or


[02/13/15 - 06:47 AM]
LAFF Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements
"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting.

[via press release from LAFF]

LAFF -- The Nation's First Comedy-Driven Broadcast Television Network -- Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements

ATLANTA (February 13, 2015) - LAFF, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock set to launch on April 15, 2015, made the first in what-will-be a series of programming acquisition announcements today, landing the broadcast television rights to more than 800 episodes of some of the most popular sitcoms in contemporary television.

In the three individual, multi-year licensing agreements, LAFF licenses:

· All nine seasons of both The Drew Carey Show (233 episodes) and Night Court (193 episodes) from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

· Two series from The Disney/ABC Television Group: Ellen DeGeneres' first sitcom Ellen (109 episodes) and all seven seasons of Empty Nest (170 episodes).

· Grace Under Fire (112 episodes) starring Brett Butler from Carsey-Werner Productions.

"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting. "We're assembling an all-star comedy line-up and will be announcing more acquisitions shortly."

LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18-49. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the linear network carried on the signals of local broadcast television stations and corresponding cable carriage while a selection of companion digital content will be available at LAFF.com and via the LAFF app.

The newly-announced LAFF already has two major distribution agreements in place. The ABC Owned Television Stations will carry LAFF in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh and Fresno. The E.W. Scripps Company will also launch LAFF on its stations in Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Buffalo and Tulsa.

These initial agreements will make LAFF available to more than 35% of the country, with more distribution additions expected to be announced shortly.

LAFF is owned and operated by Katz Broadcasting, established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. LAFF joins GRIT, the first broadcast network targeting men, and ESCAPE, the first over-the-air network designed for women, in the Katz Broadcasting portfolio. Katz is President and CEO of the company while also still serving as COO of Bounce TV, the nation's first and only over-the-air television network for African Americans.





  [february 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)





[02/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
Max Renews "The Pitt," Starring Noah Wyle, for a Second Season
New episodes of the 15-episode first season debut on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET leading up to the season finale on April 10.

[02/14/25 - 01:01 PM]
"XO, Kitty" Renewed for a Third Season at Netflix
Season 2 premiered on January 16, 2025 and debuted at #2 on the English TV List with 14.2 million views.

[02/14/25 - 11:01 AM]
HBO Original Six-Part Documentary Series "Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015" Debuts February 25
Inspired by Henry Hampton's legendary documentary series "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement," this new installment of the groundbreaking 1987 series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement.

[02/14/25 - 10:06 AM]
"Farmer Wants a Wife" - Are You DTF? Meet the 32 Women Ready to Saddle Up and Take on the Farm Life, Premiering Thursday, 3/20 at 9/8c on FOX
This season, four new farmers - Matt Warren, Jay Woods, John Sansone and Colton Hendricks - bring the heat as all-new daters look to leave behind city life for the charm of the country as they embark on an adventure that could change the course of their lives forever.

[02/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Announces Returning Main Cast and New Cast Starring in Season Three of the Emmy-Winning Drama Series "Euphoria," As Well As New and Returning Key Crew Members
Returning series regulars include Emmy winner Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, SAG Awards winner Eric Dane, BAFTA Film Award nominee Jacob Elordi, Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, and Maude Apatow.

[02/14/25 - 10:01 AM]
Love Is in the Air! New Reality Dating Series "Bravo's Love Hotel" Coming Soon
The new reality dating series brings together some of "The Real Housewives" franchise fan favorites, including Shannon Storms Beador, Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby and Luann de Lesseps for the ultimate luxurious getaway in the hopes of finding true love.

[02/14/25 - 08:01 AM]
The Latest Season of "Yellowstone" Heads Exclusively to Peacock - Season 5: Part 2 Arrives March 16
The Dutton family fights to defend their ranch and way of life from an Indian reservation and land developers.

[02/14/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Bridgerton" Season 4 - Sneak Peek - Netflix
To celebrate the Season of Love, Netflix takes you behind the scenes of filming "Bridgerton" Season 4 with Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) and Yerin Ha (Sophie Baek).

[02/14/25 - 07:01 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Focus Features' Gothic Tale "Nosferatu" Beginning February 21
From acclaimed director Robert Eggers, the film stars Bill SkarsgÄrd, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe and more.

[02/14/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "My Family" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A terminally ill father prepares his chaotic family to care for his two young kids and face life without him - but they must put old quarrels to rest.

[02/13/25 - 03:23 PM]
BYUtv Premieres Powerful, Fantastical New Zealand-Set Family Series "Secrets at Red Rocks"
The series follows the journey of Jake, an eccentric boy struggling to find belonging whose life is profoundly impacted by his discovery of mythical selkies who shapeshift from seal to human form.

[02/13/25 - 01:42 PM]
ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Memphis Grizzlies Visit Cleveland Cavaliers on February 23
This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks game.

[02/13/25 - 01:15 PM]
Showtime Original Series "Dexter: Resurrection" Adds Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusa and Emilia Suarez
Production kicked off in January 2025 in New York and the series is set to launch in summer of 2025 on Paramount+ with Showtime.

[02/13/25 - 01:00 PM]
Video: "O'Dessa" - Official Trailer - Hulu
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, "O'Dessa" is an original rock opera about a farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom.

[02/13/25 - 12:01 PM]
Legendary Lineup Grows as "Saturday Night Live" Announces More Musical Guests and Comedians for "SNL50: The Homecoming Concert" Streaming Live on Peacock from Radio City Music Hall on February 14 at 8ET/5PT
The event celebrating 50 years of legendary "SNL" musical and comedy performances will also feature special appearances by Ana Gasteyer, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Paul Shaffer, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, and more surprise guests.