New York -- The positioning has been decided upon, even if the final verdict on a moniker isn’t: Court TV will bear a new name, look and logo when the new year dawns.
The legal network -- which was bought by Time Warner and placed under the Turner Entertainment Networks umbrella last spring -- will revamp its daytime roster. The lineup will remain the same from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with its vast coverage of courts and the top trials of the day. Watchers will be able to continue that viewing via broadband at Courttv.com, while the linear channel showcases a two-hour afternoon block until 5 p.m. featuring Nancy Grace: Closing Arguments and a new series from Star Jones.
In primetime, Court plans to provide more shows providing first-person voices. The target: a psychographic known as “real engagers,” whom network officials, speaking at Turner Entertainment’s upfront presentation to advertisers here, described as being very interested in real-life stories as told by the people involved. These first-person accounts will help to reshape the primetime lineup of the network that already offers 250 hours of original programming annually.
Court TV general manager Marc Juris said the revamp was guided by extensive research of the network’s fringe, primetime and late-night viewers. The data found that while these audiences -- which tend to skew slightly male -- have a taste for action-oriented fare they also expressed an affinity for compelling real-life stories and characters.
On the programming side, Juris announced that a fourth season of Beach Patrol will debut this summer, with this real-life Baywatch originating from Hawaii this time. Also on tap: Bounty Girls, a look at elite team of bounty hunters working the trade in Florida.
Combining with its Web site of the same name, Court TV will air special The Smoking Gun Presents the Dumbest Criminals in the World.
New series in production include: The Real Hustle, about a trio who succeed in scamming jaded New Yorkers; and Most Daring, which centers on nail-biting stories of rescue missions.
On the development side, Tiger Team is a look at a group of expert security professionals, while The Room will feature real cops interrogating real suspects.
