Heartland (TV network)
Heartland is an American country music-oriented digital broadcast television network owned by Reach High Media Group and broadcast out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Launched on April 16, 2012, the network began in 2012 as a revival of The Nashville Network (TNN) that existed as a basic cable and satellite television network from March 7, 1983 to September 24, 2000.
 | |
| Slogan | The Heart of Country |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chattanooga/Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Reach High Media Group[1] |
| History | |
| Launched | November 1, 2012[2][3] |
| Former names | The Nashville Network (2012–2013) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
History
On April 16, 2012, Luken Communications (now known as Reach High Media Group) and Jim Owens Entertainment announced a joint venture to relaunch The Nashville Network as a digital broadcast television network on November 1, 2012[3][4][5][6] with the network to carry much of the original TNN's programming, including Music City Tonight, Crook & Chase, Yesteryear and (in cooperation with the Country Music Hall of Fame) Nashville Now, as well as new and original programming.
In October 2013, the partnership between Jim Owens Entertainment and Luken Communications ended and the network was rebranded as Heartland, carrying much of the same programming and format.[7]
Programming
Programming that aired on the new Nashville Network included shows such as Nashville Now, Crook & Chase, Music City Tonight, The Rick and Bubba Show, and Larry's Country Diner.[4][5][6] Much of the same programming continued to air after the rebrand to Heartland. New series added to the network include Rise Up Country with John Ritter, Reflections, Positively Paula (hosted by Paula Deen), the Canadian drama series Heartland, reruns of Canadian sketch comedy The Red Green Show (added September 2018), and Morning Beats, a soft news magazine[8] which replaced Coffee, Country & Cody from WSM Radio in Nashville when it moved to Circle (which replaced Rick and Bubba when that show moved to CRTV). Country music videos air when no other programs are scheduled; both contemporary videos and classic country performances are offered, usually presented in blocks by VJs.
Heartland's national feed contains no infomercials except for a regularly scheduled presentation brokered by Time-Life Home Video.
Distribution
Heartland is distributed through digital subchannel affiliations. The network is also distributed freely over the Internet; some of the network's programming (including Jim Owens entertainment shows and programming made available online elsewhere behind a paywall) is not available online and is replaced with reruns of programs scheduled at other times. Since 2019, the online feed has operated a full schedule.
As of March 2020, Network affiliates include:
| DMA | Station | Channel |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | ||
| Huntsville-Decatur | WMJN-LD | 29.1 |
| Montgomery-Selma | WBMM | 22.2 |
California | ||
| San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose | KKMP-CD
(Multiple Translators Presented) |
x.9 |
| Fresno-Visalia | KVBC-LP | 13.2 |
Colorado | ||
| Denver | KHDT-LD | 16.4 |
Florida | ||
| Jacksonville (St. Augustine) | WQXT-CD | 22.4 |
Georgia | ||
| Chattanooga | WDGA-CD | 43.1 |
| Cumming-Atlanta | WLVO-LD | 21.7 |
Idaho | ||
| Twin Falls | KYTL-LD | 17.4 |
Illinois | ||
| Chicago (Hammond, IN) | WJYS | 62.4 |
Kansas | ||
| Wichita-Hutchinson Plus | KSMI-LP | 30.2 |
| Topeka | KMJC-LD | 25.4 |
Kentucky | ||
| Louisville | WRLW-CA | 17.1 |
Michigan | ||
| Detroit | WHNE-LD | 14.12 |
| Roscommon (Traverse City-Cadillac) | WURO-LD | 18.5 |
Missouri | ||
| Kansas City | KCKS-LD | 25.4 |
| Springfield | KRFT-LD | 8.2 |
Montana | ||
| Great Falls | K18BN-D | 18.3 |
New York | ||
| Utica | WVVC-LD | 40.3 |
North Carolina | ||
| Greenville-N.Bern-Washngtn | WTMH-LD | 21.1 |
| Greenville-N.Bern-Washngtn | WTMQ-LD | 41.1 |
| Wilmington | WTMV-LD | 21.1 |
Ohio | ||
| Cincinnati | WBQC-LD | 25.5 |
Pennsylvania | ||
| Pittsburgh | WPTG-CD | 69.6 |
South Carolina | ||
| Greenville-Spartanburg | WASV-LP | 50.1 |
South Dakota | ||
| Rapid City | KRPC-LP | 33.1 |
Tennessee | ||
| Nashville | WJDE-CD | 31.1 |
| Memphis | WBII-CD | 20.4 |
| Chattanooga | WOOT-LD | 6.1 |
| Chattanooga | WTNB-CD | 27.2 |
Texas | ||
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | KAOB-LD | 27.1 |
| Corpus Christi | KQSY-LD | 30.1 |
Washington | ||
| Seattle | KYMU-LD | 6.5 |
† Any launch dates noted are subject to change.
See also
- Great American Country – former competitor and current home to some former TNN programs.
- RFD-TV – a network launched in 2000, carrying reruns of several shows originally aired on TNN.
- Country Music Television – a similar channel.
- The Country Network – another digital subchannel that exclusively features country music videos.
References
- "Jim Owens Entertainment ends licensing deal with Luken". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
- TNN Returns!
- "TNN to Air Rick & Bubba Morning Show". All Access. September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- "Crook and Chase Stars Join Luken Communications at NAB to Announce the Return of The Nashville Network". Yahoo News. April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- Reynolds, Mike (April 16, 2012). "NAB: The Nashville Network Eyes New Verses as Digital Broadcast Network". Multichannel News. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- "The Nashville Network Returns". The Chattanoogan. April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- Nashville Network Now The Heartland Network, TVNewsCheck, October 18, 2013.
- Courter, Barry (December 12, 2019). "Chattanooga-based television hub adds programming, national streaming access". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved December 19, 2019.