| Audience Network | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1999 |
| Owned by | DirecTV |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 720p (HDTV) |
| Formerly called | Freeview (1999-2005) The 101 Network (2005-2011) |
| Sister channel(s) | n3D Game Show Network Root Sports |
| Website | Audience Network on DirecTV.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | Channels 101, 239, 334, and 500 (SD/HD) Channel 1239 (On Demand) |
Audience Network (formerly The 101 Network and originally Freeview) is a general entertainment television channel owned by DirecTV and available exclusively on their satellite television service throughout the United States. Since all subscribers pay for the channel in their "Choice" basic package, most programs are uncut and commercial free.
Contents |
What would eventually become Audience Network launched in 1999 as a continuous loop of concerts and other events on channel 103.[1] The channel was initially known as Freeview because it was part of all subscription packages, starting with Total Choice. It was relocated to channel 124 several years later, ultimately moving to its current position on channel 101 and renamed The 101 Network. Since 2005, the program schedule for the channel has expanded to include original shows.
The channel was rebranded as Audience Network on June 1, 2011 with The Dan Patrick Show as the first program using the new branding. [2] Since the rebrand, DirecTV has advised viewers to watch it on channel 239, although it is also still available on channels 101, 334 and 500.
Supreme Court of Comedy is an original show on Audience Network that premiered in 2008. It is a pseudo court show with Dom Irrera as the judge and several comedians or actors playing lawyers, including Kevin Pollak, Jon Lovitz, Jamie Kennedy, Paul Mooney, Tom Papa, Tom Arnold, Bobby Lee, Paul Rodriguez, Aries Spears, George Wallace, Victoria Jackson, Rich Hall, Louie Anderson, and Bob Marley. [3] The plaintiffs and defendants are regular people with actual court cases, however the show has no legal standing and is meant for entertainment purposes only. The show was renewed for a third season which premiered on June 17, 2010. [4]
Rock in A Hard Place is a celebrity game show, hosted by Meat Loaf, that premiered in the fall of 2008. Rock bands (mostly from the 1970s and 1980s, but some from the 1990s) are the teams. The episodes have included A Flock of Seagulls vs. Toto, Right Said Fred vs. Bananarama, Leif Garrett vs. Bay City Rollers, Diva vs. Color Me Badd, Jeffrey Osborne vs. Tony Orlando, Quiet Riot All Stars vs. Air Supply, The Skinners vs. The Shredders, Tommy Tutone vs. Ray Parker, Jr., Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam vs. Da Brat, Everclear vs. Starship, and Sha Na Na vs. War. [5]
The DirecTV Concert Series is exclusive concerts of several popular bands. See here for a complete list.
The Dan Patrick Show: on weekday mornings since August 2009, Audience Network has simulcasted the syndicated sports talk radio program. [6] The telecast was originally exclusive to Audience Network, but since October 25, 2010, the show has been simulcast on Fox Sports Net affiliates. [7]
Starting in January 2009, the channel aired Wonderland, a controversial show that been broadcast briefly on ABC in the spring of 2000.[8] The run included all eight episodes of the series, six of which had never been aired.[8]
DirecTV and NBC Studios announced on April 25, 2007 that new episodes of NBC's daytime soap opera Passions would begin airing exclusively on the channel on September 17, 2007.[9] [10] According to the announcement, the show would retain its 1:00 p.m.CST - 2:00 p.m. ET time slot, with episodes rerun on weekends. Passions had aired on NBC since 1999, but in January 2007 the network announced it would not renew the show for a ninth season, and its run on NBC ended on September 7, 2007. In December 2007, DirecTV announced that it would not pick up Passions from NBC for a tenth season,[11] and aired the finale on August 7, 2008.
DirecTV, NBC, and Universal Media Studios announced on April 2, 2008 that starting on October 1, 2008, the third season of the NBC series Friday Night Lights would first air on the channel in the form of 13 first-run episodes.[12][13] After DirecTV finished airing the third season episodes of Friday Night Lights, starting on January 16, 2009 NBC aired the third season with edited scenes. On March 31, 2009, NBC and DirecTV announced that they had renewed Friday Night Lights for two additional seasons, again to be broadcast first on DirecTV and then on NBC.[14]
DirecTV has picked up rights to new episodes of Damages, formerly on FX. It began airing reruns of seasons 1-3 on January 5, 2011. Season 4 premiered on Audience Network on July 13, 2011. DirecTV has also renewed it for a fifth season. [15]
The channel aired repeat episodes of SoapNet's original soap opera limited series, General Hospital: Night Shift throughout Night Shift's July to October 2008 run on SoapNet.[16]
The channel broadcast the documentary travel/adventure series Odyssey: Driving Around the World starting June 2008.
A short-lived ABC show, The Nine, began airing on the channel on May 27, 2009.[17]
The channel began airing the Canadian comedy series Trailer Park Boys on February 5, 2009.[18]
The channel also airs reruns of the 2005-2006 Showtime drama series Sleeper Cell.[19]
On April 21, 2009, it was announced that DirecTV picked up the syndication rights to Oz and Deadwood.[20][21]
The channel began airing Smith on April 8, 2009. [17][22]
On September 17, 2009, DirecTV announced that they have picked up exclusive U.S. rights to the Australian miniseries Underbelly. It began airing on February 3, 2010. [23]
DirecTV has syndication rights to The Wire, which began airing on July 18, 2010. [24]
On September 28, 2010 DirecTV acquired exclusive US rights to the British shows No Heroics, How Not to Live Your Life and Mutual Friends. They premiered in November. [25]
On February 10, 2011, DirecTV acquired exclusive U.S. rights to the Canadian series Call Me Fitz. It premiered on April 21, 2011. [26]
DirecTV has also acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the Australian series Rake. [27]
In the Fall of 2011, DirecTV acquired exclusive U.S. rights to the Canadian sitcom Less Than Kind [28] and the British drama Hit and Miss. [29]
Celebrity Beach Bowl: since 2007, during Super Bowl week, DirecTV has held an annual celebrity flag football game which promotes DirecTV's exclusive sports package NFL Sunday Ticket. A concert follows the game which is simulcasted on WGN-TV and WGN America.
Bracket Breakdown was an exclusive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship pre-game show with several college basketball analysts and insiders, including Louisville's Rick Pitino, Kentucky's John Calipari, Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, Tennessee's Bruce Pearl and Washington's Lorenzo Romar and former UCLA player and current sports talk radio show host Sean Farnham. [30] It served as supplemental coverage to DirecTV's exclusive (now defunct) Mega March Madness package.
SXSW: the channel exclusively carried the 2009 SXSW Festival concert live. [31]
Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America aired exclusively on DirecTV. [32]
During the Halloween period in 2006, Audience Network showed several themed movies, including The Toxic Avenger.
On February 23, 2007 and February 24, 2007, Audience Network aired a preview of Chiller, the new cable channel from NBC Universal dedicated to horror programming that launched on channel 257 on DIRECTV March 1, 2007. Programming featured during this preview included the two-hour pilot episode of Twin Peaks, the pilot episode of American Gothic, episodes of Monsters, Tales from the Crypt, Night Gallery, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Friday the 13th: The Series, and various horror movies.
Audience Network has aired a number of dramatic series a few days before their scheduled premiers on Showtime including The Tudors in March 2007 and Nurse Jackie in June 2009, and Party Down for Starz on April 22, 2010.
On August 24, 2007, Audience Network aired an exclusive high-definition broadcast of High School Musical 2, one week after its premiere on Disney Channel, though the high definition version of Disney Channel didn't launch until 2008.[33]
The first original program on the channel was CD USA, a pop music show reminiscent of the longtime favorite American Bandstand. CD USA aired every Saturday evening and ran all weekend long. This channel also showed American Idol Extra, a weekly recap program, on weekends throughout the 2006 season of Idol [34] after it had premiered Thursdays on Fox Reality.
Other former original shows have included the Championship Gaming Invitational, Championship Gaming Series, [35] The FIZZ,[36] and Project My World. [37][38]
Havoc on The 101 broadcasted live web / phone text chats over music videos and action sports clips. Viewers could vote for which video they want to see next via those chats. [39] The chats are from the website Havoc.tv.
Hometown Heroes chronicled DirecTV customers who are local heroes in their communities. It was hosted by Joan Lunden. [40]