Tag Archives: ION Life

Ion Media Networks

Posted on by 
by Daniel Buczakowski

Address:  601 Clearwater Park Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone:    (561) 659-4122
Website: ION Media Networks

Key Executives:

Brandon Burgess
Chairman and CEO

Chris Addeo
Marketing

Stephen Appel
Sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff Quinn
Finance

Terri Santisi
Administration

Marc Zand
Programming Acquisitions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Holloway
Distribution

Dan Hsieh
Innovation
Michael Hubner
Legal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph Koker
Stations

David Glenn
Engineering
Russel Frederickson
On-Air Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Major Competitors

Fox Broadcasting Company
Colombia Broadcasting System (CBS) Broadcasting Inc.
Sinclair Broadcasting Group Inc.
American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
The CW Television Network

A Brief History

ION Media Networks was founded in 1984 as Paxson Communication in Clearwater Florida.  Owning multiple radio stations and a few ABC and NBC network affiliate stations, Paxson Communication eventually became Florida’s largest radio group.  In 1994, Paxson acquired 55 percent of American Network Group for $2.5 million.  As American Network Group was a publicly held company, Paxson itself became a public company, and by doing this avoided the costs inherent with an initial public offering (IPO).  This also gave Paxon access to public capitol to help the company grow through more acquisitions.  In 1998 the company decided to build it’s own independent television company, and PAX TV (Later to be known as the PAX network) was born.  1994 was a big year for Paxson, this was the year they also acquired their first television stations, WPBF-TV  in West Palm Beach, Florida, WTLK-TV in Atlanta and Rome, Georgia, and WYVN-TV in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  By the end of 1997, Paxson had grown so large that it owned more then 60 stations and covered 60 percent of all US households, and had revenues that exceeded $88 million after selling it’s radio division to Clear Channel Communications for $693 million in cash.  However, operating loss had also grown to $22 million, a major difference from the $4 million of 1996.  This was just the beginning of Paxson’s financial problems, for by 1998, Paxson’s operating capitol had shrunk to $1.8 million and it’s net loss had risen to $137.9 million, while total revenue was only $134.7 million.  By the year 2007 after lengthy legal battles with NBC Universal, the company’s founder Bud Paxon sold his shares of the company and retired.  Branden Burgess replaced him as President and C.E.O. and the company was renamed ION Media Networks Inc.

History of Financial and Legal problems

1999 Paxson reports a negative cash flow of $102.6 million with a long term debt of $382 million.

September 1999:  NBC buys 32% share in Paxon for $415 million.  Effectively bailing Paxson out and to Paxon’s consternation, becoming effectively an equal partner rather than a minor shareholder.

December 4, 2001:  Paxon files and arbitration to block NBC’s acquisition of Telemondo.

September 2002:  Paxon arbitration against NBC was denied.

November 13, 2003:  NBC requests redemption of it’s $549.2 million investment in Paxon.

August 2004:  NBC Universal files lawsuit against Paxon.

November 7, 2005:  In and agreement with NBC Universal, Lowell Paxon leaves the company and sells his shares to NBC Universal.  He is replaced with Brandon Burgess.

November 2007:  ION Networks is taken to trial by Positive Ions Inc. for trademark infringement.  ION Networks loses and is forced to pay Positive Ions $1.7 million.

May 19, 2009:  ION Media Networks files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with $2.7 billion of debt.

December 2009:  Emerges from bankruptcy as a privately owned company under the ownership of its bondholders and secured lenders.

Today

Currently, ION Media Networks is one of the largest privately owned television networks in the country, with over 60 television stations in North America.   Under Brandon Burgess’ direction, ION Media Networks has rewritten it’s policies to follow four main objectives:

  • Innovation

By fostering an environment which gives it’s employees the freedom to explore new ideas, while also helping them stay focused to the task at hand, ION Media Networks is able to create new opportunities as opposed to rehashing the same ideas over and over.

  • Diversity

Understanding that sometimes the greatest ideas come from differing viewpoints, ION Media Networks takes great pride in hiring a diverse group of employees.  Their motto being that multiple inputs often yield the most valuable outputs.

  • Empowerment

By providing the tools and support needed to succeed, Ion Media Networks empowers their employees to take the necessary steps to accomplish their goals.

  • Accountability

ION Media Networks fully stands behind all of it’s employees.  Holding themselves accountable not only to their audience, but to themselves as well.  Each employee shares in the companies success as well as the burden of their failures.

Major Divisions

ION Media Networks is broken down into four major divisions:  ION Television, Qubo, ION Life and Dyle.

 

One of the fastest growing television networks in the nation, ION Television focuses on syndicated network shows as well as introducing new original programming and special event programming.  A leader in the Adult 25-54 and Women 25-54 demographics, ION Television reaches more than 100 million US households.  Starting in October of 2012, ION Television adopted an 108-hour network programming schedule, providing general entertainment programming from 11am – 3am Mondays – Fridays, 1pm – 3am Saturdays and Sundays.  All other times are filled with religious programming or infomercials.

Programs:

Cold Case
Criminal Minds
Flashpoint
House
Law & Order:  Criminal Intent
Leverage
Numb3rs
Psyche
WWE Main Event
My Name is Earl
Without a Trace
Married With Children
Monk

Specifically targeting children in the 5 – 8 age range, Qubo offers quality children’s programming 24/7.  Available via over-the-air coverage, cable, satellite and telco, Qubo has won multiple awards from both the FCC and the US government in recognition of it’s dedication to improving children’s health and reducing childhood obesity.  Qubo was also recognized by the US government as one of the most trustworthy sources of children’s television.  Qubo is a joint venture between Ion Media Networks, NBC Universal, Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation and DreamWorks Classics.

Programs:

Taste Buds
Jakers
Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs
Timeblazers
Willa’s Wild Life
The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog
Artzooka!
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?
Animal Atlas
Dex Hamilton Alien Entomologist
Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller
Peralie
3 2 1 Penguins!
Gofrette
Turbo Dogs
Mighty Machines
Jane and the Dragon
Rescue Heroes
Babar
My Friend Rabbit
Jacob Two-Two
Vita Minix
Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse
The Zula Patrol
Miss BG
Pecola
Pippi Longstocking
Rupert Bear

Focusing on adult viewers, ION Life is dedicated to helping people live healthier, more active lives.  Featuring programs featuring:  home design, wellness, healthy and active living, adventure and community engagement, ION Life is is focused on celebrating life’s positive adventures.  Available via over-the-air coverage, cable, satellite, and telco.  The Network was going to be named iHealth prior to Ion Televisions name change.

Programs:

Absolute X
Alive + Well
Body Fuel
Drop In
Gadget Girlz
Killer Comebacks
My Green House
Planet X
Positive Living
Power Yoga
Smart Cookies
Style by Jury
The Right Fit

The mobile branch of ION Media Networks, Dyle Mobile TV allows viewers to watch broadcast television shows right on their mobile Android and IOS devices.  Partnering with major broadcasters ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox among others, the application also allows viewers access to live local and national news as well as sports and entertainment.  Although currently limited in coverage, future expansion is expected soon.  You can check availability in your area on their coverage map.

Recent News

June

ION Television debuts WWE Main Event.

August

ION Television acquires off-Network rights to Numb3rs

ION Television acquires Law & Order:  Criminal Intent

September

Flashpoint debuts Season 5

October

ION Media Networks announces agreement with DirecTV

Refrences

[1] ION Media Networks Homepage:  http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/
[2] Ion Television: http://iontelevision.com/
[3] Fox Broadcast Company: http://www.fox.com/
[4] CBS Broadcasting Inc.: http://www.cbs.com/
[5] Sinclair Broadcasting Group Inc: http://www.sbgi.net/
[6] Qubo: http://www.qubo.com/
[7] ION Life: http://www.ionlife.com/
[8] Dyle: http://www.dyle.tv/
[9] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Media_Networks
[10] Press releases: http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/press
[11] Answers.com: http://www.answers.com/topic/ion-media-networks-inc
[12] ABC: http://abc.go.com/
[13] The CW: http://www.cwtv.com/
[14] NBC Universal: http://www.nbcuni.com/
[15] Corus Entertainment: http://www.corusent.com/home/default.aspx
[16] Nelvana: http://www.nelvana.com/
[17] Scholastic Corporation: http://www.scholastic.com/home/
[18] DreamWorks: http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/

* All images are courtesy of ION Media Networks *

Ion Media Networks

Posted on by 
by Bailey Normann

Picture courtesy of Ion Media Networks [5]

601 Clearwater Park Rd.
West Palm Beach, FL, 33401 United States
(561) 659-4122

About

Originally founded as Paxson Communications in 1991, ION Media Networks was officially established in 2006 and has since made great lengths in all of its key areas including: general entertainment television, special interest television, and mobile television. ION is a leading American television provider and brings their content to nearly 260 million Americans. They deliver their entertainment “through innovation, offering quality content, new formats and innovative packages that are affordable and accessible to all consumers” [5]. At its helm is CEO and Chairman Brandon Burgess along with Chris Addeo in Marketing, Douglas Holloway in Distribution, and Jeff Quinn in Finance. Under the ION Media Networks Inc. flagship is ION Television, Qubo, and ION Life.

Photo Courtesy of Ion Media Networks [1]

Photo Courtesy of Ion Media Networks [5]

 

Holdings

Under the networks’ “Positively Entertaining” brand, ION Television offers an array of blockbuster movie titles, hit shows in syndication, and more recently, a jump into original content. The network reaches more than 1oo million US Homes and boasts it is “the only entertainment network with double-digit growth” [11]. It is available through all major distribution companies and is one of the fastest growing networks in America.

Qubo, ION’s “Good Fun” children’s network provides a safe space for childhood and adult viewing. It functions to provide content for preschoolers to tweens and tries to promote good role models and values in order to create more constructive members of society. It has also received numerous awards for its healthy programming and fight against childhood obesity. It has been recognized as the “Gold Standard” in kid’s television by the FCC and was also voted as “one of the more trustworthy sources for children’s programming” by the U.S. Government Accountability Office [12].

ION’s final special interest television venture is ION Life, a lifestyle channel that is

Photo courtesy of Ion Media Networks

committed to offering programming that promotes healthy and active individuals. Its programs focus on such topics as relationships, inspirational stories, adventure, and home design. It is available 24/7 and is distributed over-the-air and through cable and satellite providers.

Financials

In May of 2009, ION Media Networks hit a serious road block.  Under the deal of a restructuring agreement with a group of debt holders whom promised they would make its debt into equity, the network filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. With more than a billion dollars in liabilities and ten million in assets, ION rebuilt with a 150 million dollar funding commitment. However, by October of 2010, ION had resurrected from the ashes of bankruptcy. “Per Nielsen ratings data, ION Television averaged 1.12 million viewers in the third quarter of 2010, an improvement of 94 percent versus the year-ago period” [1]. This spur in growth is most attributed to the networks’ acquisition of shows such as Criminal Minds and Without a Trace and “from October 2009 through September 2010, ION has

Douglas Holloway – President of Multichannel Distribution
Photo courtesy of S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications [15]

grown its overall sales prime deliveries 72 percent to 1.01 million viewers, while improving 74 percent among adults 25-54 (450,000), and nearly doubling its delivery of viewers 18-49 (392,000 versus 205,000 in the year-ago period)“ [1]. Although ION is a private company and therefore does not publish their financial reports to the public, in a talk earlier this month, ION’s President of Multichannel Distribution confirmed that the company is continuing on its up-hill climb.

In the News

ION is also a leader in developing the future of mobile television and “co-founded the industry initiative to develop Mobile DTV technology in record time” [5]. This initiative, the Mobile Content Venture, or MVC for short, was also headed by NBCUniversal and Fox. In order to “mobolize” this project, these broadcasters plan to use the Dyle mobile TV service. Dyle mobile TV is working to turn Android and iOS devices into portable televisions and will allow customers to view local broadcast channels such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Quobo, Telemundo, and Univision. However, this program is not yet covered in all markets. In a presentation this month at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, ION’s President of Multichannel Distribution, Douglas Holloway, expressed qualms about Dyle’s business model, which at the moment will be entirely based on advertising. Holloway also expressed his concerns about his company’s failure to move at a fast enough rate with the expanding mobile TV platform. He said that creating their own distributable platforms are at the moment nearly impossible. This is mainly due to the fact that ION television is entirely syndication based.

Continuing to strengthen its syndicated content, ION Television announced its acquisition of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” in early August of 2012.  This off-networking licensing agreement has given the network the rights to all 10 seasons including all 195 episodes [7]. Similarly, in the same month, ION also acquired the off-net rights to all six seasons of the CBS procedural drama “Numb3rs,” which fits in perfectly with the networks’ crime drama line up [14].

In late September, ION Television announced what would be their most successful programming of the fall season. On October 3rd, the network premiered the first match of the new WWE Main Event series. The new show was promoted with several promo ads, “featuring the WWE Superstars and Divas of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown” [9]. The series will premiere live events that are filmed across the country, including an international matchup in Europe. Since its debut, WWE Main Event has been a serious contender in television ratings. Up against a presidential debate on its premiere night, this program, according to Nielson, “garnered the highest male audience in the last year with the most Men 18-49 (422,000), Men 25-54 (444,000), and Men 2+ (876,000)” and was also the #4 program on television among Men 18-49. [9]. This beat not only the male audience watching the presidential debate, but it also beat out ESPN and ESPN2 on the last MLB regular season game. CEO Brandon Burgess describes, “’Fans of the WWE are passionate and seem to have a knack for finding their favorite Superstars wherever they live. Needless to say, we are particularly pleased that WWE has found a new home on ION Television, and we congratulate our new partner in the success of the premiere’” [9]. Vince McMahon , CEO and Chairman of WWE, responded, “’We expect our fans will make WWE Main Event the number one show on the network as they have done for WWE programs with all of our other TV partners’”[9].

On October 9, it was announced that ION had created a new and much longer-term partnership with DIRECTV, a leader in digital entertainment service providers. This has extended ION Television’s contract with the provider for many years to come. Also, for the first time, the network will be offered in high-definition on DIRECTV and will also be available nationwide, from East Coast to West Coast.

Another piece of programming proving to be a serious asset for the network this fall is its “nail-biting cop drama,” Flashpoint. Back in late January of 2011, ION Television made a deal with CBS Television for the “rights to all existing episodes and future production of the popular police drama”[10].  In this deal, they were given the rights to produce the fifth season of the drama and all subsequent seasons that may occur, which celebrates the networks’ first experience in creating its own original content. On October 16 of this year, the fifth (and final) season of the original crime drama premiered on the ION Television network. The season will include thirteen, one-hour episodes produced by Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV and ION Television. According to a Canadian television website, the show is “averaging 1.7 million viewers, up 13% from last fall’s season average” [13].

Works Cited

[1] Crupi, A. (n.d.). ION Resurrects Ratings After Bankruptcy Scare | Adweek. Adweek        – Breaking News in Advertising, Media and Technology.  http://www.adweek.com/news/television/ion-resurrects-ratings-after-bankruptcy-scare-116251

[2] Hoover’s | A D&B Company. (n.d.). Hoovers | Company Information | Industry             Information | Lists. http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.ION_Media_Networks_Inc.1a21103c9917c587.html

[3] Ion Media Files Bankruptcy With Deal to Swap Debt for Equity – Bloomberg.             (n.d.). Bloomberg – Business, Financial & Economic News, Stock Quotes.              http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aYV7U84_mowg

[4] ION Life | Home. (n.d.). ION Life | Home. http://www.ionlife.com

[5] ION Media Networks | Home. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home.  http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/

[6] ION Media Networks | Press Releases. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home.  http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/press/hit-crime-drama-flashpoint-returns-to-ion-televisi?id=292

[7] Cable, L. R., & AM, 8. 1. (n.d.). ION Acquires Rights to ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ – 2012-08-08 14:49:37 | Broadcasting & Cable. Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/488339-ION_Acquires_Rights_to_Law_Order_Criminal

[8] ION Media Networks | Press Releases. (n.d.). ION Media Networks | Home.             http://www.ionmedianetworks.com/press/ion-media-networks-announces-new-agreement-with-d?id=297

[9] ION Television’s ‘WWE Main Event’ Debuts With Network’s Highest Male Ratings in a Year – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers. (n.d.). TV Ratings, TV Nielsen Ratings, Television Show Ratings | TVbytheNumbers.com. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/10/04/ion-televisions-wwe-main-event-debuts-with-networks-highest-male-ratings-in-a-year/151696/

[10] ION Television Acquires Popular Police Drama “Flashpoint” from CBS             Television Distribution | Business Wire. (n.d.). Press Release Distribution, Financial Disclosure, Online Newsrooms, PR, Public Relations, Investor Relations, EDGAR filing, XBRL, Breaking News, Business News, Financial News | Business Wire. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110125006261/en/ION-Television-Acquires-Popular-Police-Drama-%E2%80%9CFlashpoint%E2%80%9D

[11] ION Television | Positively Entertaining. (n.d.). ION Television | Positively                         Entertaining. http://www.iontelevision.com

[12] Qubo | TV Programming for Kids. (n.d.). Qubo | TV Programming for Kids.                  http://www.qubo.com

[13] Ratings: Flashpoint up 13% from last fall | TV, eh?. (n.d.). TV, eh? | What’s up in          Canadian television. http://www.tv-eh.com/2012/10/18/ratings-flashpoint-up-13-from-last-fall/

[14] Cable, L. R., & AM, 8. 9. (n.d.). ION Acquires ‘Numb3rs’ – 2012-08-07 13:30:15 | Broadcasting & Cable. Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/488283-ION_Acquires_Numb3rs_.php

[15] http://newhouse-web.syr.edu/newhouse_img/news/Holloway.jpg