:2021 in American television
{{Short description|none}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{USTV year|2021}}
In American television in 2021, notable events include television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and re-brandings; stations changing or adding their network affiliations; and information about controversies and carriage disputes.
Awards
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| style="width:20px;"| Category/Organization | style="width:250px;"| 79th Golden Globe Awards {{small|January 9, 2022}} | style="width:250px;"| 12th Critics' Choice Television Awards {{small|March 7, 2022}} | style="width:250px;" |Producers Guild and Screen Actors Guild Awards {{small|February 27–March 19, 2022}} | style="width:250px;" |74th Primetime Emmy Awards {{small|September 12, 2022}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Drama Series | colspan="4"|Succession | |||
| Best Comedy Series | Hacks | colspan="3"|Ted Lasso | ||
| Best Limited Series | The Underground Railroad | colspan="2"| Mare of Easttown | The White Lotus | |
| Best Actor in a Drama Series | Jeremy Strong Succession | colspan="3"| Lee Jung-jae Squid Game | ||
| Best Actress in a Drama Series | Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Pose | Melanie Lynskey Yellowjackets | Jung Ho-Yeon Squid Game | Zendaya Euphoria |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | O Yeong-su Squid Game | Kieran Culkin Succession | {{n/a}} | Matthew Macfadyen Succession |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | colspan="2"|Sarah Snook Succession | {{n/a}} | Julia Garner Ozark | |
| Best Actor in a Comedy Series | colspan="4"|Jason Sudeikis Ted Lasso | |||
| Best Actress in a Comedy Series | colspan="4"|Jean Smart Hacks | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | {{n/a}} | Brett Goldstein Ted Lasso | {{n/a}} | Brett Goldstein Ted Lasso |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | {{n/a}} | Hannah Waddingham Ted Lasso | {{n/a}} | Sheryl Lee Ralph Abbott Elementary |
| Best Actor in a Limited Series | colspan="4"|Michael Keaton Dopesick | |||
| Best Actress in a Limited Series | colspan="3"|Kate Winslet Mare of Easttown | Amanda Seyfried The Dropout | ||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series | {{n/a}} | Murray Bartlett The White Lotus | {{n/a}} | Murray Bartlett The White Lotus |
| Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series | {{n/a}} | Jennifer Coolidge The White Lotus | {{n/a}} | Jennifer Coolidge The White Lotus |
Notable events
=January=
=February=
=March=
=April=
= May =
= June =
=July=
=August=
=September=
=October=
=November=
=December=
Television shows
=Shows debuting in 2021=
{{further|List of 2021 American television debuts}}
=Shows changing networks=
=Milestone episodes and anniversaries=
=Shows returning in 2021=
The following shows returned with new episodes after being canceled or having ended their run previously:
=Shows ending in 2021=
=Entering syndication in 2021=
A list of programs (current or canceled) that have accumulated enough episodes (between 65 and 100) or seasons (three or more) to be eligible for off-network syndication and/or basic cable runs.
| class="wikitable" |
| Show || Seasons || In Production || Notes || Source |
|---|
| Chicago Fire
| 9 | rowspan="5"|Yes | |{{cite press release|title=ION Lands "Chicago Fire," Series Debuts June 15|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2021/06/11/ion-lands-chicago-fire-series-debuts-june-15-110413/20210611ion01/|publisher=Ion Television|via=The Futon Critic|date=June 11, 2021}} |
| Bull
| 5 | | |
| Young Sheldon
| 4 | | |
| SEAL Team
| 4 | | |
Networks and services
=Launches=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="text-align:center; width:125px;"| Network
! style="text-align:center; width:130px;"| Type ! style="text-align:center; width:60px;"| Launch date ! style="text-align:center; width:500px;"| Notes ! style="text-align:center; width:30px;"| Source |
|---|
| Discovery+
| OTT streaming | January 4 | Announced in September 2020 as a global expansion of its existing India service (launched in March of that year), Discovery, Inc. launched Discovery+ as a streaming service featuring original and archival content from Discovery's network and production properties (including the former networks of Scripps Networks Interactive acquired by the company in March 2018) as well as select programming from A&E Networks. |{{cite web|title=Discovery Announces the Global Launch of discovery+, The Definitive Streaming Service for the Best Real Life Entertainment in the World, Debuting January 4, 2021|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2020/12/02/discovery-announces-the-global-launch-of-discoveryplus-the-definitive-streaming-service-for-the-best-real-life-entertainment-in-the-world-debuting-january-4-2021-201515/20201202discovery01/|work=The Futon Critic|date=December 2, 2020}} |
| Twist
|rowspan=4|OTA multicast | April 5 |Tegna revealed plans on February 24 to launch Twist, which joins True Crime Network and Quest in the company's multicast portfolio. Twist targets a female audience with factual lifestyle and reality programming, mainly home- and food-oriented shows sourced from the libraries of A&E Networks and NBCUniversal Lifestyle Network Group. The "exciting reveals" featured in these shows serve as the inspiration for the network's name. |{{cite web|title=Tegna Launching Twist Diginet For Women|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/top-news/programming/article/tegna-launching-twist-diginet-for-women/|website=TVNewsCheck|date=February 24, 2021}}[https://www.nexttv.com/news/twist-digital-multicast-network-for-women-launched-by-tegna "Twist, Digital Multicast Network For Women, Launched by Tegna,"] from Broadcasting & Cable, 4/5/2021 |
| MeTV+
| May 15 | On May 3, Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to launch MeTV+, an experimental spin-off of flagship network MeTV with a lineup of classic sitcoms, drama series, and comedic and animated shorts sourced from the libraries of Sony Pictures Television, CBS Media Ventures, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios complementary to the offerings on its parent network. At the outset, MeTV+—the second MeTV extension effort by Weigel, following a local "MeToo" service that ran on WMEU-CD/Chicago (now an independent station) from 2008 to 2013—launched on Weigel-owned Chicago flagship WCIU-TV and KMOH-TV/Kingman–Phoenix, occupying subchannels that carried Bounce TV (which shifted to local Ion stations owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, parent of Bounce owner Katz Broadcasting). If successful, Weigel plans to expand MeTV+ to stations that the company owns in other markets (including as a replacement for Bounce TV on Weigel stations that carried the network since its 2011 debut) and to affiliates owned by third-party station groups. |
| Defy TV
|rowspan=2|July 1 |rowspan=2|On March 2, the E. W. Scripps Company announced plans to add two new networks to its digital broadcast portfolio (joining its six existing networks, which include Ion, Bounce TV and Court TV). Defy and TrueReal (the latter had initially been billed as Doozy) would respectively target men and women in the 25-54 age range with factual lifestyle and reality programming. On Ion O&Os and INYO Broadcast Holdings-owned Ion affiliates, Defy TV and TrueReal primarily occupied subchannels formerly affiliated with QVC and HSN. (Qurate Retail Group, the parent of the respective home shopping networks, ended its channel-lease agreement with Ion Media on June 29.) |rowspan=2|[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scripps-to-launch-two-new-free-tv-networks-301238706.html "Scripps to launch two new free TV networks,"] press release from E. W. Scripps via PR Newswire, 3/2/2021[https://www.nexttv.com/news/scripps-network-gets-real-quick-name-change-to-truereal "Scripps Network Gets Real Quick Name Change to TrueReal,"] from Broadcasting & Cable, 3/26/2021 |
| TrueReal |
| AccuWeather Now
|OTT streaming |rowspan="2"|August 17 | On July 29, AccuWeather announced plans to launch AccuWeather Now, a 24-hour live streaming weather news and information network. To differentiate from its cable and satellite channel AccuWeather Network, it would include liberal amounts of social media content, viral videos and feature stories in addition to its core product of weather forecasts. The service initially launched on The Roku Channel's live TV service on August 17. |{{cite web|title=AccuWeather to Launch Video Streaming Service AccuWeather NOW|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accuweather-to-launch-video-streaming-service-accuweather-now-301344270.html|publisher=AccuWeather|agency=PR Newswire|date=July 29, 2021}}{{cite web|title=Roku to Add AccuWeather NOW Streaming Service to its Lineup of Live Channels|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/roku-to-add-accuweather-now-streaming-service-to-its-lineup-of-live-channels-301357090.html|publisher=AccuWeather|agency=PR Newswire|date=August 17, 2021}} |
| El Rey Network
| Relaunch as OTT streaming channel | On August 7, 2021, Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures announced they had entered into a partnership with Cinedigm to relaunch El Rey Network—which ceased operating as a traditional pay television network in December 2020, after AT&T and Spectrum dropped it from their systems as well as in the wake of Univision Communications's withdrawal as a minority stakeholder—as a free, ad-supported live streaming channel. As a streaming channel, the English-language Latino-oriented network initially debuted on The Roku Channel's live TV service on August 17. | {{cite web|title=Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network Segues From Cable TV To Streaming In Deal With Cinedigm|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/robert-rodriguez-el-rey-network-cable-tv-streaming-cinedigm-1234810494/|first=Dade|last=Hayes|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=August 6, 2021|access-date=August 7, 2021}}{{cite web|title=Robert Rodriguez's Revived El Rey Network Clinches Roku Channel Deal|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/robert-rodriguezs-revived-el-rey-network-clinches-roku-channel-deal-1234815557/|first=Dade|last=Hayes|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=August 16, 2021|access-date=August 17, 2021}} |
| Rewind TV
|rowspan="2"|OTA multicast | September 1 | On April 26, Nexstar Media Group announced plans to launch Rewind TV, a spin-off of Antenna TV targeting adults 25–54 (primarily towards Gen Xers) and focusing on classic sitcoms from the 1980s and 1990s. Rewind—which initially launched on subchannels of stations owned or managed by Nexstar in markets reaching 45% of U.S. television households, occupying subchannel slots vacated by Katz-owned networks being transferred to Scripps-owned network affiliates and Ion O&O/affiliate stations in some markets—draws from the libraries of Sony Pictures Television, CBS Media Ventures, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, and initially included many series (including Murphy Brown, The Facts of Life, Who's the Boss? and Family Ties) previously acquired for Antenna TV, which began phasing out post-1970s series from its lineup in April as it shifts to a narrowed focus on sitcoms from the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (Antenna TV continued to offer a more limited lineup of post-1970s sitcoms in the interim). |{{cite web|date=April 26, 2021|title=Nexstar To Launch Rewind TV On Sept. 1|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/top-news/programming/article/nexstar-to-launch-rewind-tv-on-sept-1/}}{{cite web|title=Nexstar To Launch Rewind TV, Digital Channel Airing Classics|url= https://www.nexttv.com/news/nexstar-to-launch-rewind-tv-digital-channel-airing-classics|first=Jon|last=Lafayette|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|date=April 26, 2021}} |
| Novelisima
| September 4 | On September 1, Grupo Cisneros announced it had entered into a distribution agreement with HC2 Broadcasting to launch Novelisima, a 24-hour multicast network focusing on imported telenovelas. |
| Fuse+
| OTT streaming | September 13 | Following a beta launch in June, on September 13, Fuse Media officially launched Fuse+, a subscription streaming service focusing on multicultural programming aimed at millennials. The service—which is priced at $1.99/month (or $19.99/year), with paywalled content accessible for free using login credentials provided to subscribers of participating cable and satellite services that carry either of its co-owned linear channels, Fuse and FM—incorporated an initial slate of over 500 hours of original content, consisting of Fuse original programs (with new episodes airing day-and-date with the linear channel), independent films and documentaries, along with a selection of supplemental music, Black cultural, hip-hop and archival home fitness programs that are also available through a free, ad-supported tier for non-subscribers. |
| Digi TV
| OTA multicast | September 27 | On September 8, Net X Holdings, LLC announced plans to launch Digi TV, a multicast network focusing on imported English-language programming. Initially launching primarily on subchannels of Univision and UniMás stations owned by Univision Communications and Tri-State Christian Television O&Os, the network airs a mix of scripted and reality-based entertainment, knowledge-based and lifestyle programming primarily sourced from the United Kingdom and Australia. |
| Fox Weather
| OTT streaming/OTA multicast | October 25 | On December 29, 2020, Fox News Media announced plans to launch Fox Weather, a 24-hour streaming weather channel intended to compete with The Weather Channel, AccuWeather Network and WeatherNation TV (the latter of which has long been streamed for free on the network's app and on ad-supported streaming platforms such as Pluto TV). The service would be available as a standalone app and website, and feature live programming utilizing resources of its own meteorologists and meteorologists from local Fox Television Stations properties as well as local, regional and national weather updates. Critics, citing shared management between the two services, have expressed concern that Fox Weather might express opinions dismissive of climate change mirroring similar commentary made in recent years by Fox News personalities and contributors. Those FTS stations also began carrying the network as a subchannel in the first quarter of 2022. |{{cite web|title=Fox News Is Launching a Streaming Weather Service, Fox Weather|url=https://www.thewrap.com/fox-news-is-launching-a-streaming-weather-service-fox-weather/|first=Tony|last=Maglio|website=TheWrap|date=December 9, 2020|access-date=July 29, 2021}}{{cite news|title= Fox's New Channel Changes the Climate for Weather TV|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/06/business/media/fox-weather-channel-plus.html|first=Michael M.|last=Grynbaum|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 6, 2021|access-date=July 7, 2021}} |
| G4
| Linear cable/satellite and digital | November 16 | On July 24, 2020, the Twitter accounts of G4TV and G4's Attack of the Show! and X-Play, reactivated to post a teaser video of a G4 revival in some form (either as a wireline or streaming channel, though not disclosed at the time), slated for 2021. (On October 12, 2021, Comcast confirmed that the revived G4—like its original iteration—would be distributed as a cable-originated network, with Verizon Fios, Cox, Xfinity and Philo among its charter carriers.) The teasers were timed for Comic-Con@Home, the first virtual streaming edition of the annual fan convention, San Diego Comic-Con. Consequently, G4's website also redirected to a nonstop game of Pong (which if won, redirects to a mailing list sign up for updates), once again reflecting back to the network's original launch in 2002 and their shutdown in 2014. |{{cite web|last=Patten|first=Dominic|title=Game On! G4 TV Poised For 2021 Reboot; Video Game Network Unplugged In 2014|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/g4-tv-reboot-comiccon-comcast-spectacor-olivia-munn-video-1202994814/|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=July 24, 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Stedman|first=Alex|date=2020-11-26|title=G4's New Host Xavier Woods on the Network's Revival: 'This Is the Gaming Culture'|url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/g4-xavier-woods-host-creed4g4-1234840537/|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Variety}} |
=Conversions and rebrandings=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="text-align:center; width:125px;"| Old network name ! style="text-align:center; width:125px;"| New network ! style="text-align:center; width:130px;"| Type ! style="text-align:center; width:60px;"| Conversion date ! style="text-align:center; width:500px;"| Notes ! style="text-align:center; width:30px;"| Source |
|---|
| Urban Movie Channel
| Allblk | OTT streaming | January 6 | AMC Networks rebranded Urban Movie Channel – launched in 2014 as the first streaming service dedicated to television programs and films aimed at Black audiences, and content made by Black filmmakers – as Allblk, citing the original name no longer fit the brand, its audience or culture (several "urban"-branded broadcasters, along with radio stations formerly under the urban contemporary banner, switched to other descriptive terms throughout 2020). The service also increases original programming, having debuted seven series in 2021. |{{cite press release|title=Video: ALLBLK – Stream Where You're Celebrated|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/video/2021/01/06/video-allblk-stream-where-youre-celebrated-532114/20210106allblk01/|publisher=Allblk|via=The Futon Critic|date=January 6, 2021}}{{cite web|author=Denver|title=Exclusive: ALLBLK Streaming Service is Putting 'Urban' to Rest -- Here's Your Invitation (Details Inside)|url=https://www.lovebscott.com/exclusive-allblk-streaming-service-putting-urban-rest-heres-invitation-details-inside|work=LoveBScott.com|date=January 14, 2021}} |
| Light TV
| TheGrio | Over-the-air multicast/ | January 15 | Following its acquisition of the network's satellite slot from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Allen Media Group relaunched the former channel space of family-oriented digital multicast network Light TV as TheGrio (branded after the Black cultural news and entertainment website of the same name acquired by parent company Entertainment Studios in 2016), adopting a focus primarily around movies, along with selected television series, news and lifestyle content aimed at African American audiences. There has been some confusion however, as Light TV continues to run on some affiliates and online, while some former Light TV affiliates stopped carrying the network in the run-up to TheGrio's launch. |
| WGN America
| Cable/satellite | March 1 | On January 25, 2021, Nexstar Media Group announced it would relaunch the entertainment-oriented WGN America (a name traced to its existence as a superstation feed of WGN-TV/Chicago from the channel's launch in November 1978 until its content separation from WGN-TV in December 2014) as the news-centric NewsNation, named after the prime time newscast that the channel debuted in September 2020, effective March 1. The rebrand coincides with a gradual expansion of its news programming that initially includes the additions of an hour-long early-evening newscast, the hour-long Donlon Report (a prime-access newscast fronted by NewsNation anchor Joe Donlon) and a weeknight news/interview program hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, as well as a condensed version of the retitled NewsNationPrime (to be reduced from three hours to two). A reduced schedule of entertainment programs in its inventory continues to be featured in daytime and overnight slots (along with early morning paid and religious programming), to be replaced with news content once syndication contracts expire. | {{cite news|title=Chicago cable network WGN America changing its name to NewsNation, going all-in on news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-wgn-cable-newsnation-name-change-20210125-ufqsqaueqvgq7d2l57gujozhsu-story.html|first=Robert|last=Channick|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=January 25, 2021}}{{cite web|title=WGN America To Rebrand As NewsNation, Expanding Nightly Programming|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/wgn-america-rebrands-newsnation-expands-nightly-programming-1234679613/|first=Dade|last=Hayes|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=January 25, 2021}} |
| CBS All Access
| OTT streaming | March 4 | CBS All Access adopts the Paramount+ name used in certain international markets. The rebranding occurs amid an ongoing expansion of the service — originally developed as a subscription platform for CBS featuring original programs, content from the CBS television network and its syndication arm CBS Media Ventures, and live streams of local CBS stations, CBS' ad-supported OTT services and events from CBS Sports – to include content from other television and film brands owned by ViacomCBS (including Paramount Pictures, MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon). |{{cite web|last=Barsanti|first=Sam|title=CBS All Access might become Paramount+ because originality is overrated|url=https://www.avclub.com/cbs-all-access-might-become-paramount-because-original-1844742160|work=The A.V. Club|date=August 16, 2020}}{{cite web|title=CBS All Access to Finally Rebrand as Paramount+ on March 4|url=https://www.thewrap.com/paramount-plus-launch-date-cbs-all-access-rebrand-march-4/|first=Jennifer|last=Maas|website=TheWrap|date=January 19, 2021}} |
| Vix
| PrendeTV | OTT streaming | March 30 | On January 12, Univision Communications announced it would launch PrendeTV, a free, ad-supported Spanish-language streaming service aimed at U.S. Hispanics and Latinos in the first quarter of the year, formally launching on March 30. The platform, which is the first AVOD platform dedicated exclusively to Spanish content, offers over 30 curated channels (similar to those featured on services like Pluto TV, Peacock and Xumo) and approximately 20,000 hours of Spanish-language and -dubbed movies and television series for video-on-demand viewing from Univision and third-party providers including Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Grupo Globo, Caracol Televisión, Banijay, FilmRise, Nelvana, RCN, Lionsgate and MGM. The service was built off the infrastructure of and inherit content from Pan-American streaming service Vix, which Univision bought from a consortium of Batanga Media, Discovery Inc. and HarbourVest Partners on February 1. |{{cite web|title=Univision Sets PrendeTV; Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Service For U.S. Hispanic Audience To Launch This Quarter|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/univision-launching-prende-tv-free-ad-supported-streaming-service-u-s-hispanic-audience-1234671931/|first=Jill|last=Goldsmith|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 28, 2021}}{{cite web|title=Univision to Launch PrendeTV, Touted as First Dedicated Free Streaming Service for U.S. Hispanic Viewers|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/univision-prendetv-free-ad-streaming-hispanic-content-1234883464/|first=Todd|last=Spangler|website=Variety|date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 28, 2021}} |
| Fox Sports Networks
|Cable/satellite |March 31 |Sinclair Broadcast Group, as part of a partnership with Entertainment Studios, acquired the regional networks formerly owned by Fox Sports parent News Corporation in 2019. (Disney was required by the Department of Justice to divest the channels during its acquisition of 21st Century Fox on antitrust grounds due to its ownership of ESPN Inc.) Sinclair reached a cross-partnership with gaming company Bally's Corporation in November 2020, which led to the channels shedding the "Fox Sports" brand after more than 24 years in favor of "Bally Sports"; the move coincided with the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season the next day. |[https://www.sportico.com/business/sports-betting/2020/ballys-sinclair-naming-rights-1234616912/ "Bally's Buys Sinclair RSN Naming Rights As Part of Sports Betting Push,"] from Sportico, 11/18/2020[https://www.wsj.com/articles/sinclair-starts-marketing-push-for-its-forthcoming-bally-sports-networks-11616063400 "Sinclair Starts Marketing Push for Its Forthcoming Bally Sports Networks,"] from The Wall Street Journal, 3/18/2021 |
| colspan=2|Newsy
| Conversion from cable/satellite to over-the-air distribution | June 30 (pay-TV discontinuation) |After years as a cable and over-the-top service, on April 6, the E. W. Scripps Company announced plans to transition its 24-hour news channel, Newsy, to a new distribution model as an over-the-air multicast service—although it would continue to maintain supplemental streaming distribution through its Internet apps and existing partnerships with ad-supported Internet television providers. Scripps thus began terminating the network's existing contracts with wireline and vMVPD providers (instead of opting for converting them to must-carry arrangements, similar to those employed by other OTA multicast networks such as MeTV, GetTV and Heroes & Icons) beginning June 30, with end dates varying by provider throughout the Summer. Newsy relaunched as a digital multicast network on October 1, carried primarily through Scripps's television stations (via both the group's major network affiliates and Ion Television O&Os as well as through commiserate carriage via retransmission consent agreements for Scripps/Ion stations) and through third-party affiliation agreements in non-Scripps markets. |[https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-caters-to-cord-cutters-by-launching-newsy-as-a-free-over-the-air-network/ "Scripps caters to cord-cutters by launching Newsy as a Free, Over-the-Air Network,"] press release from E. W. Scripps Company, 4/6/2021{{cite web|url=https://www.nctconline.org/index.php/members/resources/technical-notices/item/download/914_a427a66b073890670abcde0bbf68ce02|title=Newsy Termination Letter to the National Cable Television Cooperative|date=31 March 2021|work=National Cable Television Cooperative|access-date=2 July 2021|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182456/https://www.nctconline.org/index.php/members/resources/technical-notices/item/download/914_a427a66b073890670abcde0bbf68ce02|url-status=dead}} |
| colspan=2|SportsGrid Network
| Conversion to over-the-air distribution | September 1 (start of OTA distribution) | On August 25, Nexstar Media Group announced a partnership with SportsGrid Inc. to offer the latter's sports betting- and fantasy sports-focused streaming news service SportsGrid Network as a digital multicast network starting September 1. SportsGrid, which retains its existing distribution through its Internet apps and Internet television providers (such as Xumo, Samsung TV Plus and Sling TV), was initially available in nine Nexstar markets (including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Nashville and Portland) where the company's subchannel leasing agreements with Katz Networks properties lapsed the day prior. (The Court TV, Court TV Mystery, Laff and Bounce TV affiliations to be affected in the corresponding markets became exclusive to subchannels of parent company Scripps’ Ion O&O stations that had added them on a transitional basis following the February 28 closures of Ion Plus, Qubo and Ion Shop.) |
| Great American Country
|rowspan=3|Cable/satellite |rowspan=2|September 27 |rowspan=2|As a consequence of GAC Media's June 7 purchases of Great American Country (from Discovery, Inc.) and Ride TV (from Ride Television Network, Inc.), on September 27, the two networks underwent branding and programming overhauls: Great American Country was rebranded as GAC Family and restructured from a country lifestyle programming format to a family-oriented entertainment network—featuring a mix of original and acquired programming, both scripted and unscripted—similar in concept to Hallmark Channel (which GAC Media CEO William J. Abbott oversaw as head of Crown Media Family Networks from 2009 to 2020), while Ride TV rebranded as GAC Living and expanded from its original focus on equestrian sports to center around Southern- and country-oriented unscripted lifestyle programming. (The "GAC" initialism was concurrently backronymed by its new corporate parent from the previous "Great American Country" moniker to "Great American Channels".) |rowspan=2|{{cite web|title=The 'Great American Country' Network Launches New Networks That'll Have the Fam Glued to the TV|url=https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a37407222/great-american-country-launches-new-networks/|first=CHAISE|last=Sanders|periodical=Country Living|date=August 26, 2021|access-date=October 7, 2021}} |
| Ride TV |
=Closures=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="text-align:center; width:125px;"| Network
! style="text-align:center; width:130px;"| Type ! style="text-align:center; width:60px;"| End date ! style="text-align:center; width:500px;"| Notes ! style="text-align:center; width:30px;"| Source |
|---|
| DC Universe
| OTT streaming | January 21 | In September 2020, DC announced that the DC Universe streaming service would be folded into DC Universe Infinite as a solely digital comics subscription service on January 21, 2021. DC Universe subscriptions would automatically transfer over to DC Universe Infinite. Original programs Young Justice, Titans, Doom Patrol, and Harley Quinn moved to HBO Max and became Max Original series starting their new seasons, while Stargirl moved to The CW with its second season. |{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dc-universe-rebranding-as-comics-only-platform-in-january|title=DC Universe Rebranding as Comics-Centric Platform|last=McMillian|first=Graeme|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 18, 2020|access-date=January 27, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2020/09/18/dc-universe-relaunch-dc-universe-infinite-tv-shows-move-hbo-max/|title=DC Universe to Relaunch With New Name, as All Original Shows Migrate to HBO Max – Get Pricing Details|last=Mitovich|first=Matt Webb|work=TVLine|date=September 18, 2020|access-date=January 27, 2021}} |
| Ion Plus
| rowspan=3|Over-the-air multicast | rowspan=3|February 28 | rowspan=3|Following the completion of its acquisition of Ion Media, on January 14, the E. W. Scripps Company announced the shuttering of three Ion networks – Ion Plus (a secondary schedule of programming from Ion's content distributors), Ion Shop (all-paid programming) and Qubo (children's programming) – and allocate their spectrum space on Ion Media's stations to offer networks from existing Scripps subsidiary Katz Broadcasting (consisting of Court TV, Court TV Mystery, Bounce TV, Laff and Grit). This eventually consolidates Ion's operations into Katz and replace expiring contracts with other broadcasters that carried the Katz networks outside of mainstream Scripps markets (albeit with affiliate duplication in the interim due to the structure of Katz's subchannel-leasing arrangements), while offloading those networks on mainstream Scripps stations with limited spectrum capacity during the ATSC 3.0 transition. (Ion's namesake flagship channel continues as a Scripps-owned network.) Qubo, Ion Plus and Ion Shop were replaced by selected Katz networks on Ion affiliates (consisting mainly of former O&Os spun off by Scripps to Inyo Broadcast Holdings) on February 27, and were replaced on Scripps-owned Ion stations post-shutdown on March 1. |
| Ion Shop |
| Qubo |
| WWE Network
| OTT streaming | March 18 | On January 25, WWE announced it would discontinue the standalone WWE Network service in the United States and merge it into the offerings of Peacock. All paying Peacock subscribers gained access to the WWE Video Library and no-cost access to WWE pay-per-view events in the same manner as current WWE Network subscribers. WWE Network remains unchanged outside of the United States. | {{Cite web|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2021-01-25|title=NBCU's Peacock Pins WWE Network Exclusive U.S. Streaming Rights|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/wwe-network-peacock-exclusively-streaming-1234890954/|access-date=2021-01-25|website=Variety}}{{Cite web|last=Hayes|first=Dade|date=2021-01-25|title=Peacock Adds Wrestling In WWE Network Streaming Exclusive|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/peacock-adds-wrestling-in-wwe-network-streaming-exclusive-1234679617/|access-date=2021-01-25|website=Deadline}} |
| CNN Airport
| Closed-circuit international airport television systems | March 31 | On January 12, CNN announced that it would shut down the CNN Airport network, which was available in numerous airports across the United States. The network, which carried a mixture of family-friendly news and entertainment programs from select WarnerMedia networks (as well as some high-profile sporting events), had been seeing declining viewership since the 2008 financial crisis as a result of the increased proliferation of Wi-Fi-enabled devices which themselves allow access to the mainline CNN network; the decline was accelerated in 2020 when global commercial air travel declined greatly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. |{{cite web|title=CNN Grounds Its Long-Running Airport Network|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/cnn-airport-network-shuts-down-1234883879/|work=Variety|date=January 12, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2021}} |
| NBC Sports Northwest
| Cable and satellite | September 30 | On June 9, NBC Sports Group announced it was shutting down NBC Sports Northwest, which launched in 2007 as Comcast SportsNet Northwest and later rebranded as CSN Northwest in 2012 and to NBC Sports Northwest in 2017. The closure came after the Portland Trail Blazers (a key team part of the network's programming since its inception) signed a four-year deal with Root Sports Northwest on the same date. |
| Hotstar {{small|(U.S. only)}} | OTT streaming | November 30 | On August 31, 2021, Disney announced that the U.S. version of Hotstar—targeted domestically at mainly American-born and expatriate Indians—would cease operations as a standalone platform by around late 2022. On the date of the announcement, Bollywood and South Asian films, television series and original specials featured in Hotstar's U.S. catalog (which will be rotated on and off at regular intervals) were added to Hulu, while the service's rights to Indian Premier League, ICC Men's T20 World Cup and BCCI-sanctioned cricket competitions were incorporated into ESPN+. Hotstar (alternately branded as Disney+ Hotstar in Asia) will continue to operate in parts of South Asia (specifically India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore), Canada and the United Kingdom. The closure date was brought forward by over a year with less than 2 weeks' notice on November 18, 2021. |{{cite web|title=Disney Shifts Hotstar Programming To ESPN+ And Hulu; Stand-Alone Hotstar U.S. Service To Sunset In 2022|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/disney-hotstar-streaming-us-shifts-to-espn-plus-hulu-cricket-bollywood-1234824160/|last=Hayes|first=Dade|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=August 31, 2021|access-date=September 1, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901040506/https://deadline.com/2021/08/disney-hotstar-streaming-us-shifts-to-espn-plus-hulu-cricket-bollywood-1234824160/|archive-date=September 1, 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Palmer |first1=Roger |title=Disney Brings Forward US Hotstar Closure |url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/disney-brings-forward-us-hotstar-closure/ |website=What's On Disney Plus |access-date=May 23, 2022 |language=en-us |date=November 18, 2021}} |
| ESPN Classic
|rowspan=3|Cable and satellite |rowspan=3| December 31 | On November 4, ESPN confirmed the closure of the network, originally launched as Classic Sports Network in 1995 before its 1997 acquisition by ESPN. The network had already lost library programming over the years and was slowly wound down as ESPN had allowed various providers to drop the network in retransmission consent negotiations since the mid-2010s in order to pick up new ESPN networks as replacements. |
| Fusion TV
| On December 4, Univision Communications confirmed through notice to its remaining providers the closure of Fusion, originally launched in October 2013 with a focus on news, lifestyle, pop culture, satire and entertainment programs aimed at English-speaking millennials, including those of a Hispanic background. The network—which was founded as a joint venture between Univision and The Walt Disney Company (through ABC News), the latter which sold its stake in 2016—struggled to maintain a consistent programming identity (experiencing heavy churn of its news and documentary programs, while shifting more toward a documentary and entertainment format in its waning years); to obtain widespread distribution across wireline, satellite and live-TV streaming providers; and to attract sufficient viewership in its target demographic throughout its eight-year existence. Fusion also incurred significant profit losses over its run (incurring deficits of $35 million in 2014 alone) as Univision struggled through an era under the management of private equity which mandated the launch of English-language inroads; the network is currently in the process of merging with longtime content partner Televisa and focusing exclusively on Spanish-language audiences. It was the second consecutive year a Univision-funded English-language channel shut down, as El Rey Network's wireline network was shut down exactly a year before, several months after it spun off its interest in the channel. |{{Cite web|title=Upcoming Channel Changes {{!}} GCI|url=https://gci.com/tv/upcoming-channel-changes|access-date=2021-12-04|website=gci.com}}{{cite web|title=Univision's Ill-Fated Cable Net Fusion Ceases Operations|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/veronicavillafane/2021/12/31/univisions-ill-fated-cable-net-fusion-ceases-operations/|first=Veronica|last=Villafañe|periodical=Forbes|date=December 31, 2021|access-date=January 2, 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/new-year-ushers-end-to-several-cable-networks|title=New Year Ushers End to Several Cable Networks|last=Umstead|first=R. Thomas|date=3 January 2022|work=Multichannel News|access-date=4 January 2022}} |
| NBCSN
| On January 22, NBC Sports Group announced it was shutting down NBCSN, which launched in 1995 as the Outdoor Life Network and later rebranded as Versus before becoming the NBC Sports Network in 2012 and adopting its current name in 2013. Its programming, which includes the Premier League and NASCAR races, moves primarily to NBC and USA Network as well as the Peacock streaming service. A cornerstone of NBCSN's programming had been the National Hockey League, whose contract with NBC Sports expired at the end of the abbreviated 2021 season. | [https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/media/nbc-sports-network-shut-down/index.html NBC Sports Network to shut down by the end of the year] CNN, January 22, 2021[https://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nbcsn-is-shutting-down-on-december-31st-with-most-sports-programming-moving-to-usa.html "NBCSN is shutting down on December 31st, with most sports programming moving to USA,"] from Awful Announcing, 11/2/2021 |
Television stations
=Subchannel launches=
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2021}}
=Stations changing network affiliations=
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2021}}
:This section outlines affiliation changes involving English and Spanish networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, The CW, Univision, etc.), and format conversions involving independent stations. Digital subchannels are mentioned if the prior or new affiliation involves a major English and Spanish broadcast network or a locally programmed independent entertainment format.
| class="wikitable" |
| Date
! Market ! Station ! Channel ! Prior affiliation ! New affiliation ! Notes ! Source |
|---|
| rowspan="11"|January 1
| rowspan="2"|Cedar Rapids, Iowa | rowspan="2"|KGAN | 2.2 | GetTV | Fox | rowspan="2"|On January 1, KGAN began simulcasting KFXA for a one-month transitional period as Sinclair consolidated Fox affiliates in duopoly markets from their shell corporations to directly owned stations; GetTV concurrently moved to KGAN's third digital subchannel. |
| 2.3
| Comet | GetTV |
| Charleston, West Virginia
| WCHS-TV | 8.2 | rowspan="2"|Antenna TV | rowspan="3"|Fox | On January 1, WCHS-TV began simulcasting WVAH-TV for a one-month transitional period; Antenna TV concurrently moved to a new third digital subchannel of WCHS-TV. |
| Columbus, Ohio
| WSYX | 6.3 | On January 1, WSYX began simulcasting WTTE for a one-month transitional period; Antenna TV concurrently moved to a new fourth digital subchannel of WSYX. | [https://myfox28columbus.com/news/local/fox-28-over-the-air-signal-moves-to-channel-wsyx-63 FOX 28 over-the-air signal moves to channel WSYX 6.3] WSYX, January 7, 2021 |
| Dayton, Ohio
| WKEF | 22.2 | Stadium | WKEF-DT2 disaffiliated from Stadium on January 1; it concurrently began simulcasting sister station WRGT-TV for a one-month transitional period. | {{cite web | url = https://dayton247now.com/news/local/fox-45-digital-channel-change-to-require-rescan | title = FOX 45 digital channel change to require rescan | last = Richardson | first = Joshua | publisher = Sinclair Broadcast Group | date = December 29, 2020 | access-date = December 29, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201230040201/https://dayton247now.com/news/local/fox-45-digital-channel-change-to-require-rescan | archive-date = December 30, 2020 | url-status = live }} |
| rowspan="2"|Idaho Falls–Pocatello, Idaho
| KIDK | 3.1 | CBS | Dabl | rowspan="2"|In December 2020, VistaWest Media LLC, owner of KIDK, announced that most of the station's CBS network and syndicated programing, and local newscasts from its KIDK Eyewitness News 3 operation would be transferred to the DT2 subchannel of News-Press & Gazette Company-owned ABC affiliate and SSA partner KIFI-TV on January 1. KIDK would concurrently switch to Dabl (which is also carried on its Fox-affiliated sister KXPI-LD), while Telemundo programming displaced from KIFI-DT2 would transfer to a new DT5 subchannel on that station. | rowspan=2|{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} |
| KIFI-TV
| 8.2 | CBS |
| Port Arthur-Beaumont, Texas
| KFDM | 6.3 | Charge! | Fox | KFDM-DT3 disaffiliated from Charge! on December 31, 2020; on January 1, the subchannel began simulcasting Fox-affiliated SSA partner KBTV-TV for a one-month transitional period. | {{cite news | url = https://fox4beaumont.com/news/local/fox-4-moving-to-new-home-on-kfdm-63 | title = Fox 4 moving to new home on KFDM 6.3 | publisher = KBTV-TV | date = December 23, 2020 | access-date = January 10, 2021 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20210110205425/https://fox4beaumont.com/news/local/fox-4-moving-to-new-home-on-kfdm-63 | archive-date = January 10, 2021 | url-status = live}}{{cite news | url = https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/KBTV-changes-channel-for-antenna-users-15838655.php | last = Dick | first = Jacob | title = KBTV Changes Channel for Antenna Users | newspaper = The Beaumont Enterprise | date = December 31, 2020 | access-date = January 1, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210101043033/https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/KBTV-changes-channel-for-antenna-users-15838655.php | archive-date = January 1, 2021 | url-status = live}} |
| rowspan="3"|Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, California
| KCOY-TV | 11.1 | CBS | Dabl | rowspan="3"|In December 2020, the News-Press & Gazette Company, owner of KCOY-TV, announced that the station's CBS network and syndicated programming and its local newscasts would be transferred to the DT2 subchannel of its ABC-affiliated sister station KEYT-TV on January 1. (KEYT had previously maintained a part-time affiliation with CBS from its May 1953 sign-on until KCOY began offering the network full-time after dropping its former primary NBC affiliation in 1969.). KCOY became affiliated with Dabl, relocating the diginet from its discontinued DT4 subchannel. To make room for the former KCOY intellectual unit on its DT2 feed (at which point, its local newscasts were retitled NewsChannel 12 to match KEYT's base news brand), KEYT-DT3—previously affiliated with Bounce TV—adopted a news rebroadcast format with MyNetworkTV programming (previously on KEYT-DT2) airing weeknights. | rowspan="3"|[https://keyt.com/how-to-find-newschannel-12/ How to find NewsChannel 12] keyt.com (NewsChannel 3-12) 1 January 2021 |
| rowspan="2"|KEYT-TV
| 3.2 | CBS |
| 3.3
| MyNetworkTV |
| rowspan=9|February 1
| WDHN | 18.4 | rowspan=6|Cozi TV | rowspan=6|Antenna TV | rowspan=6|Nexstar Media Group continues the process it launched in the fall of 2020 of phasing out subchannel carriage agreements with Cozi and MeTV, competitors in the classic television subchannel space, in order to increase exposure and publicity for Antenna TV on its existing stations, which it acquired in 2019 as part of the Tribune Broadcasting merger. |
| Terre Haute, Indiana
| WTWO | 2.4 |
| Monroe, Louisiana
| KARD-TV | 14.4 |
| Joplin, Missouri
| KSNF | 16.4 |
| Amarillo, Texas
| KAMR-TV | 4.4 |
| Wichita Falls, Texas
| KFDX-TV | 3.4 |
| Charleston, West Virginia
| WVAH-TV | 11.1 | rowspan=2| Fox | Decades | In December 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group—which operates the station through Cunningham Broadcasting—announced that most of WVAH's Fox network and syndicated programing, its 10:00 p.m. Eyewitness News newscast (produced by ABC affiliated sister station WCHS-TV), and the "Fox 11" branding would transfer to the second subchannel of WCHS-TV beginning February 1, following a one-month transition period that began on January 1 as part of Sinclair's consolidation of Fox affiliates onto directly owned stations; the move ended WVAH's 34-year affiliation with Fox (dating to its 1987 national launch). After the transition, the station's main channel switched to the Weigel Broadcasting-owned Decades diginet. | |
| rowspan="2"|Port Arthur–Beaumont, Texas
| rowspan="2"|KBTV-TV | 4.1 | Dabl | rowspan="2"|In December 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group—which operated the station through Deerfield Media—announced that KBTV would disaffiliate from Fox after 13 years (ending a 67-year-run as a major network affiliate, having previously been with NBC from its 1953 sign on until 2008); the station switched to Dabl effective February 1, with its Fox network and syndicated programming, the 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. newscasts (produced by sister station KFDM) and the "Fox 4" branding being transferred to the third subchannel of KFDM on February 1, following a one-month transition period that began on January 1 as part of Sinclair's consolidation of Fox affiliates onto directly owned stations. Following this, KFDM becomes the second station in the Beaumont–Port Arthur market to maintain dual major network affiliations on its main channel and a digital subchannel (ABC affiliate KBMT has carried NBC programming on its DT2 subchannel since KBTV dropped the latter network). |
| 4.5
| Dabl | Charge! |
| rowspan="3"|February 2
| rowspan="3"|Cedar Rapids, Iowa | rowspan="2"|KGAN | 2.2 | GetTV | Fox | rowspan="3"|In December 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group—which operates KFXA through Second Generation of Iowa, Ltd.—announced that the station would end its collective 33-year relationship with Fox (dating to KFXA's 1988 sign-on, with a ten-month sabbatical from October 1994 to August 1995 due to financial issues that caused its eviction from the station's original studios). KFXA's Fox network and syndicated programming, its weekday 7:00 a.m. and nightly 9:00 p.m. newscasts (produced by CBS-affiliated sister KGAN) and the "Fox 28" branding transferred to KGAN-DT2 on February 2, following a 33-day transition period that commenced on January 1 as part of Sinclair's consolidation of Fox affiliates onto directly owned stations; following the switch, GetTV programming moved from KFXA-DT2 to KGAN-DT3, Comet programming moved from KGAN-DT3 to the newly launched KFXA-DT5, and Dabl programming moved from KGAN-DT4 (discontinued to allocate HD bandwidth for KGAN-DT2) to KFXA's main channel. | rowspan="3"| |
| 2.3
| Comet | GetTV |
| KFXA
| 28.1 | rowspan=2| Fox | Dabl |
| rowspan="2"|February 3
| rowspan="2"|Columbus, Ohio | rowspan="2"|WTTE | 28.1 | TBD | rowspan="5"|In December 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group—which operates WRGT and WTTE through Cunningham Broadcasting—announced that both stations would end their 34-year relationship with Fox (dating to the network's 1987 national debut). In Dayton, WRGT's Fox network and syndicated programming, its weekday 7:00 a.m. and nightly 10:00 p.m. newscasts (produced by ABC-affiliated sister WKEF) and the "Fox 45" branding transferred to WKEF-DT2 on February 4, following a 33-day transition period that commenced on January 1; following the switch, the part-time MyNetworkTV/Dabl affiliation moved to WRGT's main channel. In Columbus, WTTE's Fox and syndicated programming, its weekday 7:00 a.m. and nightly 10:00 p.m. newscasts (produced by ABC-affiliated sister WSYX) and the "Fox 28" branding transferred to the third subchannel of WSYX-DT3 on February 3, following a 32-day transition period that commenced on January 1 as part of Sinclair's consolidation of Fox affiliates onto directly owned stations; afterward, WTTE switched to Sinclair's TBD diginet. | rowspan="2"|{{Cite web|url=https://sbgi.net/pr-news/major-broadcasters-launch-nextgen-tv-on-four-local-television-stations-in-columbus-ohio/|title=Major Broadcasters Launch NEXTGEN TV On Four Local Television Stations In Columbus, Ohio|website=Sinclair Broadcast Group|access-date=February 6, 2021|archive-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121071453/https://sbgi.net/pr-news/major-broadcasters-launch-nextgen-tv-on-four-local-television-stations-in-columbus-ohio/|url-status=dead}} |
| 28.2
| TBD | Stadium |
| rowspan="7"|February 4
| rowspan="3"|Dayton, Ohio | rowspan="3"|WRGT-TV | 45.1 | Fox | MyNetworkTV/Dabl |
| 45.2
| MyNetworkTV/Dabl | TBD |
| 45.5
| TBD | Stadium |
| rowspan="4"|Sioux City, Iowa
| rowspan="2"|KMEG | 14.1 | CBS | Dabl | rowspan="4"|In January 2021, Sinclair Broadcast Group—which operated the station through Waitt Broadcasting—announced that KMEG would disaffiliate from CBS after 53 years (dating to its 1967 sign-on), with its network and syndicated programming, local newscasts produced through its Siouxland News operation, as well as the "KMEG 14" branding being transferred to the DT3 subchannel of its co-owned Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliated station KPTH beginning February 4, another consolidation of Sinclair's major network affiliations onto directly owned stations. Both stations concurrently swapped their corresponding diginet affiliations with Dabl, TBD and Charge! on that date. |
| 14.2
| TBD | Charge! |
| rowspan="2"|KPTH
| 44.2 | Dabl | TBD |
| 44.3
| Charge! | CBS |
| rowspan="4"|March 29
| rowspan="2" |Dallas, Texas | KTXA | 21.2 | MeTV | rowspan="4"|In December 2020, Weigel Broadcasting completed its acquisition of Azteca América affiliates KAZD/Dallas and KYAZ/Houston from HC2 Holdings. On March 29, KAZD and KYAZ became MeTV owned and operation stations, as it shifts Azteca America programming to the stations' third subchannel. | rowspan="4"|[https://www.rbr.com/weigel-captures-four-properties-from-hc2/ Weigel Captures Four Properties From HC2] - Radio & Television Business Report (published November 2, 2020)[https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/03/22/kprc-2-launches-start-tv-network-on-channel-22-in-houston/ KPRC 2 launches Start TV Network on Channel 2.2 in Houston] Click2Houston.com, 22 March 2021 (Retrieved 28 March 2021). |
| KAZD
| 55.1 | MeTV |
| rowspan="2"|Houston, Texas
| KPRC-TV | 2.2 | MeTV | Start TV |
| KYAZ
| 51.1 | Azteca América | MeTV |
| rowspan="9"|April 1
| KFSN-TV | 30.3 | rowspan="7"|Laff | rowspan="7"|This TV | rowspan="7"|With Katz's carriage agreement with the ABC Owned Television Stations also running out, ABCOTS has since come to agreement with Allen Media Group to launch a revitalized This TV on those channel slots. | rowspan="9"| |
| Houston, Texas
| KTRK-TV | 13.3 |
| Los Angeles, California
| KABC-TV | 7.3 |
| New York City, New York
| WABC-TV | 7.3 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| WPVI-TV | 6.3 |
| Raleigh, North Carolina
| WTVD | 11.3 |
| San Francisco, California
| KGO-TV | 7.3 |
| rowspan="2"|Minneapolis, Minnesota
| rowspan="2"|K33LN-D | 33.1 | Bounce TV | QVC |
| 33.2
| Court TV Mystery | HSN |
| April 3
| KLAS-TV | 8.4 | Ion Television | Circle | | |
| April 5
| WISH-TV | 8.3 | Twist | |
| rowspan="2"|May 15
| rowspan="2"|Chicago, Illinois | WCPX-TV | 38.2 | Court TV Mystery | Bounce TV | rowspan="2"|WCIU launched the experimental MeTV Plus service over digital subchannels 26.5 on this date; ewplaxing Bounce TV, which had been carrying its programming simultaneously on Ion O&O WCPX-TV (owned by Bounce parent, the E. W. Scripps Company) since February 28 and cedes its Chicago affiliation rights exclusively to that station with the switchover. |
| WCIU-TV
| 26.5 | Bounce TV | MeTV Plus |
| rowspan="2"|May 17
| rowspan="2"|Lexington, Kentucky | rowspan="2"|WTVQ-DT | 36.4 | Laff | Twist | | |
| 36.7
| Grit | QVC | | |
| rowspan="4"|June 7
| WJZY | 46.8 | Shop LC | QVC2 | | |
| rowspan="3"|Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
| WTSP | 10.2 | Antenna TV | Twist | | |
| rowspan="2"|WFTS-TV
| 28.4 | Court TV | Court TV Mystery | | |
| 28.5
| QVC | HSN | | |
| July 5
| KGCW | 26.4 | Bounce TV | CBS | | |
| rowspan="2"|August 2
| rowspan="2"|Cedar Rapids, Iowa | KCRG-TV | 9.3 | Antenna TV | The CW | rowspan="2"|As a result of the sale of KWWL to Allen Media Broadcasting due to the acquisition of the station's former owner Quincy Media by Gray Television, the owner of competitor KCRG-TV, The CW announced they move its affiliation from its second digital subchannel of KWWL to the third subchannel of KCRG-TV beginning August 2, after Start TV, Circle and Antenna TV diginets leaving the said station as well in the Cedar Rapids market, while the former joined the Weigel Broadcasting owned network Heroes & Icons. | rowspan="2"| |
| KWWL
| 7.2 | The CW | Heroes & Icons |
| rowspan="33"|September 1
| Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York | WXXA-TV | 23.4 | rowspan="2"|Bounce TV | rowspan="2"|Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="3"|Buffalo, New York
| WNLO | 23.2 | |
| WKBW-TV
| 7.2 | Laff | Bounce TV | | |
| WIVB-TV
| 4.2 | Court TV | QVC | | |
| Charleston/Huntington, West Virginia
| WOWK-TV | 13.4 | Grit | rowspan="5"|Rewind TV | |
| Charlotte, North Carolina
| WJZY | 46.8 | QVC2 | |
| Chicago, Illinois
| WGN-TV | 9.4 | TBD | |
| Cleveland, Ohio
| WOIO | 19.4 | Shop LC | |
| rowspan="2"|Grand Rapids, Michigan
| rowspan="2"|WOOD-TV | 8.2 | Bounce TV | |
| 8.3
| Laff | rowspan="2"|SportsGrid | | |
| rowspan="3"|Hagerstown, Maryland
| rowspan="3"|WDVM-TV | 25.2 | Court TV Mystery | | |
| 25.3
| Grit | |
| 25.4
| Laff | HSN | | |
| Harlingen, Texas
| KGBT-TV | 4.2 | TBD | rowspan="2"|Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="2"|Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut
| WTNH | 8.2 | |
| WCTX
| 59.2 | Grit | Comet | | |
| Honolulu, Hawaii
| KHON-TV | 2.4 | Court TV | Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="2"|Nashville, Tennessee
| rowspan="2"|WKRN-TV | 2.2 | Bounce TV | | |
| 2.4
| Grit | rowspan="2"|Rewind TV | |
| New York City, New York
| WPIX | 11.4 | TBD | |
| Portland, Oregon
| KOIN | 6.3 | Bounce TV | SportsGrid | | |
| Providence, Rhode Island
| WNAC-TV | 64.3 | Laff | rowspan="2"|Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="2"|Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
| rowspan="2"|WNCN | 17.2 | Court TV | |
| 17.4
| Court TV Mystery | Circle | |
| Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia
| WWCW | 21.3 | rowspan="2"|Laff | rowspan="3"|Rewind TV | |
| Salt Lake City, Utah
| KTVX | 4.3 | |
| San Antonio, Texas
| KABB | 29.2 | Comet | |
| San Francisco, California
| KRON-TV | 4.3 | Court TV | | |
| St. Louis, Missouri
| KPLR-TV | 11.4 | Court TV | rowspan="2"|Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="2"|Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
| WBRE-TV | 28.3 | Grit | |
| WYOU
| 22.3 | Bounce TV | Twist | | |
| rowspan="2"|Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
| rowspan="2"|WFLA-TV | 8.2 | Court TV | SportsGrid | | |
| 8.3
| Court TV Mystery | Antenna TV | | |
| rowspan="23"|September 20
| rowspan="2"|Detroit, Michigan | WMYD | 20.1 | MyNetworkTV/ABC (alternate) | Independent/ABC (remained alternate) | rowspan="2"| On July 10, 2021, it was announced that Fox Corporation's MyNetworkTV programming service would move to Adell Broadcasting owned station WADL, ending its 36 years as an independent station, as well as their alternating affiliations with NBC (for programming declined to carry by the network's affiliated station in that market, WDIV-TV). Meanwhile, WMYD returns to its independence for the first time since 1995 (ending MNT's 15 year affiliation with the said station from its 2006 launch along with their 11-year affiliation with the now-defunct The WB from 1995 to 2006), while retaining their alternating affiliation with ABC (for programming declined to carry by the network's affiliated sister station in that market, WXYZ-TV due to breaking news and other programming). | rowspan="2"|{{cite web|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/wadl-gets-detroits-mynetworktv-affiliation|title=WADL Gets Detroit's MyNetworkTV Affiliation|last=Malone|first=Michael|magazine=Broadcasting and Cable|date=July 10, 2021|access-date=August 22, 2021}} |
| WADL
| 38.1 | Independent/NBC (alternate) | MyNetworkTV |
| rowspan="5"|Florence, South Carolina
| rowspan="2"|WPDE-TV | 15.2 | 24/7 weather | The CW | rowspan="5"|On September 20, 2021, the CW affiliation from WWMB (owned by Howard Stirk Holdings) moved to WPDE's second subchannel, although the "CW 21" branding was retained, continuing Sinclair's 2021 pattern of shifting major network affiliations onto directly owned stations rather than those of their shell corporations. The Weather Authority moved to the fourth subchannel, and Dabl moved from the fifth subchannel (which was dropped) to WWMB's main channel and was upgraded to high definition. Stadium moved from the fourth subchannel to WWMB's third subchannel, where it had previously been located before moving to WPDE. |
| 15.4
| Stadium | 24/7 weather |
| rowspan="3"|WWMB
| 21.1 | The CW | Dabl |
| 21.2
| TBD |
| 21.3
| TBD | Stadium |
| Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina/Asheville, North Carolina
| WMYA-TV | 40.1 | MyNetworkTV | Dabl | | |
| rowspan="2"|Nashville, Tennessee
| WZTV | 17.2 | TBD | The CW | rowspan="2"|On September 14, 2021, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that Nashville's CW affiliation (owned by Sinclair shell Tennessee Broadcasting) would move from WNAB to WZTV's 17.2 subchannel beginning September 20 at 10 a.m., using WNAB's new status as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station to consolidate the CW affiliation directly onto a Sinclair-owned station. |
| WNAB
| 58.1 | The CW | Dabl |
| rowspan="3"|Omaha, Nebraska
| rowspan="2"|KXVO | 15.1 | The CW | TBD | |
| 15.2
| TBD | Stadium | |
| KPTM
| 42.3 | Comet | The CW | |
| rowspan="7"|San Antonio, Texas
| rowspan="2"|WOAI-TV | 4.2 | Antenna TV | The CW | rowspan="7"|On September 20, 2021, the CW affiliation moved from Deerfield Media-owned KMYS to WOAI-TV's second subchannel (and another major affiliation consolidation onto a Sinclair-owned station), although the "CW 35" branding was retained. Dabl moved from KMYS' third subchannel to its main channel and was upgraded to high definition. TBD moved from KABB's third subchannel to KMYS' second subchannel. | |
| 4.3
| Charge! | Antenna TV | |
| rowspan="2"|KABB
| 29.2 | Rewind TV | Comet | |
| 29.3
| TBD | Rewind TV | |
| rowspan="3"|KMYS
| 35.1 | The CW | Dabl | |
| 35.2
| Stadium | TBD | |
| 35.3
| Dabl | Stadium | |
| rowspan="3"|Wichita, Kansas
| KSAS | 24.2 | TBD | MyNetworkTV | rowspan="3"|On September 20, 2021, after 15 years of MyNetworkTV having a separate affiliated station in Wichita, MyTV Wichita programming moved from KMTW (owned by Sinclair shell Mercury Broadcasting Company) to KSAS-TV 24.2 (directly Sinclair-owned), which formerly aired programming from Sinclair's Internet-sourced network, TBD. TBD moved to KMTW 36.4, which formerly aired Dabl programming since the network's launch on September 9, 2019, and Dabl moved to 36.1. {{cite web | date=15 September 2021 | title = myTV Wichita moving to a new channel for antenna viewers | publisher = myTV Wichita | url = https://mytvwichita.com/news/local/mytv-wichita-moving-to-a-new-channel-for-antenna-viewers | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210916000742/https://mytvwichita.com/news/local/mytv-wichita-moving-to-a-new-channel-for-antenna-viewers |archive-date=September 16, 2021 | access-date = 2021-09-19}} |
| rowspan="2"|KMTW
| 36.1 | MyNetworkTV | Dabl |
| 36.4
| Dabl | TBD |
| October 31
| Norfolk/Portsmouth/Newport News, Virginia | WVBT | 43.3 | Heroes & Icons | rowspan="3"|Rewind TV | | |
| rowspan="2"|November 1
| KLAS-TV | 8.4 | Circle | | |
| Richmond, Virginia
| WRIC-TV | 8.2 | Ion Television | | |
| December 22
| WTCL-LP | 6.1 | Jewelry Television | On September 22, 2021, Gray Television announced it would convert Jewelry Television affiliate WLFM-LD (which operated as an LPFM maintaining alternative rock/AAA and, later, Latin music formats from September 2012 until it ceased analog transmissions in June 2020) into a Telemundo affiliate, adopting the callsign WTCL-LD, effective January 1, 2022. (Cleveland—which has two existing Spanish-language major network stations, Univision/UniMás O&O WQHS-DT and Azteca América affiliate WQDI-LD—had been one of the largest U.S. markets with a significant Hispanic/Latino population that did not have a local Telemundo station.) After switching to a temporary simulcast of CBS-affiliated sister WOIO's main feed in coincidence with the October 15 callsign change, WTCL converted to Telemundo early on December 22. On January 1, WOIO began to produce twice-nightly Monday–Friday newscasts for WTCL, becoming the first Spanish-language local news offering in the Cleveland market (WQHS and WQDI, respectively, have never offered in-house or outsourced local news programming since converting into Spanish stations). |{{cite press release|title=WOIO-TV To Launch Cleveland Telemundo Station|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/top-news/programming/article/woio-tv-to-launch-cleveland-telemundo-station/|website=TVNewsCheck|via=WOIO/WUAB|date=September 22, 2021}} |
==Scripps, Ion, and Inyo 2021 subchannel shifts==
| class="wikitable" |
| style="width: 5%;" | Date
! Market ! style="width: 8%;" | Station ! Channel ! {{nowrap|Prior affiliation}} ! {{nowrap|New affiliation}} ! style="width: 40%;" |Notes ! Source |
|---|
| rowspan="200"|March 1
| rowspan="3"|{{nowrap|Albany - Schenectady -}} | rowspan="3"|WYPX-TV | 55.2 | Qubo | rowspan="200"|With the shutdown of Ion Plus, Qubo and Ion Shop and as a consequence of The E. W. Scripps Company's purchase of Ion Media (along with concurrent spin-offs of some Ion O&Os to INYO Broadcast Holdings), Ion Television's owned and affiliated stations and Ion Plus' O&O stations reconfigured their channel map to add selected networks owned by fellow Scripps subsidiary Katz Broadcasting in place of the defunct networks. | rowspan="200"|{{cite web|url=https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/ion-and-qubo-unavailable|title=ION Plus and Qubo Ceased Operations on February 26, 2021|date=February 27, 2021|website=Xfinity Help & Support|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216161453/https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/ion-and-qubo-unavailable|url-status=dead}}[https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-downgrades-ew-scripps-on-close-of-ion-acquisition-finalizes-expected-ratings-outlook-stable-15-01-2021#:~:text=ION%20Media%20Acquisition%3A%20Scripps%20announced,completed%20the%20acquisition%20on%20Jan. Fitch Downgrades EW Scripps on Close of ION Acquisition; Finalizes Expected Ratings; Outlook Stable] Fitch Ratings, January 15, 2021 |
| 55.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 55.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Atlanta, Georgia
| rowspan="3"|WPXA-TV | 14.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 14.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 14.4
| Ion Shop | rowspan=2| Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="4"|Birmingham, Alabama
| rowspan="4"|WPXH-TV | 44.2 | Qubo |
| 44.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 44.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| 44.5
| QVC | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Boise, Idaho
| rowspan="3"|KTRV-TV | 12.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 12.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 12.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Boston, Massachusetts
| WDPX-TV | 58.1 | Ion Plus | Court TV |
| rowspan="2"|WBPX-TV
| 68.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 68.3
| Ion Shop | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|Buffalo, New York
| rowspan="3"|WPXJ-TV | 51.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 51.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 51.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Chicago, Illinois
| rowspan="3"|WCPX-TV | 38.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 38.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 38.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Cleveland, Ohio
| WDLI-TV | 17.1 | Ion Plus | Court TV |
| rowspan="2"|WVPX-TV
| 23.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 23.3
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Columbia, South Carolina
| rowspan="3"|WZRB | 47.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 47.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 47.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| Columbus, Ohio
| WSFJ-TV | 51.1 | Ion Plus | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas
| rowspan="3"|KPXD-TV | 68.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 68.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 68.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="4"|Denver, Colorado
| rowspan="4"|KPXC-TV | 59.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 59.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 59.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| 59.6
| QVC | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Des Moines, Iowa
| rowspan="3"|KFPX-TV | 39.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 39.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 39.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Detroit, Michigan
| rowspan="3"|WPXD-TV | 31.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 31.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 31.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="4"|Grand Rapids, Michigan
| rowspan="4"|WZPX-TV | 43.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 43.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 43.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| 43.5
| QVC | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point, North Carolina
| rowspan="3"|WGPX-TV | 16.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 16.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 16.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="6"|Greenville - New Bern, North Carolina
| rowspan="3"|WEPX-TV | 38.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 38.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 38.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|WPXU-TV
| 35.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 35.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 35.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Hagerstown, Maryland
| rowspan="3"|WWPX-TV | 60.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 60.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 60.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Hartford, Connecticut
| rowspan="3"|WHPX-TV | 26.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 26.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 26.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Honolulu, Hawaii
| rowspan="3"|KPXO-TV | 66.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 66.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 66.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="4"|Houston, Texas
| rowspan="4"|KPXB-TV | 49.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 49.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 49.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| 49.5
| HSN | Laff |
| rowspan="4"|Indianapolis, Indiana
| WCLJ-TV | 42.1 | Ion Plus | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="2"|WIPX-TV
| 63.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 63.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| WRTV
| 6.4 | Court TV Mystery | QVC |
| rowspan="4"|Jacksonville, Florida
| rowspan="4"|WPXC-TV | 21.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 21.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 21.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| 21.6
| HSN | Laff |
| rowspan="5"|Kansas City, Missouri
| KMCI-TV | 38.4 | Court TV | HSN |
| rowspan="4"|KPXE-TV
| 50.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 50.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 50.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| 50.6
| HSN | QVC2 |
| rowspan="3"|Knoxville, Tennessee
| rowspan="3"|WPXK-TV | 54.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 54.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 54.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Lexington, Kentucky
| rowspan="3"|WUPX-TV | 67.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 67.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 67.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="5"|Los Angeles, California
| rowspan="4"|KPXN-TV | 30.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 30.3
| Ion Life | Grit |
| 30.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| 30.5
| QVC | Laff |
| KILM
| 64.1 | Ion Plus | Grit |
| rowspan="4"|Madison, Wisconsin
| rowspan="4"|WIFS | 57.1 | Ion Plus |
| 57.5
| Qubo | Laff |
| 57.6
| Laff | Court TV Mystery |
| 57.7
| Court TV Mystery | Grit |
| rowspan="2"|Manchester, New Hampshire
| rowspan="2"|WPXG-TV | 21.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 21.3
| Ion Shop | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|Memphis, Tennessee
| rowspan="3"|WPXX-TV | 50.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 50.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 50.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Miami - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
| rowspan="3"|WPXM-TV | 35.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 35.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 35.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| rowspan="3"|WPXE-TV | 55.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 55.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 55.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota
| rowspan="3"|KPXM-TV | 41.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 41.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 41.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Nashville, Tennessee
| rowspan="3"|WNPX-TV | 28.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 28.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 28.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|New Orleans, Louisiana
| rowspan="3"|WPXL-TV | 49.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 49.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 49.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="5"|New York City, New York
| WJLP | 33.6 | Court TV |
| rowspan="4"|WPXN-TV
| 31.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 31.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 31.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV |
| 31.5
| QVC | rowspan=2| Laff |
| rowspan="4"|Norfolk - Portsmouth - Newport News, Virginia
| rowspan="3"|WPXV-TV | 49.2 | Qubo |
| 49.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 49.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV |
| WGNT
| 27.4 | Court TV | Dabl |
| rowspan="3"|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| rowspan="3"|KOPX-TV | 62.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 62.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 62.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Orlando, Florida
| rowspan="3"|WOPX-TV | 56.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 56.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 56.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="4"|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| rowspan="4"|WPPX-TV | 61.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 61.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 61.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| 61.5
| HSN | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| rowspan="3"|WINP-TV | 16.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 16.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 16.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="4"|Portland, Maine
| rowspan="3"|WIPL | 35.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 35.3
| Ion Plus | Bounce TV |
| 35.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| WCSH
| 6.3 | Court TV | Antenna TV |
| rowspan="3"|Portland, Oregon
| rowspan="3"|KPXG-TV | 22.2 | rowspan=2| Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 22.3
| Court TV |
| 22.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Providence, Rhode Island
| WLWC | 28.1 | Ion Plus | Court TV |
| rowspan="2"|WPXQ-TV
| 69.2 | Qubo | Laff |
| 69.4
| rowspan=2| Ion Shop | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|Raleigh - Durham, North Carolina
| rowspan="2"|WRPX-TV | 47.3 | Court TV Mystery |
| 47.5
| QVC | Laff |
| WFPX-TV
| 62.1 | Ion Plus | rowspan=2| Court TV |
| rowspan="3"|Roanoke - Lynchburg, Virginia
| rowspan="3"|WPXR-TV | 38.2 | Qubo |
| 38.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 38.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|St. Louis, Missouri
| rowspan="3"|WRBU | 46.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 46.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 46.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Sacramento, California
| rowspan="3"|KSPX-TV | 29.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 29.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 29.4
| Ion Shop | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|Salt Lake City, Utah
| rowspan="3"|KUPX-TV | 16.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 16.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 16.4
| Ion Shop | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="3"|San Antonio, Texas
| rowspan="3"|KPXL-TV | 26.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 26.3
| Ion Plus | Laff |
| 26.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="4"|San Francisco - Oakland - San Jose, California
| rowspan="4"|KKPX-TV | 65.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 65.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 65.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| 65.5
| QVC | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Scranton - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
| rowspan="3"|WQPX-TV | 64.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 64.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 64.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Seattle - Tacoma, Washington
| rowspan="3"|KWPX-TV | 33.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 33.3
| Ion Life | Bounce TV |
| 33.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Spokane, Washington
| rowspan="3"|KGPX-TV | 34.2 | Qubo | Bounce TV |
| 34.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 34.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Syracuse, New York
| rowspan="3"|WSPX-TV | 56.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 56.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 56.4
| Ion Shop | Court TV Mystery |
| rowspan="3"|Tampa - St. Petersburg, Florida
| rowspan="3"|WXPX-TV | 66.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 66.3
| Ion Plus | Grit |
| 66.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="3"|Tulsa, Oklahoma
| rowspan="3"|KTPX-TV | 44.2 | Qubo | NBC{{efn|Subchannel transitioned into a simulcast of KJRH-TV, which is co-owned with KTPX by the E. W. Scripps Company.|group=note|name=KTPXsim}} |
| 44.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 44.4
| Ion Shop | Grit |
| rowspan="3"|Washington, D.C.
| rowspan="3"|WPXW-TV | 66.2 | Qubo | Court TV Mystery |
| 66.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV |
| 66.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| rowspan="4"|Wausau - Rhinelander, Wisconsin
| rowspan="4"|WTPX-TV | 46.2 | Qubo | Grit |
| 46.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 46.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| 46.5
| QVC | Bounce TV |
| rowspan="5"|West Palm Beach, Florida
| WPTV-TV | 5.4 | Court TV Mystery | Start TV |
| rowspan="4"|WPXP-TV
| 67.2 | Qubo | Court TV |
| 67.3
| Ion Plus | Court TV Mystery |
| 67.4
| Ion Shop | Laff |
| 67.5
| QVC | Grit |
| rowspan="52"|July 1
| rowspan="2"|Albany, New York | rowspan="2"|WYPX-TV | 55.5 | QVC | Defy TV |rowspan="52"|Many Scripps/Ion stations then shuffle their affiliations around in mid-summer as the result of the launch of two new subchannel networks featuring reality programming from the A+E Networks library; the male-focused Defy TV, and TrueReal, which features programs targeting women. |
| 55.6
| rowspan="2"|HSN | TrueReal |
| Birmingham, Alabama
| WPXH-TV | 44.6 | rowspan="2"|Defy TV |
| rowspan="2"|Boise, Idaho
| rowspan="2"|KTRV-TV | 12.5 | QVC |
| 12.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Buffalo, New York
| rowspan="2"|WPXJ-TV | 51.5 | QVC | Defy TV |
| 51.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Chicago, Illinois
| rowspan="2"|WCPX-TV | 38.5 | QVC | Defy TV |
| 38.6
| HSN | rowspan="2"|TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Cleveland, Ohio
| WEWS-TV | 5.4 | Court TV |
| WVPX-TV
| 23.5 | HSN | Defy TV |
| rowspan="2"|Colorado Springs, Colorado
| rowspan="2"|KOAA-TV | 5.2 | Court TV |
| 5.4
| Court TV | rowspan="2"|Defy TV |
| rowspan="2"|Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas
| rowspan="2"|KPXD-TV | 68.5 | QVC |
| 68.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Denver, Colorado
| rowspan="2"|KPXC-TV | 59.4 | Laff | Defy TV |
| 59.5
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Detroit, Michigan
| rowspan="2"|WPXD-TV | 31.4 | Court TV Mystery | Defy TV |
| 31.5
| QVC | TrueReal |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan
| WZPX-TV | 43.6 | HSN | rowspan="2"|Defy TV |
| rowspan="2"|Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point, North Carolina
| rowspan="2"|WGPX-TV | 16.5 | QVC |
| 16.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Hartford, Connecticut
| rowspan="2"|WHPX-TV | 26.5 | QVC | Defy TV |
| 26.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Honolulu, Hawaii
| rowspan="2"|KPXO-TV | 66.4 | Court TV Mystery | Defy TV |
| 66.5
| rowspan="2"|QVC | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Indianapolis, Indiana
| rowspan="2"|WIPX-TV | 63.5 | Defy TV |
| 63.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Kansas City, Missouri
| rowspan="2"|KPXE-TV | 50.3 | Grit | Defy TV |
| 50.4
| Laff | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Lexington, Kentucky
| rowspan="2"|WUPX-TV | 67.5 | QVC | Defy TV |
| 67.6
| HSN | TueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Los Angeles, California
| rowspan="2"|KPXN-TV | 30.3 | Grit | Defy TV |
| 30.4
| Court TV Mystery | rowspan="2"|TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Memphis, Tennessee
| rowspan="2"|WPXX-TV | 50.5 | QVC |
| 50.6
| HSN | rowspan="2"|Defy TV |
| rowspan="2"|Nashville, Tennessee
| rowspan="2"|WNPX-TV | 28.5 | QVC |
| 28.6
| HSN | TruReal |
| rowspan="2"|New York City, New York
| rowspan="2"|WPXN-TV | 31.4 | Court TV | Defy TV |
| 31.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Norfolk - Portsmouth - Newport News, Virginia
| rowspan="2"|WPXV-TV | 49.4 | Court TV | Defy TV |
| 49.5
| rowspan="2"|QVC | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| rowspan="2"|KOPX-TV | 62.5 | Defy TV |
| 62.6
| HSN | rowspan="2"|TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| rowspan="2"|WPPX-TV | 61.4 | Court TV Mystery |
| 61.6
| rowspan="3"|QVC | rowspan="3"|Defy TV |
| Phoenix, Arizona
| KPPX-TV | 51.5 |
| rowspan="2"|Spokane, Washington
| rowspan="2"|KGPX-TV | 34.5 |
| 34.6
| HSN | TrueReal |
| rowspan="2"|Tampa - St. Petersburg, Florida
| rowspan="2"|WXPX-TV | 66.5 | QVC | Defy TV |
| 66.6
| rowspan="2"|HSN | TrueReal |
| West Palm Beach, Florida
| WPXP-TV | 67.6 | Defy TV |
=Station closures=
| class="wikitable"
! Station ! Channel ! Affiliation ! Market ! Date ! Notes ! Source |
| WCKD-LP
| 30 (analog) | Positiv | July 13 | WCKD-LP's license was cancelled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on August 4, 2021, due to the station not obtaining a license to convert to digital operations by the July 13, 2021, deadline. | |
| XHRIO
| 15.1 | The CW | Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico | December 31 | In late 2019, when owner Entravision Communications released its third-quarter earnings, it announced that it would not pay the 20-year lump sum renewal for the station's license. As a result, the station is expected to cease operations at the end of its concession in December 2021 after broadcasting as an English language station for most of its 42-year history. The closure of XHRIO-TDT leaves Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon to depend on American television stations for English-language content. |{{cite web|title=Entravision Communications Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2019 Results|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/entravision-communications-corporation-reports-third-quarter-2019-results-300954320.html|agency=PR Newswire|publisher=Entravision Communications Corporation|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 11, 2019}} |
Deaths
=January=
=February=
=March=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| width=90| Date ||width=125| Name || Age ||class="unsortable" |Notability || class="unsortable" | Source |
|---|
| March 2
|87 |Actor (recurring roles as Hawk Shayne on Guiding Light, Ray Gardner on All My Children, and Dr. Martin Brandt on The Doctors). |
| March 6
|95 |Irish-American entertainer who appeared on Broadway, television and radio after immigrating to the United States in 1954 |
| rowspan="2" | March 9
|93 |Reporter and anchor for CBS News and NBC News as well for PBS' MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and History Channel |
| Cliff Simon
|58 |Actor best known for his role as Ba'al on Stargate SG-1. |
| March 13
|81 |Actor best known for his role as Lt. Al Giardello on Homicide: Life on the Street |
| March 14
|87 |Puerto Rican actor (several series, including The High Chaparral, Harry O, All My Children, One Life to Live, Santa Barbara, General Hospital, and Zorro) |
| March 17
|66 |Film and television actress and drama coach |{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amy-johnston-actress-in-the-buddy-holly-story-dies-at-66|title=Amy Johnston, Actress in 'The Buddy Holly Story,' Dies at 66|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 2021|access-date=April 11, 2021}} |
| March 18
|71 |Actor (several series, most notably McMillan, Operation Petticoat, and Designing Women) |
| March 19
|62 |Actor and professional wrestler, son of professional wrestler Bob Orton |{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} |
| March 21
|79 |Writer/producer (several films and shows, most notably Matlock, Jake and the Fatman, and the Perry Mason film series) |
| March 23
|87 |Actor best known as Albert 'Pops' Solomon on The Goldbergs and Jack Gallo on Just Shoot Me! |
| rowspan=2|March 24
|52 |Actor/poet (various TV series, most notably Oz, She's Gotta Have It, and Hightown) |
| Jessica Walter
|80 |Actress (voice roles included Archer and Dinosaurs, on-camera roles included Arrested Development among several others) |
| rowspan=2|March 25
|91 |Sportscaster best known for his 31 years with WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York |
| Robert Rodan
|83 |Actor best known for his role of Adam in Dark Shadows in 1968 |
=April=
=May=
=June=
=July=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| width=90| Date ||width=125| Name || Age ||class="unsortable" |Notability || class="unsortable" | Source |
|---|
| July 1
| 67 | Actress known for Days of Our Lives and Another World, and voice work as Mimi Tachikawa and Cody Hida in the Digimon franchise, and older Toph Beifong on The Legend of Korra. |
| July 5
|91 |Film and television director (Wanted Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, Have Gun – Will Travel, Sam Benedict, The Twilight Zone, Mr. Novak, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Gilligan's Island, Perry Mason, 12 O'Clock High, The Wild Wild West, The Felony Squad, Cannon, Kojak, Tales from the Crypt) |
| July 6
|64 |Actress best known as Geraldine "Jerri" Peterson on The Parent 'Hood. |
| July 11
|75 |Actor best known as Macintosh "Mac" Robinson on Night Court and Abe Johnson on Love & War. Also recurring roles on Love in the Time of Corona, Mom, The Guest Book, Hart of Dixie, Buddy Faro, Home Improvement, Ink, Buffalo Bill, and Flamingo Road. |
| July 12
|71 |WWE Hall of Fame professional wrestler |
| July 16
|57 |Rapper and DJ who frequently appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba! |
| July 20
|62 |Actress best known as Alice Gunderson on General Hospital |{{cite web|title=Bergen Williams Dies: General Hospital Actor Who Played Housekeeper "Big Alice" Was 62 |url=https://deadline.com/2021/11/bergen-williams-dead-general-hospital-actor-big-alice-1234876302/|website=Deadline Hollywood |last=Evans|first=Greg|date=November 17, 2021|access-date=November 17, 2021}} |
| July 24
|93 |Actor and comedian (host of The Jackie Mason Show, frequent guest spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, recurring role as Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky on The Simpsons, and the starring role of Jackie Fisher on the short-lived sitcom Chicken Soup). Three-time Emmy winner. |
| July 26
|56 |Director and producer (Hell on Wheels, Code Black, Californication, Tut, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Salem, The Order, The Vampire Diaries) |
| July 28
|86 |Gadget salesman and inventor, founder of Ronco (multiple self-produced infomercials, appearances on The Weird Al Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien) |
| July 29
|76 |Cue card man on the Late Show with David Letterman and eponymous host of the Web series The Tony Mendez Show |
| rowspan="2" | July 30
|60 |Actor best known for playing Frank Scanlon on Port Charles. Also played Chip Lakin on Days of Our Lives and David Harper on General Hospital; guest spots on Dexter and NCIS: Los Angeles. |
| Thea White
|81 |Actress best known for voicing Muriel on Courage the Cowardly Dog. |
=August=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| width=90| Date ||width=125| Name || Age ||class="unsortable" |Notability || class="unsortable" | Source |
|---|
| August 4
|62 |Professional wrestler |
| August 6
|95 |President and CEO of NBC who oversaw the start of Saturday Night Live. Also oversaw The Midnight Special, co-founded A&E, and was involved in bringing Johnny Carson to The Tonight Show. |
| rowspan=3|August 7
|70 |Actress best known as Terri Michaels on The Fall Guy, Christine Sullivan on Night Court, and Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on Hearts Afire. |
| Jane Withers
|95 |Actress whose best-known television work was an 11-year run as Josephine the Plumber for Comet |
| Trevor Moore
|41 |Actor, comedian, writer, and director (one of the co-founders of the sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U' Know and a star on its eponymous IFC TV series), creator of Walk the Prank |
| rowspan=2|August 9
|88 |Actor best known as Archangel on Airwolf. Also recurring roles and guest spots on numerous shows. |{{cite web|title=Alex Cord Dies: 'Airwolf' Regular & Prolific Character Actor Was 88|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/alex-cord-dead-airwolf-star-obituary-1234812180/|website=Deadline Hollywood|last=Pedersen|first=Erik|date=August 10, 2021|access-date=August 10, 2021}} |
| Bob Jenkins
|73 |Motorsports announcer, most known as lead voice of NASCAR on ESPN/ABC (1981–2000) and IndyCar Series on ESPN/ABC (1999–2001) & Versus/NBCSN (2009–2012), as well as work in various roles for the IMS Radio Network. |[https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/indy-500/2021/08/09/bob-jenkins-iconic-voice-indy-500-dies-after-battle-cancer/5125722001/ Obituary for Bob Jenkins] from Indianapolis Star, 8/9/2021 |
| August 16
|Jeanetta Jones |60 |On-Camera Meteorologist for The Weather Channel from 1986 to 2006 |
| August 19
|95 |Network censor for NBC (Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman) |
| August 20
|85 |Country singer-songwriter (hosted Pop! Goes the Country from 1980 to 1982, appeared on the Grand Ole Opry from 1971 to 1996, appeared as a spokesman in commercials for Chevrolet) |
| August 21
|79 |Cable television executive (founder of A&E and The History Channel; CEO Emeritus of A&E Networks) |
| rowspan=2|August 22
|85 |Journalist/anchor, most notably at NBC News (Weekend and NBC News Overnight) |
| Micki Grant
|80 |Actress best known as Peggy Harris Nolan on Another World. Also played Mrs. Remington on All My Children; guest spots on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Ed. |
| August 23
|76 |Actor best known as Dex Dexter on Dynasty and Dimitri Marick on All My Children. Also played Alexi Theophilus on Bare Essence and Enzio Bonnatti on Lucky Chances; guest spots on Magnum, P.I., Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Cold Case. |
| rowspan=2|August 29
|91 |Actor and voice actor best known as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Lou Grant which won him five Emmy Awards. Also won Emmys for his roles on the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and Roots. Voiced Hudson on Gargoyles, J. Jonah Jameson on Spider-Man and Cosgrove on Freakazoid!. |
| Peggy Farrell
|89 |Film and television costume designer (Holocaust, Seize the Day, The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story, Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, The Stepford Husbands, My Body, My Child, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Ruby Bridges) |
| August 31
|94 |Film and television actor best known as Principal Seymour Kaufman on Room 222. Also played Jack Ellenhorn on Hey, Landlord, Judge Matthew Sirota on Sirota's Court, Ben Savitch on 79 Park Avenue, Jess Wingate on The Night That Panicked America, Harry Bergen on Summer of My German Soldier, and Gus on My Big Fat Greek Life. |{{cite news|url = https://www.readingeagle.com/2021/09/08/michael-constantine-reading-native-dies-actor-my-big-fat-greek-wedding/|title = Reading native and Emmy-winning actor Michael Constantine dies at 94 [Video]|last = Botch|first = Don|date = September 8, 2021|access-date = September 9, 2021|work = Reading Eagle}} |
=September =
=October=
=November=
= December =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| width=90| Date ||width=125| Name || Age ||class="unsortable" |Notability || class="unsortable" | Source |
|---|
| rowspan=2| December 5
| 52 | Producer, writer, director, voice actor (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers — Power Rangers Wild Force, Big Bad Beetleborgs) |
| Bob Dole
| 98 | Politician, Senator from Kansas (1969–1996) who participated in the 1976 and 1996 presidential debates among other TV appearances |
| December 8
| 86 | WWE Hall of Fame professional wrestler |
| December 10
| 78 | Actor/musician (The Monkees) and TV host (PopClips, Television Parts) |
| December 15
| 80 | Actress best known for playing Candy Pruitt on Here Come the Brides and Wanda Reilly Taylor on Harper Valley PTA |
| December 16
| Derrick J. Wyatt | 49 | Animator best known for character design on Transformers: Animated, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Ben 10: Omniverse |
| December 17
| 71 | Writer (Cosby, The Simpsons) |
| December 19
| 92 | Director (Wheel of Fortune, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson) |
| rowspan=2| December 25
|58 |Film/TV producer/director (TV work including HBO's Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects) |
| Tiffini Hale
| 46 | Cast member on The All New Mickey Mouse Club |
| December 28
| 85 | American football coach turned broadcaster of 30 years across CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC from 1979 to 2008. Appeared in various advertisements including for Ace Hardware, Miller Brewing Company, and Tinactin. |
| December 31
| 99 | Actress of 70 years best known for playing Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls and The Golden Palace, and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland, and her appearances on game shows including the Password franchise. Star of two eponymous shows (one in 1952–54 and another in 1977–78). At 88 years old, she became the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live in 2010. |
See also
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=tv_series&release_date=2021-01-01,2021-12-31&countries=us&adult=include&sort=num_votes,desc List of 2021 American television series] at IMDb
{{Years in TV by country|2021}}