View source for Retro TV

{{short description|American broadcast television network focusing on classic television series}} 
{{For|the defunct Latin American channel|Retro (TV channel)}} 
{{Infobox television channel
| name              = Retro TV
| logo              = [[File:RetroTV logo.png|160px]]
| logo_size         = 
| logo_alt          = 
| logo_caption      = 
| image             = 
| image_size        = 
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| type              = [[Terrestrial television|Broadcast]] [[television network]]
| country           = [[United States]]
| area              = 
| tvstations        = 
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| affiliates        = 
| headquarters      = [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], U.S.
| language          = 
| picture_format    = [[480i]] ([[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| former_names      = Retro Television Network
| owner             = [[Get After It Media]]
| parent            = 
| key_people        = Joel Wertman<br />David Leach<ref name=tnc>{{cite news|last1=Buckman|first1=Adam |title=Diginets Keep Growing, Despite Auction Cloud|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/96496/diginets-keep-growing-despite-auction-cloud|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date= July 26, 2016 |access-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref>
| founded           = 
| founder           = 
| launch_date       = {{Start date and age|2005|7}}
| replaced          = 
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| website           = {{URL|https://www.getafteritmedia.com/retrotv}}
| webcast           = 
}} 

'''Retro TV''' (stylized as '''retro<sup>tv</sup>'''), formerly known as '''Retro Television Network''', is an American [[terrestrial television|broadcast]] [[television network]] owned by [[Get After It Media]]. The network mainly airs classic television [[sitcom]]s and drama series from the 1950s through the 1980s, although it also includes more recent programs from the 1990s and 2000s. Through its ownership by Luken, Retro TV is a sister network to several broadcast network properties that are wholly or jointly owned by the company, including the family-oriented [[The Family Channel (U.S. TV network)|Family Channel]] and [[country music]]-oriented network [[Heartland (TV network)|Heartland]].

At its outset, Retro TV was designed to be broadcast on the [[digital subchannel]]s of [[television station]]s; however in recent years, the network's affiliate body has been drawn down to primarily [[low-power broadcasting|low-power]] stations, as many station groups have replaced the network on the subchannels of their full-power major [[network affiliate]]s with similarly formatted networks such as [[Antenna TV]] and [[MeTV]], which have assumed rights to many of the distributors that formerly held programming agreements with Retro. The network is also available nationwide on free-to-air [[C band (IEEE)|C-band]] satellite via [[AMC-3|SES-2]] in [[DVB-S2]] format;<ref>[http://www.lyngsat.com/SES-2.html SES-2 at 87.0°W], LyngSat {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529222643/http://www.lyngsat.com/ses2.html |date=May 29, 2014 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html Free TV from United States], LyngSat {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207144558/http://www.lyngsat.com/freetv/United-States.html |date=December 7, 2013 }}</ref> as individualized transmitter-ready feeds for each station are centrally generated using [[broadcast automation]] and delivered to the stations by satellite. In March 2020, Retro TV launched a live online feed, which carries a limited six-hour selection of the network's programming, looped four times each day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Retro TV - Get After It Media |url=https://www.getafteritmedia.com/retrotv/ |url-status=live |website=Get After It Media}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Retro Television Network.png|thumb|Retro Television Network logo used from July 2005 to June 2009.]]
The Retro Television Network (originally branded as "RTN") launched in July 2005 on select television stations owned by the Equity Broadcasting Corporation (later known as [[Equity Media Holdings]]), a chain of small (often low-powered) satellite-fed [[Very high frequency|VHF]] and [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] television stations controlled directly from Equity's headquarters in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]. Equity had expanded quickly with purchases of many small stations in the early 2000s, but by 2008, the company was struggling to meet its obligations.

In June 2008, while the company was undergoing financial troubles, Equity Media Holdings sold RTN to Henry Luken III's – Equity's former president and CEO, and the company's largest shareholder – Luken Communications (which later rebranded as Reach High Media Group in 2019) for $18.5 million in cash. Equity had an option to repurchase the network for $27.75 million; the purchase option was not exercised and expired on December 24, 2008. Equity had filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] bankruptcy three weeks before the expiration of the purchase option.<ref name="akbusiness">[http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=110528 Arkansas Business: "Creditor Files to Liquidate Equity Media, Claims Company Cannot Meet Payroll Obligations", 12/10/2008.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218220959/http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=110528 |date=February 18, 2012 }}</ref>

On January 4, 2009, a contract conflict between Equity and Luken Communications interrupted RTN programming on many of its affiliates with Luken alleging that Equity had left many obligations to RTN's creditors, including programming suppliers, unpaid. As a result, Luken restored a national feed of the network from its Chattanooga headquarters with individual feeds to affiliates not owned by Equity following suit on a piecemeal basis. Equity-owned or -operated stations lost RTN affiliation, though Luken vowed to find new affiliates for the network in the affected areas.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jessell|first1=Harry A.|title=Financial Dispute Disrupts RTN Diginet|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/28357/financial-dispute-disrupts-rtn-diginet|access-date=February 18, 2015|work=tVNewsCheck|date=January 5, 2009}}</ref>

[[File:RTV Retro Television logo.svg|thumb|right|250px|RTV logo used from June 2009 to March 2013.]]
The Retro Television Network changed its on-air branding to "RTV" in June 2009 (a nod to the [[Digital television transition in the United States|digital television transition]] that occurred that month, though a trademark dispute with the [[Racetrack Television Network]] was also a factor in the change).<ref>[http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/294832-RTN_Rebrands_as_RTV.php "RTN Rebrands as RTV"], from broadcastingcable.com 6/17/2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928210040/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/294832-RTN_Rebrands_as_RTV.php |date=September 28, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=tc-rtntrademarkdispute>{{cite news|title=Attorney Defends Luken Actions In Purchase Of Retro TV Programming|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/2013/7/24/255680/Attorney-Defends-Luken-Actions-In.aspx|access-date=July 27, 2013|newspaper=[[The Chattanoogan]]|date=July 24, 2013}}</ref>

In 2012, RTV dropped from 120 to 80 affiliates with many ABC affiliates switching to the [[Live Well Network]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Marcucci|first1=Carl|title=Luken RTV affiliate losses not a big hit |url=http://rbr.com/luken-rtv-affiliate-losses-not-a-big-hit/|access-date=February 18, 2015|work=Radio-TV Business Report|publisher=Streamline RBR, Inc|date=October 31, 2012}}</ref> Further affiliate drops occurred as RTV's scheduling began to decline with lesser product, with [[MeTV]] and [[Antenna TV]] (both with strong corporate backing and financing, along with more generous affiliation terms than Luken) making major carriage deals with large broadcast groups. In March 2017, the final "major" group carrying the network, [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], dropped the network from three remaining Sinclair stations where RTV affiliation agreements were made with their former owners, replacing it with their in-house network [[TBD (TV network)|TBD]]. On October 1, 2017, the network lost its last station with one of the major broadcast networks, [[WKTC]] in [[Columbia, South Carolina]], which replaced its subchannel with [[Laff (TV network)|Laff]].

The network was re-branded as Retro TV in 2013. Of the top 25 digital broadcast networks for 2014, Retro TV ranked No. 10 with a coverage of 54% of households.

==Concept and programming==
{{See also|List of programs broadcast by Retro TV}}
Since its creation, Retro's principal programming concept consists of classic television series, initially maintaining a 24-hour schedule of shows. As of 2019, the on-air lineup dates mostly from the 1950s to the 1970s, with the exception of [[prime time]], which consists mostly of contemporary programming from [[Canada]]. Retro airs a full block of [[Saturday morning cartoon]] reruns and [[family-friendly]] adventure series and comedies on Saturdays; the network uses Sunday mornings to meet [[E/I]] liabilities, largely with programming widely available elsewhere.

There have been some deviations to the format, including during the network's ownership under Equity, which added some original talk programming (notably ''Unreliable Sources'') during the late night slot on weeknights from the summer of 2008 to early 2009, a concept billed as "Classic Hits All Day & Fresh Talk All Night". Overnights also eventually became devoted to [[Shop LC]] and [[infomercial|paid programming]].<ref name=Luken2009>[http://businesstn.com/content/200909/back-basic "Back from Basic,"] from ''BusinessTN'', September/October 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223120040/http://businesstn.com/content/200909/back-basic |date=February 23, 2012 }}</ref> The network has also featured originally produced horror film showcases such as ''[[Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In]]''<ref>[https://archive.org/details/WolfmanMacOnOutsightRadioHours "Wolfman Mac interview"], from Outsight Radio Hours, 3/27/2011</ref> and ''[[Off Beat Cinema]]''; Retro also aired the talk show ''Daytime'' produced by [[WFLA-TV]]'s Riverbank Studios in [[Tampa, Florida]], co-hosted by Jerry Penacoli and Cyndi Edwards.

Until 2011, Retro offered a customized schedule for use at the discretion of the local affiliate. The network then moved towards a set national schedule, although affiliates have the option to pre-empt or reschedule some network programming.<ref>[http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2011/06/rtv-changes-schedule-loses-universal.html RTV Changes Schedule, Loses Universal] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824110928/http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2011/06/rtv-changes-schedule-loses-universal.html |date=August 24, 2013 }}</ref>

By June 2011, when Retro's distribution agreement with [[NBCUniversal Television Distribution]] ended, the network adjusted its schedule to feature programming from other distributors (such as ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' and ''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'') and public domain programs (such as early episodes of ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]''), as well as low-cost Canadian barter programs (such as ''[[Cold Squad]]'' and ''[[Da Vinci's Inquest]]'') and reality and documentary programming (including ''[[Crusade in Europe]]'' based on Gen.
[[Dwight Eisenhower]]'s memoirs of [[World War II]] and ''Crusade in the Pacific''). Retro also featured a Saturday morning block of vintage cartoon programming.<ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2010/08/05/daily.12/ "RTV Bringing Back Retro Saturday Morning TV"], from TVNewsCheck, 8/5/2010</ref> In 2014, Retro began broadcasting ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', the soap opera [[The Doctors (soap opera)|''The Doctors'']], and the classic era of long-running British science fiction television show ''[[Doctor Who]]''; ''MST3K'' departed the schedule upon the rights being purchased by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]'s [[Comet (TV network)|Comet]].

The network previously had major content deals with [[CBS Television Distribution]] until July 2008,<ref>[http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=110528 Creditor Files to Liquidate Equity Media, Claims Company Cannot Meet Payroll Obligations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218220959/http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=110528 |date=February 18, 2012 }}</ref> and NBCUniversal Television Distribution (whose programming agreement began after the deal with CBS ended) until June 2011. Retro's current programming roster draws from various distributors including [[BBC Studios|BBC Studios Distribution]], Genesis International, [[Shout! Factory]], [[Peter Rodgers Organization]], [[CBC Television]], and [[SFM Entertainment]], as well as [[WBBZ-TV|John DiSciullo]] (the distributor of ''[[Off Beat Cinema]]''); compared to its competition, public domain series continue to compose a large portion of the schedule.

==Affiliates==
As of March 2017, Retro TV is carried on 97 affiliates and translators across the United States, covering 60% of the country's DMA households.

Prior to the 2009 digital transition, Retro TV was seen on a number of analog stations owned by [[Equity Media Holdings]], the network's former owner. Some Equity stations mixed Retro programming with first-run and recent off-network syndicated programming or also carried another network, such as [[MyNetworkTV]] or [[The CW Plus]].

== See also ==
* {{Portal-inline|Television}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.getafteritmedia.com/retrotv}} 
* [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2007/11/sitcomsonlinecom-exclusive-interview.html Interview with RTN]

{{Get After It Media}}
{{American broadcast television}}
{{North American DTV}}

[[Category:Retro TV| ]]
[[Category:Television networks in the United States]]
[[Category:Classic television networks]]
[[Category:Nostalgia television in the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Chattanooga, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2005]]