On The Docket: Court TV To Get New Name, Larger Reality Bill

Come New Year's, the Court in Court TV is history. In a re-branding as radical as when TNN morphed into Spike, the network will take on a new moniker Jan. 1, says one high-level executive.

Turner Broadcasting declined to release the new name until late summer, citing legal and competitive reasons, but "Court" will be dismissed. Turner took full control of the network last year and wants to give it a more dynamic moniker to reflect its transformation from an all-legal news outlet to one with entertainment in prime time.

"The programming actually outgrew the brand and now, the brand has to catch up to the programming," said Marc Juris, Court TV general manager.

The network said its coming programming includes a fourth season of "Beach Patrol," a real-life "Baywatch," where cameras follow rescue lifeguards; the new "Bounty Girls," which chronicles Florida female bounty hunters; and "Most Daring," with more rescue-mission exploits. Also on tap is "The Real Hustle," where hidden cameras follow actual scam artists in action on the streets of New York, including a "master pickpocket." It appears to center on reality shows, in line with much of its current offerings.

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"First-person access to exciting real-life stories" is how Juris described the lineup.

As Turner executives announced the coming re-brand to advertisers in an upfront session Tuesday, the network provided a murky description of the new positioning. Executives said it wants to appeal to "Real Engagers," a group that hungers for "real-life action programming ... and access to places they can't normally go."

The network formerly known as Court TV will also revamp its daytime legal news and trial lineup, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.--then continue via streaming on broadband. A two-hour block follows with "Nancy Grace: Closing Arguments" and a new series with former "View" co-host Star Jones.

While Court's daytime block could have been moved under the auspices of CNN after Turner acquired it, the network opted to hold onto it, viewing it as a differentiated news product from its all-news sister net. The network is now overseen by Steve Koonin, who repositioned TNT under the "We Know Drama" catchphrase and TBS as a comedy network with the "Very Funny" tag.

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