Invitation for Interviews Regarding the Jan. 1 Relaunch of Court TV as truTV

Invitation for Interviews Regarding the Jan. 1 Relaunch of Court TV as truTV

The following is an invitation for interviews regarding the Jan. 1 relaunch of Court TV as truTV and includes an at-a-glance overview on the rebranding campaign:

You've probably heard about the upcoming launch of truTV. On Jan. 1, Court TV will be rebranded as truTV in what promises to be one of the biggest stories in cable in 2008. It's a significant change, whether on the business side or for viewers.

To help with any coverage you're planning, we've assembled a brief overview of our truTV revamp. You can also see a two-and-a-half minute ad for truTV if you go to http://trutv.com/, use the "watch now" link and select "truTV trailer." This fast-paced spot - appearing in movie theaters - shows interviews and clips from truTV's new primetime shows, plus scenes from series on today's Court TV. It's a great overview of what to expect from truTV.

Normally, networks are renamed when they are struggling. That isn't the case with Court TV/truTV. "This project is unique in our industry, because we are rebranding a network that is already in strong shape," said Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager of Court TV/truTV. "Revamping Court TV as truTV will take us to the next level. We'll attract a bigger, broader audience, making the network even better than it is now."

Please contact me with any questions, requests for photos or to arrange an interview with Juris.

Karen Cassell
Senior vice president for public relations, Turner Entertainment Networks
404-885-4238 office, 404-217-5871 cell
karen.cassell@turner.com

KEY FACTS ABOUT TRUTV

Court TV will become truTV on Jan. 1, 2008. Trial coverage will air under a separate name, IN SESSION, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (ET/PT) weekdays. The truTV portion of the day will start at 3 p.m. (ET/PT) and continue into the primetime hours and overnight.

truTV will continue to show many of the series that already appear on Court TV, including Most Shocking, Forensic Files, Haunting Evidence and Psychic Detectives. New series will be added over time, including The Real Hustle, Black Gold and Sky Racers.

truTV's new tagline is "Not Reality. Actuality." The goal is to separate the real-life programming on truTV from the glut of staged reality programs on many other networks.

The rebranding is meant to broaden the appeal of Court TV. Already, Court TV's programming lineup reaches far beyond trial coverage. The change to a new name will help reflect the evolution in the content of the network.

truTV will target an audience of 35- to 45-year-olds who prefer shows with real-life action. This group was identified through extensive research. The demographic, known internally as "real engagers," skews slightly male.

The switch is happening at a time of ratings strength for Court TV. The network has had eight-straight quarters of ratings improvement. The following figures from Nielsen Media Research show percentage ratings growth in primetime compared to the prior year's quarter. Figures are for viewers ages 18-49, which is the key demographic for Court TV.

1st quarter 2006 +4.8%

2nd quarter 2006 +15.2%

3rd quarter 2006 +8.8%

4th quarter 2006 +31.6%

1st quarter 2007 +31.9%

2nd quarter 2007 +16%

3rd quarter 2007 +27.6%

4th quarter 2007* +10.2%

* Through Nov. 19, 2007

Court TV is part of Turner Entertainment Networks, a unit of Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System. Turner Entertainment Networks has a track record of successfully rebranding and repositioning networks. Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, led the revamp of TNT in 2000 using the "We Know Drama" theme. Koonin also oversaw the 2004 repositioning of TBS using the "Very Funny" branding and now is over Marc Juris and the team at Court TV/truTV.

New York-based Court TV/truTV is available in 91 million U.S. households

Court TV launched in 1991. In 2006, Time Warner acquired full control of Court TV. Court TV, which is based in New York, was placed within Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System unit, which includes Turner Entertainment Networks.

PRNewswire -- Dec. 17
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Turner Entertainment Networks

Web site:

http://www.turner.com/

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