| TheCoolTV | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | March 2009 |
| Owned by | Cool Music Network, LLC |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | Music Videos on TV - All Day, Everyday. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Select markets |
| Affiliates | (see article) |
| Headquarters | Lawrence, Kansas |
| Website | thecooltv |
TheCoolTV is an American digital broadcast television network that is owned by Cool Music Network, LLC of Lawrence, Kansas. Launched in March 2009, the network's current program schedule consists of an all-music video lineup that can be customized to meet an affiliate's preference; it also broadcasts the minimum three hours of children's programming for their affiliates intended to meet E/I requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission.
In addition to the network, Cool Music Network also distributes recorded music and performances through digital cable and satellite channels, and post-concert CDs at music venues.[1]
Affiliates [2][edit]
Since the fall of 2011, the network's carriage has severely fallen from a peak of around 80 affiliates to only five as of October 2015; four of those affiliations are with low-power stations, with the other as a subchannel on a full-power station where only the main channel is usually picked up by cable providers under must carry provisions.
| City of license/Market | Station | Channel TV / DT |
Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Massachusetts/Nashua, New Hampshire | WYCN-CD | 13.1 | OTA Broadcasting, LLC |
| Fresno, California | KSDI-LP | 33.7 | Cocola Broadcasting |
| Laughlin, Nevada | KMCC | 34.2 | Cranston II, LLC (managed by Fusion Communications) |
| West Palm Beach, Florida | WBWP-LD | 57.3 | H&R Production Group, LLC |
| Wichita, Kansas | KCTU-LD | 43.6 | River City Broadcasters, Inc. |
TheCoolTV's output consists of subchannels of digital broadcast television stations and cable television providers in select U.S. media markets, the first of which was now-former affiliate WTMJ-TV, which added TheCoolTV to subchannel 4.3 on July 8, 2009. A large portion of its stations were owned and/or operated by Journal Communications, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and LIN TV[3][4][5] The affiliate roster grew with help from an affiliation deal with three stations operated by McGraw-Hill.[6] On April 5, 2011, The CoolTV signed an affiliate agreement with Newport Television for carriage on 10 of its 22 stations.[7]
Stations affiliated with TheCoolTV have the nominal ability to cross-promote the network in association with a sister or affiliated radio station. However, the only affiliate that actually utilized this component was WTMJ-TV, which marketed TheCoolTV as a complement to its sister radio station, adult hits-formatted WLWK-FM (promoted as "TheCoolTV, hosted by 94-5 Lake FM"), with the other stations usually being part of ownership groups without any radio stations.
Decline[edit]
In September 2011, Journal announced that it would file a lawsuit against Cool Music Network for non-payment of broadcast services. Journal replaced The CoolTV with the Live Well Network in Milwaukee, and Me-TV in Green Bay and Lansing on October 1, 2011.[8][9][10]
On the afternoon of August 31, 2012, TheCoolTV was dropped from all 32 Sinclair Broadcast Group stations that carried the channel, with no replacement.[11] No reason was given, other than a very brief message from Jim Wright, the Regional Engineering Manager for Sinclair, who said: "We are no longer carrying CoolTV on all Sinclair stations as of this afternoon."[12]
The agreement with Newport Television to carry TheCoolTV was terminated upon Newport being purchased by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, which carries few subchannels on its stations (stations that do carry digital subchannels mainly carry an affiliation with a major broadcast network or relay a co-owned/managed television station in the same market that does not have signal coverage in parity with the parent station), and all former Newport stations had discontinued carrying TheCoolTV by April 2013. All agreements with McGraw-Hill were also terminated upon the E. W. Scripps Company's purchase of the McGraw-Hill stations in early 2012.
On March 1, 2013, two LIN stations in Albuquerque and Austin dropped the network. The remainder of LIN Media's stations dropped the network on July 15, 2013, with some replacing it with Bounce TV or local radar loops, or leaving them dark altogether.
Sometime in November 2012, TheCoolTV began airing Free-to-air on the Galaxy 19 (97 West) satellite in the Ku Band.[13] However, this feed was discontinued without explanation.
References[edit]
- ^ "Lawrence-based TheCoolTV might revive music video", from kansascity.com, 11/28/2011
- ^ "RabbitEars.Info". rabbitears.info.
- ^ "Cool Music Network (THECOOLTV) and Sinclair Television Group Announce Partnership". 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-04.[dead link]
- ^ "Sinclair Multicasting Music Channel". 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
- ^ "LIN Stations Get CoolTV", from broadcastingcable.com, 9/28/2010
- ^ "Cool TV Inks Affiliate Deal With McGraw-Hill", from tvnewscheck.com, 1/18/2011
- ^ "THECOOLTV Gains More Viewers Via Affiliate with Newport TV". constantcontact.com.
- ^ Staff report (2 September 2011). "Channel 4 owner sues 'The Cool TV' for $257k". The Business Journal, Milwaukee. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ Staff report (12 September 2011). "Channel 4 dropping 'The Cool TV' for lifestyle network". The Business Journal, Milwaukee. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ Cuprisin, Tim (13 September 2011). "Get ready for another round of Charlie Sheen". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Radio Discussions". Radio Discussions.
- ^ Satellite Guys: "TheCoolTV pulled from Sinclair stations", August 31, 2012.
- ^ "Galaxy 19 at 97.0°W - LyngSat". lyngsat.com.
External links[edit]
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