"Ion charges up Warners deal"
Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:41am

By Paul J. Gough

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Ion Media Networks Inc. announced Tuesday a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution that will give Ion broadcast rights to classic films like "Superman" and "Amadeus" and TV shows like "Chico and the Man" and "The Wonder Years."

The former Paxson network's deal starts Saturday, when Ion will air "Superman III" in a tie-in to the launch of the new movie "Superman Returns." Other movies in the package include "All the President's Men," "Oh God!," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "2001: A Space Odyssey."

The other movies will be scheduled in the future, though it wasn't clear immediately what the schedule would look like. CEO Brandon Burgess said Tuesday that it was likely that the movies would run in primetime on the weekends, while the TV shows would be aired in a strip schedule on the weekdays.

Ion currently programs from 6-11 p.m. It's likely that the former Paxson shows, like "Doc" and "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye," will end up going out of the program rotation sooner rather than later. Burgess noted that the Paxson shows are no longer in production and have been running continuously in repeats.

Ion said it would begin scheduling them in August. Also included in the deal are "Welcome Back, Kotter," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "Mama's Family," "Alice," "Growing Pains," "Perfect Strangers" and "Wonder Woman."

Ion is expected to make at least one other deal for a company's library within the next few months that will be similar to the Warner Bros. deal, where they can pick and choose shows depending on what's working. And it's possible that there will be more original deals within the next few months, though Burgess declined to comment.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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(NOTE: Scarecrow and Mrs. King Fanfics would be welcome!!!)