Spike President Kevin Kay On Channel’s Rebranding As The Paramount Network
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Viacom CEO Bob Bakish this morning revealedhis turnaround strategy for Viacom, which included the transformation of Spike into a general entertainment network rebranded as TheParamount Network. It will be one of the six core domestic channels in the company’s cable portfolio, which will get the lion share of Viacom’s resources going forward.
In an internal memo, Spike presidentKevin Kay addresses the transition, which will take place over the next year with a tentative launch scheduled for early 2018.
The Paramount Network’s “focus will be on building distinctive, high-quality scripted and non-scripted original programming – with dramas, comedies, documentaries, movies, sports and tentpole events. It will also incorporate third-party programming, as well as films from other studio’s libraries.”
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Spike last week saw two of the networks, which are now deemed as non-essential, TV Land and CMT, aligned with it under Kay. It is unclear whether any original programming, particularly scripted, will migrate from them to Spike, which is yet to launch its first scripted series,The Mist, and is currently casting its second event series,Waco.But Bakish stressed that Viacom’s scripted series efforts will be focused on Paramount Network going forward.
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You can read Kay’s note in full below.
All-
Today is a watershed moment for us at Spike.
It is the culmination of years of hard work transforming Spike into a premium entertainment destination. The time is right to take the next big leap forward – to capitalize on this moment when the appetite for powerful storytelling and high-quality cinematic production has never been greater in television.
The time is right for THE PARAMOUNT NETWORK.
For more than 100 years, the iconic Paramount name has been closely associated with the biggest stars and most compelling stories in all of entertainment. It’s a studio known worldwide with unparalleled brand recognition. As one of the biggest media companies in the world, Viacom has an incredibly wide-ranging portfolio of indelible brands that have unique and powerful relationships with broad and diverse audiences across the globe, including the successful Paramount Channel aired internationally, from France to Latin America to Russia.
The big news for all of us today is that Spike will re-brand as The Paramount Network over the next year – with a tentative launch scheduled for early 2018.
The Paramount Network will take Spike’s already strong programming mix and amplify it with the Paramount brand. Its focus will be on building distinctive, high-quality scripted and non-scripted original programming – with dramas, comedies, documentaries, movies, sports and tentpole events. It will also incorporate third-party programming, as well as films from other studio’s libraries.
The new leadership team under Bob Bakish has great confidence in our ability to make The Paramount Network a huge success. We will have more information to share on the re-brand in the coming weeks – and know that I intend to keep you updated along the way.
But for now, let me say how much I look forward to taking this exciting next step with you. I hope you are as fired up as I am for the future!
Kevin
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9 Comments
- Anonymous
Why not do a MILITARY segment & air shows like JAG & other military TV series & movies during a certain type frame? There are a lot to choose from with the Paramount name & Viacom plus CB’S TV Distribution. The viewing audience would be phenomenal.
- Anonymous
Why not just name it the Paramount Channel and make it align with channels that Viacom runs in Spain, France, Sweden, and a few other countries? If they’re looking to make it a global brand, why not launch the brand on their home turf?
- Name Change? How about Staff Change
Start with the name. End with the staff. The definition of network incompetence. The kind of asshole-titude that trickles down from the top of Loud, Hack Mountain to the bottom of Peasant valley Jr level Execs. All trying to mimic those above them. Someone give an example of one good experience in working with them in the past 10 years. You cant
- Kill the cockroaches
If head’s don’t roll and certain people (hell, all of them) still remain in Execs positions over there, between this and Trump, we are certain there is no God
- 1More
Sharon Levy’s constant announcement of scripted series that never happened was telling, as well as junked comedy pilots some time ago. Maybe some of these Paramount titles they’re selling as series like “American Gigolo” will wind up here, but my guess is we’ll just see more cheap, lowbrow reality crap under the Paramount umbrella name.
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