Американская телевизионная сеть YTA: История смены владельцев и форматов

American television network

YTA TV (an initialism for its former full name, Youtoo America; commonly referred to as just YTA) is an American television network which originally launched in February 1985 as a cable channel. Unusual for a network of its type, it has had multiple identities, programming directions, and brandings, along with owners, and after merging with the minor broadcast network America One in 2014, also began to air on free over the air television. It is owned by Center Post Media, which also owns Biz Television. Approximately 41 million households have reception of YTA TV in some manner through cable or over the air reception. It is also available through streaming apps on various digital media players, and on its website.

The channel was originally launched as a cable channel in February 1985 as The Nostalgia Channel through the efforts of former Our Gang child star George "Spanky" McFarland. The channel featured vintage movies, similar to American Movie Classics, which debuted five months earlier as a premium channel broadcasting only during the afternoon and nighttime hours, and Turner Classic Movies, which would launch nine years later. Many of the films were in the public domain. Nostalgia Television changed its name to Nostalgia Good TV in 1997. Nostalgia licensed the Goodlife trademark and changed its name to Goodlife TV in 1998 when Unification Church purchased the rest of the company. In 2004, Goodlife TV announced that it would sign a licensing agreement and partnership with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to broadcast its clssic television shows on the channel. Following the expiration of the Goodlife licensing agreement in 2005 with no renewal, the channel changed names again to American Life TV (ALTV). According to a June 2007 story in Variety, the network was a consistent money loser, although the church's tax exempt status made it easier to absorb the losses. The channel charged providers one of the lowest carriage fees in the industry (between 5 10¢), but despite this, was only available in 10 million households at that time. Comcast refused to carry the channel, citing the lack of quality programming (at that time, made up mainly of public domain programming and anachronistic sitcoms and dramas in barter arrangements, long dropped from higher profile networks) and dropped it from the systems it acquired in the Adelphia bankruptcy as soon as contractually possible. Despite improving the quality of their programming by picking up the Steven Bochco series L. A. Law, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and equity for carriage, both DirecTV and Dish continued to refuse carriage. In 2007 the network broadcast George Clooney's documentary, A Journey to Darfur. It released the film on DVD in 2008 and announced that proceeds from its sale would be donated to the International Rescue Committee for its humanitarian efforts in Darfur. In 2007, ALN made a video on demand deal with TVN Entertainment Corporation to offer up to 20 hours of programming per month to more than 100 cable affiliates.

In May 2009, the network was acquired by ComStar Media Fund, an organization chaired by Robert A. Schuller, son of Crystal Cathedral founder Robert H. Schuller. Schuller said that the network would concentrate on "family values programming that speaks to all generations." On November 29 Schuller's new program Everyday Life was first seen on ALTV. Chris Wyatt, ComStar's chief executive officer and founder of religious website Godtube, commented: "We are not creating another religious network but rather a family values channel. We've tapped into a huge underserved market and have the opportunity over time to increase distribution to exceed 40 million homes." Media reports indicated that the network's on air presentation would change and that other syndicated series would be targeted for acquisition. On December 1, 2009, ALN announced that it would start airing episodes of Chuck Norris' World Combat League, previously seen on the Versus network. ComStar also has access to a library of classic television programing including Happy Days and My Three Sons. Some of the older television shows moved from ALN to its sister network, FamilyNet on March 1, 2010, when it was spun out into its own company with Robert A. Schuller as the chairman.

On September 27, 2011, ALN was rebranded as Youtoo TV with a focus on mobile devices; as of that date, all links to the website redirected to a page inviting viewers to sign up for the new service at youtoo. com. The only "retro" programs remaining on the schedule are Batman, The Green Hornet, and The X Files. Executives claim Youtoo TV to be a social television service, allowing viewers to participate in television programming using personal electronic devices. Interactive features include the ability for viewers to create and submit 15 second videos, called "Fame Spots", commenting on a variety of subjects, which will air. In addition, the network will carry programming such as Howcast and Christopher Coppola's Digivangelist Show. Also on the network will be new TV versions of Web series including GeekBeat. TV, Koldcast, and Rooftop Media. The network also will have interactive programs including Say Yes & Marry Me, which will offer viewers the opportunity to propose marriage on air via Fame Spots. Re purposed programming from Revision3 was removed from the network after that provider's sale to Discovery Communications in 2012. One of the creators of Youtoo TV is producer Mark Burnett, through his own social media project, by content marketing studio VIMBY. It was reported in September 2014 that Youtoo TV had acquired America One, its network of terrestrial (mostly low power) affiliates, and most of its remaining, non sports programming. (Prior to this, only one terrestrial affiliate, WBQP CD, carried Youtoo over the air.) The merger was finalized in Spring 2015, with the resulting network becoming "Youtoo America". Over the course of late 2019 and early 2020, it began using the shortened branding of YTA, presumably due to confusion with YouTube and its similarly named YouTube TV streaming service, and channel drift away from the 2011 social television model.

Clarksville – K04RA D 32.1
Searcy – KTWN LD 18.1
Texarkana KTEV LD 19.1

Victorville/Lucerne Valley – KVVB LD 33.1

Dove Creek – K48BK D 48.1

Atlanta – WEQT LD 9.5
Dublin – W35BB D 35.1

Aurora WAUR LD 29.1

Jasper – WJTS CD 27.1
Martinsville – WREP LD 15.1

Morgan City – KWBJ CD 22.80

St. James – K40BU D 40.1

Joplin – KGCS LD 21.1

Glens Falls – WNCE CD 8.1
Gloversville WFNY CD 16.4
Southampton – WVVH CD 50.1

Elizabeth City – W18BB D 18.1
Tarboro – WNCR LD 41.1

Dallas – KSLM LD 17.1
Portland – KWVT LD 17.1
Salem – KORS CD 16.2
Salem – KWVT LD 49.1

Hazleton – WYLN LP 35.1
Pittsburgh WBPA LD 12.6

Salt Lake City – KPDR LD 19.1