MrRant 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer NEW YORK - Fox is planning to start the Fox Reality Channel early next year, perhaps moving to the front of the suddenly crowded sweepstakes of networks looking to capitalize on the format. The new network will air a mix of original series and reruns of series like "Joe Millionaire" and "Temptation Island." Fox joins Reality Central, which is set to begin later this year, and Reality TV, which airs only on the Dish Network, in the competition to be the go-to place for fans of the popular genre. With owner News Corp.'s one-third stake in Direct TV, a collection of studios and a broadcast network that has long embraced the genre, the Fox Reality Channel is well-positioned for the fight. "It was never so much a question of whether we might take this next step and launch a dedicated reality channel," said Anthony Vinciquerra, Fox Networks Group president. "It was only a matter of when." Meanwhile, the operators of Reality Central said Fox had essentially taken their idea and ran with it. "When you get a validation from one of the big media conglomerates, it's flattering," said Larry Namer, head of Reality Central and a founder of the E! Entertainment network. Vinciquerra laughed when told of Namer's comment. He said the Fox Reality Channel has been in the works for more than two years. Reality Central has been aggressively trying to promote itself as a destination for fans of the genre. Besides reality show reruns and some original shows, it will keep viewers up-to-date with what's going on across all the networks. The Fox Reality Channel, Namer said, is essentially an excuse for the Fox companies to burn off their programming. But Vinciquerra said that while Fox-related companies will provide a bulk of the new network's programming, it won't exclusively be Fox. The Fox Reality Channel will eventually distinguish itself with more original programming than a competitor is likely to muster. The Fox Reality Channel hasn't named a chief executive or programmer yet, so there are few details on what new shows it will start. The Fox networks have had a handful of successful start-ups over the past few years, including the National Geographic (news - web sites) Channel, the Speed Channel for motorsports and Fuel, an outlet for extreme sports. Reality TV, meanwhile, concentrates less on manufactured games than tapes of police chases, fire rescues and the like. Another network changed its name from the Game Show Network to GSN earlier this year, in an attempt to start showing more reality fare and position itself as a site for fans of the shows. The Fox Reality Channel will concentrate on the competitive games and romantic reality shows. "This is not just a passing fad for Fox," said Fox Networks spokesman Tom Tyre. "They've been doing this for a while." This just doesn't sound good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 Then don't watch it, hippie... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 If they make a reality hippie beating show then I will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 True Dat. I guess for now we'll have to settle for COPS... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 They don't beat as many hippies any more. Just white trash, latinos and blacks with the occasional Jew mixed in for spice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 There's already a post about this further down the page. Can we merge the two? Please? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 They don't beat as many hippies any more. Just white trash, latinos and blacks with the occasional Jew mixed in for spice. That's just as good, imo... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 I just wish all the reality shows would get moved to this crapalicious new network, so good shows won't lose their spots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 I just wish all the reality shows would get moved to this crapalicious new network, so good shows won't lose their spots. Good shows like... Whoopi? Let's face it, there's crap across the board. It's not just limited to reality shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Exslade ZX 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 Meh..no problem with this really. People who don't watch Reality TV are always complaining about it being on, instead of whatever they 'weren't going to watch'. So why not just make it into a full channel? Other networks are already doing this sort of, such as the Game show network...which is showing The Mole, Average Joe, all that stuff. And long as every now and then they do get a new show..new season of a show whatever, I'm all up for it. Just as long as it's no stupid shit, like The Swan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haVoc 0 Report post Posted July 14, 2004 It's not just the reality channel. Fox is under fire right now for ripping off other channels idea's and shows. Fox's Foul Play? Jul 13, 2004, 1:30 PM PT Is a certain network acting lazy like a Fox? Suits at NBC and ABC are pointing an angry finger at Fox, accusing the upstart net of swiping ideas and unfairly scooping the competition. Snippy execs say there are several examples of series that Fox initially passed on, including NBC's The Contender and ABC's Wife Swap, only to turn around and develop knock-offs. Of course, creative inspiration (or imitation) is nothing new in show biz, but in a Fox-worthy twist, the network is rushing its series onto air ahead of the original product. Speaking via satellite at the Television Critics Press Tour on Monday, the Alphabet net's entertainment prez Stephen McPherson said writers and developers should be wary of pitching to Fox. "If I was a member of the creative community," said McPherson, "it would be incredibly disconcerting to me that if you take a show into Fox, and they can't, don't or decide not to buy it, they will steal it. Plain and simple." After ABC announced it was importing the British hit Wife Swap back in January, Fox put its own family-switcheroo series, Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy, on the fast track. Now, the net will bow its new series next week, a full two months ahead of the ABC show's scheduled Sept. 29 launch. "I think it's really upsetting, I think it's bad for the business, I think it's bad for the broadcast networks, and I don't think it's right," said McPherson. His belly-aching echoed that of NBC prez Jeff Zucker, who spoke out on Saturday. "Quite frankly, they used to be innovators, and now they are imitators," Zucker griped. Fox lost Contender to NBC in a bidding war before announcing its own similarly themed boxing series, The Next Great Champ, fronted by Oscar De La Hoya. The Peacock now finds its show, from Mark Burnett and Sylvester Stallone, in danger of getting KO'd by Fox's version, which is slated for a fall launch. NBC hadn't scheduled the Contender until midseason 2004-05. But Zucker didn't take his punches sitting down. In retaliation, he told reporters of two top secret projects in the works at Fox, including Who's My Daddy?, which asks a woman to find her father among 16 men, and Big Shot, described as a faux Apprentice opportunity. Credit: E! Online Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Exslade ZX 0 Report post Posted July 15, 2004 Heh...that's kind of funny in a way. If ABC or NBC are pissed about their shows being stolen after their ideas being rejected..then why didn't they just do what Fox did? And that is...just bring the show out on their own. Do the show before 'competition' puts their own version out. Unless one of the two channels didn't have enough money or something like that...which I highly doubt. Then I don't see the reasoning behind trying to 'team up'? with another network. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted July 15, 2004 I believe that the networks follow this type of reasoning: If it's not on your network, it sucks for a reason to be determined later... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
