From UPN46 to My46TV
By Bill Beene
Of the St. Louis American
Like a hip and sexy TV show, Roberts Broadcasting is back for the 2006 fall lineup.
After CBS and Time Warner flipped the switch on their respective UPN and WB operations and went in on one new network, CW, it was lights off for Roberts Broadcasting’s then-UPN affiliate, UPN46.
However, the savvy, enterprising duo, Mike and Steve Roberts, founders and owners of Roberts Broadcasting, quickly found light in New Corp.’s last venture, Fox-owned My Network TV.
On September 5, Roberts Broadcasting will launch My46TV on St. Louis’ Channel 46, formerly affiliated with UPN.
Roberts Broadcasting is excited about the new affiliate.
“It’s an exciting time in the media arena, and we’re partnering with a proven industry leader,” said Michael V. Roberts, chairman and CEO of Roberts Broadcasting, regarding News Corp. successes like American Idol, the myspace.com community and cable’s FX.
To officially turn off UPN46 and flick on My46TV, Roberts Broadcasting will air a marathon on September 4, airing popular old-school sitcoms like Good Times, The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son.
The marathon will be hosted by local comedians Darius Bradford and Arvin Mitchell.
“It’s our way of saying goodbye,” said Bonnie Burns, vice president of Roberts Broadcasting.
The marathon will be followed by a preview of My46TV’s new primetime, short dramatic series, Fashion House and Desire from 7-9 p.m. Both shows will launch on September 5.
Desire, from 7-8 p.m., chronicles the tragic destruction of a family and the bonds of brotherhood when two brothers on the run from the Mafia find themselves in a heated battle of passion, betrayal, deceit and murder over the woman they both love.
Fashion, 8-9 p.m., promises to delve deep into the glamorous, yet unscrupulous world of the fashion industry and how greed, lust and blind ambition make or break careers and hearts in the business.
Burns called the short series “telenovellas” that “like a love/mystery/ romance books will start and finish in 14 weeks.”
Catch-up capsules will be regularly available online as well as web-only content tying in directly with the story line.
Viewers can effectively follow the show without watching it on TV every night.
Roberts Broadcasting President and COO Steve Roberts said, “The days of reaching an audience solely through appointment television are long past. Tivo and other DVR services along with broadband internet access have changed the media landscape for good, and we have to look at content delivery beyond the TV screen.”
Burns said the opportunity that Fox was offering around the time CBS and Time Warner announced their move was too good to pass up because of its innovation in national top 10 markets and success around the world.
Having Fox as a “halo (national branding)” is also good for the new My46TV, Burns said.
“We have that foundation of the network while being able to localize it,” Burns said. “It lends itself to becoming more involved with our viewers.
Burns and the Roberts brothers are excited and committed to this market and have invested a lot of money to bring good programming to local viewers.
Approximately 40 percent of channel 46’s programming will change. One on One, Scrubs and Still Standing will enter syndication on My46TV this fall. The Insider, the entertainment magazine new show, will move from ABC30 to My46TV on September 4.
My46TV will continue to air St. Louis favorites My Wife &Kids, Steve Harvey, Girlfriends, Cheaters, Sunday Movies and the old-school sitcoms.
