network branding this country united states availability nationwide via ota digital television covering 85 % of the u.s. 1 founded july 28 2008 2008 07 28 slogan this is your movie network it doesn t get any better than this headquarters chicago illinois owner thistv llc parent mgm domestic television distribution llc 50 % tribune broadcasting 50 % key people sean compton president of programming tribune broadcasting launch date november 1 2008 2008 11 01 picture format 480i sdtv affiliates list of affiliates official website www.thistv.com this tv also known as this tv network or this and alternately stylized as thistv is an american digital broadcast television network that is owned by thistv llc a joint venture between the tribune broadcasting subsidiary of tribune media and the mgm domestic television distribution subsidiary of metro goldwyn mayer mgm . the network maintains a large programming emphasis on films those primarily sourced from the library of partial owner mgm but also airs other limited general entertainment content in the form of classic television series and children s programming . the network which broadcasts 24 hours a day in 480i standard definition is available in many media markets via broadcast television stations primarily on their digital subchannels and on select cable providers through carriage of a local affiliate primarily on digital tiers . this tv s programming and business operations are headquartered at the tribune tower in chicago ; mgm handles advertising sales for the network through its offices in new york city . 2 contents 1 history 2 programming 2.1 movies 2.1.1 film blocks 2.2 classic television series 2.3 children s programming 3 affiliates 4 references 5 external links history edit film and television studio metro goldwyn mayer and chicago illinois based television station owner weigel broadcasting announced the formation of this tv on july 28 2008 with a launch planned for that autumn . 3 4 5 the this tv name was chosen as a branding and marketing avenue for the network and its stations with slogans such as this is the place for movies it doesn t get any better than this this is what you re watching stay here for this and this is the channel proposed for use in on air promotions . 2 this tv formally launched at 9 00 p.m. eastern time on november 1 2008 with the 1986 spike lee film she s got ta have it as the network s first program . 6 however some initial affiliates may have soft launched the network one day earlier on october 31 2008 to carry some halloween themed programming that was provided by the network . 6 at launch in addition to featuring conent sourced largely from the mgm film and television library cookie jar entertainment provided children s programming for this tv s daily morning schedule . 2 under weigel broadcasting part ownership the network s operations were overseen by neal sabin who in his role as weigel s executive vice president oversaw the national launch of metv a classic television network similar in format to this tv though with an almost exclusive focus on comedic and dramatic series . jim marketti president ceo of marketti creative group was hired in august 2008 as this tv s creative director focusing on the network s marketing and promotion . 7 on may 13 2013 weigel broadcasting announced that it would be leaving the this tv partnership in order to focus on movies a similar film oriented multicast network that weigel launched in partnership with fox television stations in january 2013 . tribune broadcasting owners of the classic television multicast network antenna tv took over daily operations of this tv on november 1 2013 ; concurrently the network moved its affiliation in chicago from the fifth digital subchannel of weigel flagship station wciu tv channel 26 to a newly created third subchannel of tribune s television flagship wgn tv channel 9 . 8 9 10 sean compton president of programming for tribune broadcasting began overseeing operations for the network as a result of the transaction . programming edit main article list of programs broadcast by this tv this tv s program schedule relies primarily on the library of films and television programming currently owned by mgm and subsidiary united artists notably excluding former mgm library assets whose rights are currently held by time warner through its turner entertainment subsidiary including the pre may 1986 mgm film and television library the associated artists productions a.a.p. library and the u.s. rights to the rko pictures library . no originally produced programming appears on the network although the use of on air presenters had once been considered for this tv s movie broadcasts ; the network is also devoid of informercial programming . 2 however the network does display an on screen logo bug during its programs and affiliates are inclined to include regional descriptors reflecting the station s primary broadcast area or the station s own logo underneath the network bug . the network did not utilize a split screen credit sequence to promote upcoming programs during the closing credits until tribune took over operations these appear in the style used by many of tribune s television stations and co owned wgn america with a varying number of network promos appearing on the top left of the screen on films that feature the credits running at normal or accelerated speed framed by a text background only graphic referencing the next program or promoting the network s website or social media accounts . 2 films broadcast on the network do feature commercial interruption and breaks during its programming primarily consist of direct response advertisements for products featured in informercials and particularly during this tv s children s programming public service announcements . the network s first continuity announcer was milwaukee radio personality and miller park pa system announcer robb edwards who was replaced later in the weigel era by jim cummings ; andy geller the primary promo voice of abc through the 2000s took over when tribune assumed partial ownership of this tv . movies edit this tv s daily schedule consists largely of feature films which air on monday through saturdays from 6 00 a.m. to 4 00 a.m. and sundays from 6 00 to 10 00 a.m. 2 00 to 6 00 p.m. and 2 00 to 4 00 a.m. eastern time sometimes starting earlier or ending later depending on the length of the films . the film roster does not concentrate on films from any specific era although the network s film slate primarily focuses on releases made after 1960 meaning any film from the depression era to contemporary times and films made for either television home video dvd or theatrical release can be featured . the network s film telecasts usually by far are television cuts meant for broadcast syndication which feature content edits dubbing or muting of profanities including some that may otherwise be permissible on broadcast television and some time edits by removing superfluous plotting or adult scenes toned down to fit within a two hour timeslot with commercials . the use of the television cut means that most of the network s films are also presented in a pan and scan format suitable for 4 3 television sets ; however since tribune became part owner of the network in november 2013 this tv has carried 16 9 syndication cuts of a limited number of titles mainly those originally released after 2000 that are downconverted to a letterboxed format to fit the network s native aspect ratio . films featured on this tv consist of releases from network co parent metro goldwyn mayer and its subsidiaries united artists post 1952 films and the samuel goldwyn company pre 1997 films as well as films produced by now defunct film studios orion pictures post 1981 films and its orion classics division cannon group except for those co produced with warner bros. american international pictures and the mirisch company all of which were acquired by mgm ; in addition films produced by polygram filmed entertainment which was not acquired by mgm at the time polygram folded in 1999 although mgm holds distribution rights to its pre 1996 films are also featured on the network . all about eve which was released by 20th century fox became the first non mgm film to be aired on the network on february 6 2011 . 11 in addition to 20th century fox the network has acquired broadcast rights to recent and classic movies from paramount pictures through trifecta entertainment & media universal pictures including among them abbott and costello movies miramax films sony pictures entertainment and anchor bay entertainment . under weigel co ownership this tv aired pink panther cartoon shorts to pad out surplus airtime when a film concludes more than five minutes prior to the end of the film s allotted timeslot . film blocks edit this tv also commonly features themed movie presentations with the entire day s schedule consisting of films from a particular genre once a week throughout the month such as mondays which feature drama and romance films under the theme from the heart ; and wednesdays which feature action and western films under the theme wednesdays are wild . on certain days the network may air differing genres of films separated by daypart for example crime dramas during the day and comedies at night . the network also broadcasts a featured movie in primetime at 8 00 p.m. eastern time on monday through friday nights . until october 31 2013 the weeknight prime movie presentations were typically replayed later in the evening usually at 12 00 a.m. eastern time depending on the length of the film that preceded it which allows viewers which have this s primetime pre empted by a secondary network to watch those films . from the network s launch until october 26 2013 this tv ran a family film block preceding the network s saturday morning cookie jar toons lineup called this family friendly ; under tribune part ownership this block was discontinued with a wider variety of films mostly targeted at an adult audience filling the block s former saturday morning slot ; however family oriented films remain part of the network s schedule only airing on certain days in random timeslots and depending in part on the titles selected for that month s film slate . during 2014 the network shared select older film titles with sister network antenna tv which ran its own movie block until january 2015 with some films airing on both networks at different times during the same day or week . classic television series edit in addition to its film content the network also carries a modest amount of vintage comedy and drama series from the 1950s to the 1990s airing in the early morning most days of the week and on weekend evenings . its core biock of classic programming is tv night on this a weekend only prime time and late night lineup comprising multi episode blocks of two series each night which launched on january 10 2016 as an extension of an existing sunday evening rerun block that maintained a more generalized format dating back to the network s launch ; as of september 2016 update the lineup consists of westerns the magnificent seven and dead man s gun on saturdays and police procedurals in the heat of the night 12 and cagney & lacey on sundays . most of the network s series programming airs during the early morning hours during pre determined breaks within the network s movie schedule currently consisting of sea hunt flipper and mackenzie s raiders as of september 2016 update . after tribune broadcasting assumed operations of this tv three series formerly seen on the network the patty duke show mister ed and green acres were moved from the network to new sister network antenna tv . 12 children s programming edit main