Nearly eight months after assuming the role of COO and Head of Entertainment for The E.W. Scripps Co.’s national TV networks business, newly expanded following Scripps’ purchase of ION Media, Jonathan Katz departed.
Now, the founder and President/CEO of what was known as Katz Networks, which Scripps acquired in 2017, is celebrating the launch of a new broadcast “diginet” under his Free TV Networks banner.
Introducing “DEFY,” which was announced in April 2024 under working name “DARE.”
Broadcasts officially commenced at 6am Eastern on Monday, with a program slate featuring second-run unscripted series such as “American Pickers,” “Storage Wars,” “Pawn Stars,” “Alone,” “Swamp People,” “Counting Cars,” and “Ax Men.”
DEFY is debuting with 85% national coverage, a Free TV Networks spokesperson said.
“With an existing large and growing audience, the DEFY network features distinctive, compelling, and, above all, entertaining programming that viewers truly can’t get enough of,” said Katz, who serves as President/CEO of Free TV Networks. “DEFY offers value-conscious consumers a differentiated and world-class reality channel delivered for free, over-the-air, with addictive series proven to deliver for advertisers.”
With DEFY, Free TV Networks has launched three digital multicast networks within the span of just a few months. The new diginet joins “THE365,” focused on African American programming; and “Outlaw,” which features classic Western films and series.
Both networks enjoy content partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery and Lionsgate as well as with Gray Television.
Where can one view DEFY?
In the New York metropolitan area, views can tune to WLNY-55.6.
Meanwhile, in the Los Angeles market there are two homes for DEFY: KHIZ-LD 39.1; and KSKJ-45.5, a digital Class A facility.
Meanwhile, there are five different channel choices for those in the Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, Calif., DMA.
