NEW YORK – The name of Court TV is getting disbarred.
Turner Broadcasting said on Tuesday that it will rename its cable channel to reflect a more action-driven lineup. The new name won't be revealed until summer and will take effect at the start of next year.
Turner has been aggressive in branding its cable outlets to set them apart from competitors. TBS is geared to comedy and TNT does drama, for example.
What is now Court TV will become the home to a form of action-packed reality programming, a direction that has already become apparent on the air, said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.
"We believe the brand needs to catch up with the programming," Koonin said. The move is being made despite a 31 percent increase in ratings this season over last, he said.
Among the programs in development for the newly christened network: "Bounty Girls," about a team of female bounty hunters in Florida, and "The Real Hustle," showing scam artists and pickpockets at work in New York City.
The new network will still carry courtroom coverage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and keep the Web site courttv.com to carry such legal-oriented programming, he said. Talk shows with Nancy Grace and Star Jones will be shown in the afternoon.
Time Warner Inc. last year bought out the Liberty Media Corp. for full ownership of Court TV, which they had shared previously.
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