at noon and local show Daily Dish, which has added a half-hour. 

Also: Local News Close-Up: Stumptown Gets Over the Hump

Known as ABC4, KTVX airs Inside Utah Politics on Sunday mornings. Glen Mills hosts in addition to anchoring at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekdays.  

In 2019, NBCUniversal closed on KTMW Salt Lake City, along with Utah low-power stations KULX, K17II and KULU. The seller was Serestar Communications and the price, which included a trio of LPTVs in California, was $21 million.  

Telemundo Utah airs local news at 5 and 10 p.m. and may expand its output. “We are constantly evaluating,” said Suarez, who oversees stations in Sacramento and Fresno, California, in addition to Salt Lake City. 

The KULX studio is being remodeled. Suarez described the gear and technology as something that befits a larger-market station. “We’ll be able to tell better stories and be visually more impacting,” he said. 

He said the 14-person KULX news team brings real hustle to the game every day. “I love their energy and how determined everyone is to get the work done, tell the best stories, and really be present,” said Suarez.

The Hispanic population is around 15% in Salt Lake, according to Suarez, and growing. More of the market speaks Spanish, he noted, due to Mormon missionary work in Spanish-speaking locales. 

BYUtv’s Provo base is less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City. The network reaches 50 million U.S. homes and shows include sketch comedy program Studio C, drama Ruby and the Well, about a teen girl who grants wishes to the residents of a downtrodden town, and reality show The Fixers, about a team of builders fixing up decrepit spaces, such as an impoverished orphanage. Season 15 of Studio C kicked off March 14, with Will Forte the guest star. Season 14 of Heartland, about a family running a horse ranch, debuts April 1. 

BYUtv aims for the whole family with its programs. “Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and a 12-year-old kid as well,” said Jeff Simpson, managing director, BYUtv. “Co-viewing is what we really talk about. We want the family to watch together and not have to lunge for the remote.”

BYU Broadcasting has three studios at its 100,000-square foot facility. BYUtv airs around 125 live sporting events a year, including basketball, softball, volleyball and soccer. “We have more live collegiate sports outside of ESPN than almost anybody,” said Simpson.

BYUtv worked with KSL to air Ballet West’s The Nutcracker in 2020.  

KSL’s anchors include Nadine Wimmer and Mike Headrick, and Kevin Eubank is chief meteorologist. KSL also has KSL NewsRadio at 102.7 FM, and a couple music stations on the FM dial. The station produces the true-crime podcast Cold.

KSL owner Bonneville International is part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

KUTV’s “Beyond the Podium” franchise focuses on politics and Chris Jones covers education, including “Beyond the Books” segments. 

KSTU offers “360” reports that tackle complicated issues from multiple perspectives. The station’s “Positively Utah” segments focus on the good stuff happening in the market. 

The Wasatch Mountains tower over Salt Lake City. Locals describe a more progressive market than one might think — a relatively diverse city, from a political perspective, in a deeply red state. 

Suarez called Salt Lake “an easy place to be and an easy place to visit.” SLC residents mention a pro-business environment and a region that is friendly to the LGBTQ community — and everyone else. 

“It’s a very welcoming place,” Doutre Jones said. “It reminds me a lot of a Midwest market even though it’s the Mountain West. It’s like the Midwest on steroids in terms of its values.” ■ 

BYUtv has picked up Ruby and the Well for a second season, the family friendly entertainment network announced Wednesday (February 16). Season one premieres Sunday, February 27 as part of BYUtv's Family Premiere Night with the first two episodes. All 10 episodes will be available on BYUtv.org and the app.

Ruby and the Well follows 14-year old Ruby O'Reilly as she tries to grant wishes for the residents of the "hard-luck rural" town of Emerald. The well shows her visions of the residents innermost hopes and dreams. The series stars Zoe Wiesenthal (Charmed) with Kristopher Turner as Ruby's dad, Daniel O'Reilly. The well is nestled on his property. 

"At BYUtv, we are always looking for the elusive combination of intriguing entertainment that also inspires, and Ruby and the Well delivers on the promise of both elements," said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. "Watching it will make every member of the family want to go out and grant wishes themselves, making the world a better place like Ruby. It has been a wish-come-true collaboration to work with Shaftesbury to develop this show from the minds of the creators of Dwight in Shining Armor."

Other members of the cast include Dylan Kingwell, Paula Boudreau, Joel Oulette and introducing Lina Sennia and Nobahar Dadui.

Ruby and the Well creators LeeAnne H. Adams and Brian J. Adams are best known as the creators and showrunners of BYUtv's comedy adventure series Dwight in Shining Armor, which recently aired its fifth and final season. Dwight In Shining Armor was picked up by Paramount for international distribution in 2019 and is now airing in 45 countries around the globe.

Suzanne Bolch and John May (Magic School Bus; Sesame Street) serve as executive producers and showrunners. Christina Jennings, also an executive producer, is founder, chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury, which produces the Ruby and the Well for BYUtv. ■ 

BYUtv will debut Family Premiere Night Sunday, February 27, the family-oriented network announced. Season two of Malory Towers will kick off the night, followed by season nine of Relative Race and the first two episodes of new drama series Ruby and the Well. 

All shows will be available on primetime broadcast as well as the BYUtv streaming app and BYUtv.org. Ruby and the Well and Malory Towers will be available in their entirety on those platforms on premiere night. 

Season 15 of Studio C returns Monday, March 14 at 9 p.m. ET with special guest Will Forte (Saturday Night Live). Season four of Making Good returns Sunday, March 20 at 7 p.m. ET. 

"BYUtv's upcoming premieres are filled with stories that lift spirits, giving families a chance to grow closer to one another and have fun together," said Andra Johnson Duke, head of content at BYUtv. "Whether brand new like the enchanting Ruby and the Well or fan favorite like Studio C, which has had an incredible run of 15 seasons so far, each one of these shows invites positive vibes and is a great example of the moving, engaging entertainment we strive to offer." ■ 

BYU Broadcasting has named Jeff Simpson as its managing director, overseeing the organization’s BYUtv cable channel.

Simpson, who began his media career at Walt Disney Studios in the television and motion picture production group, will handle day-to-day operations of family-themed BYUtv and its companion radio network BYUradio, according to the company.

Simpson, who recently served as president and publisher of the Utah-based Deseret New publication, replaces Michael Dunn, who accepted a new full-time ecclesiastical assignment as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Read also: Frndly Tv Adds BYUtv to Streaming Channel Lineup 

“The impact Michael Dunn has had on BYU Broadcasting is deep and long-lasting,” said Kevin Worthen, president of Brigham Young University in a statement. “Under his direction, it has broadened its scope and reach to become a trusted provider of uplifting content that inspires and entertains families nationwide. Jeff Simpson’s business acumen, keen insight and industry experience make him a natural fit to continue on this important trajectory. Both are tireless and generous leaders whom I feel fortunate to count among my associates.”

Season two of BYUtv competition series Survivalists premieres May 4. Each episode follows two families that put away technology and embark on a three-day survival immersion course in the wild to reconnect. They win advantages through challenges, but must trust one another to succeed. 

There are 10 episodes. 

Colin O’Brady, whom BYUtv calls an “extreme adventurer,” hosts. He wrote The Impossible First, about his solo journey across Antarctica. 

Survivalists is produced by Mark Koops with INE Entertainment and BYUtv. It is filmed on location in Moab, Utah. 

Season one can be viewed at byutv.org. 

BYUtv is a family entertainment network available over cable and satellite, and via free streaming at BYUtv.org. 

Frndly TV, a virtual multichannel video programming distributor, said it is adding BYUtv to its lineup.

BYUtv, part of BUY broadcasting, a service of Brigham Young University, focuses on inspiring and uplifting programming.

Frndly TV has built a business with more than 440,000 subscribers with a formula of family-friendly channels at an affordable price. 

Also Read: Cinedigm Adds Dove Channel to Frndly TV Lineup

Adding BUYtv’s linear channels and video on demand programming won’t affect Frndly TV’s current price structure, the companies said.

“We are thrilled to add a fantastic channel like BYUtv to our programming lineup,” said Michael McKenna, chief programming officer at Frndly TV. “BYUtv’s extensive programming of entertainment, lifestyle and sports matches up with our core goal of delivering family-friendly TV to all of our subscribers.”

“BYUtv is delighted to join forces with Frndly TV in making our network broadly available in more homes,” said Ian Puente, director of operations and strategy at BYUtv. “Our goal is to offer uplifting programming designed for kids and their parents to watch together, and Frndly TV, with its lineup of family-focused, feel-good channels, is the perfect fit.”

BYUtv programming includes the series Studio C, Random Acts, Dwight in Shining Armor and Relative Race, as well as educational programming and BYU men’s and women’s sports. 

Season two of The Wizard of Paws, about an animal prosthetist helping animals walk again, is on BYUtv April 28. Derrick Campana is the prosthetist and host. All previously aired episodes are available to stream for free on the BYUtv app and at BYUtv.org. 

All 11 episodes of season one will be on Nat Geo Wild this spring, followed by season two. 

BYUtv and The Dodo produce the series.  

“We couldn’t have dreamed of better partners with which to collaborate than The Dodo and Nat Geo Wild as we put Derrick Campana’s important animal-saving work out into the world with The Wizard of Paws,” said Michael Dunn, managing director of BYUtv. “Viewers of all ages and backgrounds are united in the compassion they feel for his struggling patients and the joy that comes from the happy endings he and his team generate at the end of each episode. It’s a much-needed positive outlook on humanity from the perspective of our animal friends.”

Campana has been fitting animals with new limbs for 17 years. He works out of Sterling, Virginia and has helped close to 30,000 animals. “It’s a dream come true to travel the world and help these animals in need,” he said in a TCA press event.

BYUtv shared that comedy Dwight in Shining Armor, in which “the Middle Ages meets Middle America,” the network said, will return March 21 for a fifth and final season. Sloane Morgan Siegel, Caitlin Carmichael and Joel McCrary star. 

The final season has 10 episodes. 

Season three of sports competition series All-Round Champion starts on BYU March 30. Service-focused Making Good, hosted by Kirby Heyborn, premieres season three April 7. 

BYUtv announced that the single-camera family comedies The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker premiere April 19. “The two interwoven scripted series highlight events in the life of a blended multicultural, interracial family from two different perspectives,” the network said. 

Survivalists, featuring two everyday families who embark on a three-day survival immersion course in the wild, starts season two May 4. 

“Our focus at BYUtv is to seek out and cultivate shows that truly entertain every member of the family, regardless of their age or background,” said Dunn. “This undertaking is not a simple task, but we take it seriously, and our spring lineup is filled with this rare kind of programming. Most incredibly, each of these shows, whether scripted or unscripted, brand new or already loved, not only entertains, but also inspires. This is what makes BYUtv so special.”

Based in Provo, Utah, BYUtv is part of BYU Broadcasting, which is owned by Brigham Young University.

Evoca TV, the Boise, Idaho startup seeking to deliver an affordable virtual pay TV service via ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology, has announced the addition of two new channels, BYUtv and Outdoor Sportsman Group.

The addition of these channels fleshes out the small-network offering for Evoca, which already delivers the Big Four broadcast networks. 

Also read: Evoca Next-Gen TV Service Draws 1,000 Early Access Subs

Evoca, which plans to expand beyond the Boise market later this year, is offering a skinny bundle of channels for $50 a month to rural areas with poor and/or expensive broadband. 

Also read: ATSC 3.0 Company Edge Networks Launching Virtual Pay TV Service for Rural Consumers

“For the more than 50 million households in small and mid-sized markets like Boise--where bandwidth and options are limited and cable is expensive--Evoca is a new paradigm for TV delivery that addresses their unique needs with both quality and variety,” Evoca TV founder and CEO Todd Achilles said. “Our signal is never affected by internet traffic in the home, regardless of how many video games, movies, or video conferences may be streaming, and these channels will help us deliver on our promise for high quality programming that matters to the communities we serve.”

PASADENA, Calif. — Independently owned network BYUtv continues to build its original programming lineup as it looks to gain distribution across multiple platforms. The Brigham Young University-owned network announced several new unscripted shows at last week’s Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, including The Fixers, in which experienced builders travels around the world to remote locations in significant need; Making Good, a series chronicling one man’s quest to serve; and The Parent Trip, in which thrill-seeking celebrities take their parent or child on bucket list adventures.

BYUtv managing director Michael Dunn recently spoke to Multichannel News about the network’s programming and distribution strategy heading into the Independent Show. Here’s an edited transcript of the conversation.

 What’s the biggest misperception about BYUtv?

Michael Dunn: I think the biggest misperception is that BYUtv is a religious channel just for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But it's a math issue — there are 16 million members of the church, and the network is in 52 million homes, so we’re reaching a lot of people that aren’t members. When we create television shows, we want to create great, world-class TV so that people of faith and people with no faith who want to watch content can enjoy the programming, and that’s what we want to do. Our mandate is to be different and offer something that really stands out on the television landscape. We’ll probably forever and ever have to overcome that misperception, but I really believe its a Field of Dreams thing — you build it and people will come.

As an independent network in this very fluid and changing television environment, what is the best distribution platform for BYUtv?

We have to be a part of other platforms — we were the first network to stream free, unencrypted — so strategically we’re working very hard with some of the big providers and distributors. Because we’re noncommercial, we’re not beholden to any advertisers, so we’re in a very fortuitous position because we can share that content. We would even take a second-window position with our content so that large distributors can air [shows] first and then we’ll air it after this cycle. That’s really unusual for a network to do in this environment.  

Having said that, what is the biggest challenge facing independent networks?

I think exposure and awareness. All the big guns are in the game: Disney, Fox, ABC, ESPN and Apple — so the challenge for a small, independent network is that we have to be great in everything we do. We have one chance to land a punch, and there isn’t a second opportunity. Also, I think the viral nature of what were doing helps — we’ve really seen that with [sketch-comedy series] Studio C. The network distribution of the series has been great, but had it not been for putting the content on YouTube we wouldn’t have generated 2 billion views for the show. Even with the new sketches we do, I see that viral element — the clips are branded BYUtv, so eventually it starts to get out there. It’s going to be a long process, but we’re in this for the long run. So by partnering with other distribution platforms and by being so good with everything that we do, I think that’s our best way forward. 

Will the network look to lean more toward unscripted or scripted original programming going forward?

We’re a general, family-entertainment brand, so we’re not going to put our eggs in one basket of any kind. You’ll see scripted, unscripted, game shows, cooking shows, the whole gamut of the programming spectrum. Unlike in past years when that was a hodgepodge of content thrown together just to fill a 24/7 network, now its very strategic — there’s a family competition night, a comedy night and movie nights — so as a viewer you know what to expect when you come to the channel.

Do you believe that BYUtv’s clean cut, family-friendly content helps the network stand out in a crowded television environment?

What we hear in focus groups from believers and nonbelievers is that parents say they can trust us — they can tune into the network, leave the room and leave our kids there knowing that we can trust what comes on the screen. I never want to betray that, so there are some things that we’re never going to do. We want everybody, from that 8-year-old to grandpa, to be able to watch and laugh not be bashful about anything that’s on our air. 

BYUtv has renewed a new season of its sketch comedy series Studio C in advance of the show’s 10th season premiere.

The series, which offers comic perspective scenarios and pop culture commentary through various sketches, will debut its 11th season in 2020, according to network officials. The show’s 10th season will debut Sept. 30.

“BYUtv comedy has been and continues to be one f the most successful genres across all of our platforms,” said Michael Dunn, managing director of BYTtv. “Studio C was unexpected and not what people thought they’d find at BYUtv, but since we launched the show in 2012 it has consistently churned out brilliant entertainment that fans of all ages enjoy.”

The network also announced premiere dates for three new unscripted series The Fixers (Sept. 11), Making Good (Sept. 11) and The Parent Trip (Sept. 19).