Weigel Broadcasting Co. to launch new ‘Start TV’ network in association with CBS television stations

CHICAGO, IL (July 18, 2018)- Weigel Broadcasting Co. announces the launch of the new multicast entertainment television network- Start TV, beginning Monday, September 3, 2018, in association with CBS Television Stations. Start TV showcases strong and resourceful female leading characters in a lineup of contemporary and proven procedural dramas. Each lead character and series embody a boldness and determination to “Start” leading the way, seeking the truth, solving the crime, and defending the innocent.

The talented and award-winning leading actresses featured on the new Start TV Network include: Kyra Sedgwick, Patricia Arquette, Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Bonnie Bedelia,   Taraji P. Henson, and Jill Hennessy.

Start TV will launch with an original seven-day-a-week strip schedule. Episodes air every day at the same time, Monday through Sunday. This convenient format allows viewers to tune in and “Start” watching any day or time they choose. Headliner programs will be showcased with multiple episodes airing each day in multi-hour blocks.

“We are excited to launch the Start TV Network with the CBS Television Stations,” said Neal Sabin, Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co. “Each of these acclaimed TV series is built around compelling female lead characters and portrayed by amazing award-winning actresses. This is an exciting network concept and great opportunity to present these proven procedural dramas.”

CBS Television Stations will add Start TV to their stations: WCBS New York, KCBS Los Angeles, WBBM Chicago, KYW Philadelphia, KTVT Dallas-Ft. Worth, KPIX San Francisco, WUPA Atlanta, WBZ Boston, KSTW Seattle, WTOG Tampa-St. Petersburg, WWJ Detroit, WCCO Minneapolis-St. Paul, WFOR Miami, KCNC Denver, KOVR Sacramento, KDKA Pittsburgh and WJZ Baltimore. Start TV will also be seen on cable outlets in each of these markets. Weigel Broadcasting Co. owned stations in St Louis, MO; Utah; Milwaukee, WI; Rockford, IL; and South Bend, IN will carry the Start TV Network. Bahakel Communications will also be an initial launch group with affiliates in Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; and Montgomery, AL. Combined, the Start TV Network will have 42% coverage of U.S. TV households at “The Start.”

“We are pleased to partner with our friends at Weigel Broadcasting to launch Start TV,” said Peter Dunn, President, CBS Television Stations. "Our CBS Television Network primetime audience has enjoyed great success with procedural dramas for many years. We are excited to feature The Good Wife and many other compelling series in the Start TV line-up as a great companion to our CBS programming.” The following popular procedural drama series will air on Start TV.

Network programming begins Monday, September 3, 2018:

• The Closer starring Kyra Sedgwick as a Deputy Police Chief running the LAPD’s Priority Homicide Division with an unorthodox style that helps her solve the toughest and most sensitive cases.
• The Good Wife starring Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski follows a woman who must return to work as a lawyer to provide for her family, after her husband is jailed following a political scandal. Series begins January, 2019.
• Medium starring Patricia Arquette as a suburban mom who balances family life while solving mysteries with her special gift for communicating with the deceased.
• Crossing Jordan starring Jill Hennessy as a brilliant medical examiner who goes above and beyond to solve cases despite her spotty career and mercurial ways. Series begins January, 2019.
• Cold Case starring Kathryn Morris as a lone female detective who finds her calling by unraveling and re-thinking previously unsolved, older crimes.
• Profiler starring Ally Walker as an exceptional doctor working with Federal agencies to investigate and solve violent crimes. Haunted by tragedy, she also searches for her husband’s elusive killer.
• The Division, starring Bonnie Bedelia, Taraji P. Henson, and Nancy McKeon as very different female cops in San Francisco trying to find success in their personal and professional lives.

For more on Start TV, visit www.starttv.com and follow Start TV on social media @starttvnetwork.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a family-owned media company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company owns and operates national television networks, as well as local broadcast stations throughout the country. Weigel is the leader in the multicast television network space with "MeTV," Memorable Entertainment Television, the number-one rated and distributed multicast network, as well as the "Movies!" Network in cooperation with the Fox Television Stations, the "DECADES" Network and the "H&I" Network. Weigel's local stations include CBS, ABC, The CW, MyNet and Telemundo network affiliates. Weigel and its affiliate companies broadcast network and independent television stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, Cedar City-St. George, Milwaukee, South Bend and Rockford. For more information on Weigel, visit: https://www.weigelbroadcasting.com/

About CBS Television Stations

CBS Television Stations consists of 28 owned-and-operated stations, including 15 that are part of the CBS Television Network, eight affiliates of The CW Network, three independent stations and two MyNetworkTV affiliates. Among its stations are WCBS-TV and WLNY-TV (New York), KCBS-TV and KCALTV (Los Angeles), WBBM-TV (Chicago), KYW-TV and WPSG-TV (Philadelphia), KTVT-TV and KTXA-TV (Dallas-Ft. Worth), KPIX-TV and KBCW-TV (San Francisco), WUPA-TV (Atlanta), WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV (Boston), KSTW-TV (Seattle), WTOG-TV (Tampa-St. Petersburg), WWJ-TV and WKBD-TV (Detroit), WCCOTV (Minneapolis-St. Paul), WFOR-TV and WBFS-TV (Miami), KCNC-TV (Denver), KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV (Sacramento), KDKA-TV and WPCW-TV (Pittsburgh) and WJZ-TV (Baltimore), as well as WCCO-TV's satellite station KCCW-TV (Walker, Minn.).