ACME

**The ACME Broadcasting Company** (often shortened to and stylized in all caps as **ACME**) is an American commercial broadcast television network that serves as the flagship property of **ACME Networks, LLC**, a limited liability joint venture between the Dorado Television unit of the Dorado Media Group, the former owner of the defunct television network DBC, and the Warner Bros. Entertainment unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, former majority owner of the defunct television network The WB. The network is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with additional offices near Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon.

The network is also available in southern Canada on pay television providers through stations owned and operated by the Dorado Media Group and affiliates that are located within proximity to the Canada–United States border (whose broadcasts of ACME shows are subject to simultaneous substitution laws imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, if a Canadian network holds the broadcast rights); it is also available through two affiliates that are classified in the United States as superstations – New York City affiliate WNYX and Los Angeles affiliate KSCF.

Additionally, ACME is available in northern Mexico through affiliates located near the Mexico–U.S. border (such as KHJK-TV—San Diego/Tijuana, KYCO in El Centro, California, KKWB in El Paso, and KRBT-TV in McAllen/Brownsville, Texas) on pay television providers. In both Canada and Mexico, some ACME affiliate signals originating from the U.S. are receivable over the air in border areas depending on the station's signal coverage.

The network's name is derived from the fictional ACME corporation that is used as a generic title in many cartoons, especially those made by Warner Bros., and films, TV series, commercials, and comic strips.

## History

### **2010s: Establishment of the network**

#### **Foundations, predecessors, and formation**

The ACME Broadcasting Company is a successor to DBC and The WB, both of which launched in 1995.

In 2013, the Dorado Media Group announced its intentions to purchase the television production studio, cable entertainment, and direct broadcast satellite divisions of Golden-Voom Entertainment, with the deal closing in November 2014; Dorado then merged its own assets such as its eponymous television network and broadcast stations, and the national operations of Dorado Sports. Shortly afterward on October 26, 2015, the company silently formed a joint venture with Time Warner, combined resources, and announced the formation of a new broadcast network. Dorado chairman Jeffrey Peña unraveled that the “ACME” name was chosen as a reference to the fictional corporation used in many Looney Tunes shorts, citing it as a “pop culture icon of its own kind.’ Most of the network's initial affiliates were Dorado-owned MyNetworkTV, independent, or low-rated stations that relied mainly on infomercials and other brokered programming. The local charter affiliate was, in most cases, that market's top-rated independent, however, Dorado opted to affiliate with a second-tier independent station in markets where a more established independent declined the affiliation.

The ACME Television Network officially debuted with a soft launch at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time on June 6, 2016. Its inaugural program was a primetime premiere special featuring interviews with the network’s president about ACME’s development and initial programming. During the late spring and summer, ACME aired general entertainment programming on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and weekends from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Through an agreement with Hearst Media Production Group, its schedule also included a Saturday morning live-action educational programming block syndicated to ACME stations directly rather than being part of the network's official schedule. In addition, the network aired paid programming through time-lease agreements.

In late 2016, after the acquisition of Golden-Voom Entertainment was completed, Dorado Television Studios announced a reorganization as part of a restructuring plan by the company regarding their television production units. Dorado Studios and Golden-Voom were merged into one unit, meanwhile, Golden-Voom Entertainment was folded into the newly renamed Golden Television.

### **2016-17: Launch and early struggles**

ACME slowly began to add one new show per week over the next several weeks, starting on August 15, 2016, with the drama *Superstar* and comedies *The Not-So Planned Parenthood* and *Facts Against Fiction* complementing its weekday schedule. Three other series were added to the lineup over the next three weeks: dramas *Unprecedented*, *Showgirl in Hollywood*, and *Rough Waters* (the latter being an adaptation of the film of the same name). Both *Showgirl in Hollywood* and *Rough Waters* were canceled by the start of the 2017–18 television season, the network's first fall launch, and were replaced by the dramas *Young Maverick* and *Golden Dawn.* ACME largely struggled to gain an audience foothold throughout its first nine months on the air.

In regards to its late-night lineup, ACME had already decided it would lease its time to its affiliated stations that fall, effectively becoming a weeknight-only network in prime time. Because of declining viewership for the network during the 2016–17 season, executives with the Dorado Media Group and WarnerMedia emphasized their commitment to the network, however, the network gradually increased the amount of paid programming content on its schedule throughout the rest of the season, at the expense of its general entertainment programming.

At the start of the 2017-18 television season, it heralded the start of a turnaround for ACME. It saw the debut of a midseason replacement series, *Inspector Henderson,* a crime drama based on the supporting character in Superman published by DC Comics. While becoming a breakout hit, it signaled the network's foray into using preexisting media properties in hopes of creating new television series with built-in brand awareness. ACME also reintroduced the multi-camera sitcom *Cristela* which broke ground from other family sitcoms following its cancellation from ABC back in 2014 as Cristela Alonzo became the first Latina to create, produce, write and star in her own primetime comedy.

Although ACME was growing rapidly as a network and had established itself as a presence, it was still not considered a major competitor. Until early 2017, when ACME expanded its programming to additional nights and outside prime time, most ACME stations were still essentially formatted as independent stations – filling their schedules with mainly first-run and acquired programming, and, during prime time, running either syndicated programs or, more commonly, movies on nights when the network did not provide programming. As ACME gradually headed towards carrying a full week's worth of programming in prime time through the addition of programming on Thursday and Friday nights at the start of the 2017–18 season the network's added offerings included the scheduling of dramas *Mythical* and *Blade* as part of ACME’s initial Thursday night lineup. Both *Mythical* and *Blade* were canceled by the end of the season.

### **2017–2019: New leadership and content shift**

On November 19, 2017, Shantelle Grover was appointed by the network to succeed the original president of entertainment Jeffrey Peña; Grover was made the network's first president and assumed broader responsibilities in ACME's business operations than Peña had. As president of entertainment, Peña oversaw entertainment operations while Artemio Grant, the network's chief operating officer, handled business affairs; both reported to a board composed of Dorado and Warner Bros. executives. Grant began reporting to Grover as a result of the latter's appointment as network president. Grover revealed that the core target demographic of the network, that being the 18–49 demographic, would not change, though ACME would attempt to lure new viewers.

The reintroduction of the sitcom *Super Fun Night* received favorable reviews from critics and became a hit with audiences when it premiered. The strength of *Super Fun Night*, combined with the stability of *Cristela,* and a rejuvenated *Disjointed* gave ACME a much-needed win. The network also found success with its summer programming in 2018 with the launch of the *ACME Summer Nights Concert Series,* which later became part of the network's summer-to-fall schedule.

Throughout early and mid-2018, the network saw the debuts of several series aimed at Latino and Black audiences, which, in addition to primetime television talk and variety show *On-Air with Olmos*, included the drama series *Ringer* and police procedural *LAPD Blue*. Overall, the network ended the 2017–18 season posting one of its highest average total viewership in a single television season. The 2017–18 season also saw *On-Air* become one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the season.

Also in late 2017, ACME announced that it would add a 2-hour primetime block on Saturday and Sunday nights beginning in the second quarter of 2018, expanding the network’s primetime slate. Discussions with Dorado and Warner Bros. about the expansion began as early as July 2017; both gave their approval to the move that December, with the network reaching clearance deals with key affiliate partners in early 2018.

ACME completed its prime time expansion to all seven nights on February 4, 2018. The winter season saw the heavy promotion and debut of a short-lived reboot of the science fiction series *The Burning Zone,* and the debut of a short-lived western series *Cheyenne.* However, it was the drama that debuted immediately following it on Wednesday nights, *Pasadena*, that would find moderate success. The mining of intellectual property continued with the network debuting the reboot of *The Arsenio Hall Show,* marking the first and successful attempt at a traditional late-night talk show.

On June 12, 2018, AT&T received antitrust approval to acquire Warner Bros. parent Time Warner, with the acquisition closing two days later. Time Warner was renamed WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery) and AT&T became a co-owner of ACME with Dorado.

At the dawn of 2019, new comedies *The Random Years* and *Grown Ups* gave ACME increased rating week-to-week throughout their first season. However, ACME suffered a collapse in viewership during the winter season; *L.A. to Vegas* and *Nobodies* suffered steep rating declines.

### **2019–2020: Major revamp in network programming**

On June 17, 2019, ACME announced an expansion in programming, following approval by the network's key affiliate groups. This expansion marked a major notable turnaround for the network. Prior to the 2019-20 television season, the network was broadcasting about 17 hours of regularly scheduled network programming. Following its 2019-20 upfront, ACME announced its intention to increase its overall hours in programming to 22 hours of prime-time programming and provide about 89 hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week. This move was to be divided throughout the next couple of months. However, the network announced most expansions in its programming would be completed by the 2020-21 television season.

ACME announced it would launch a new morning television program *Daybreak,* including the launch of a daytime block later being catapulted under the Daybreak umbrella by having the proposed third and fourth hours become distinct entities. Daytime programming was to also be provided from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific weekdays(Subtract 1 hour for all other time Zones) (with a one-hour break at 12:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific for stations to air newscasts, locally produced programming or syndicated programs).

For primetime programming, ACME announced it would take over its 10:00 p.m. time slot, increase its planned commission and acquire more series as a result of the acquisition of the Golden Television studio, allowing the network to boost its original programming.

The 2019-20 season saw the debut of hits in the freshman dramas *Spectral* and *Chambers.* The network's comedy lineup expanded again with the reboots of *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Friends from College, Lady Dynamite, Girlboss, and All About the Washingtons. T*he debuts of *Step Sisters and Mascots* saw their ratings increase week to week throughout its first season. By the end of 2019, ACME dedicated its Sunday nights to variety, and sketch shows with the reboot of *Party Over Here*, followed by *The Characters*, and the debuts of *The New Joel McHale Show* and *The Break with Michelle Wolf* as their lead out.

### **2020–present: Focus on scripted and animated programming**

The network's lineup expanded again with the announcement of reboots of *Portlandia*, and a proposed spin-off *The Emerald* during the 2020–21 season. Due to concerns caused by COVID-19, most major networks canceled their public upfront events due to both public health concerns, and stay-at-home orders which effectively prevented them from going forward. Delays in production as a result of the pandemic resulted in many shows being pushed over from their intended Fall 2020 premieres. On August 26, 2020, the network further modified its schedule by deciding to push the premieres of all scripted programming to January and air acquired and encore programming in Early fall instead.

It was acknowledged that ACME had placed a larger emphasis on its scripted programming in its first upfronts since the acquisitions of the Golden Television package and rights to the DC Universe. It was also noted that ACME had been increasingly pivoting towards programs that could generate large audiences, as opposed to ones that become successful primarily through critical acclaim.

On September 8, 2020, ACME announced as part of schedule changes associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States, that it would air feature films under the ACME @ The Movies banner filling the network's weeknight schedule to allow time for its future programming to resume production.

On May 17, 2021, AT&T and Discovery, Inc. reached a definitive Reverse Morris Trust agreement, in which WarnerMedia would spin out from AT&T as an independent company that in turn will acquire Discovery's assets. The $43-billion cash/securities/stock transaction, which will include the retention of certain existing WarnerMedia debt, is expected to be finalized by mid-April 2022. Upon completion, ACME Networks, LLC, and all other assets of WarnerMedia would be combined with the Discovery assets (such as Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Food Network, and more). AT&T shareholders will own 71% of the company's stock and Discovery shareholders will own the remaining 29% share; Discovery President/CEO David Zaslav will be appointed to head the new company, replacing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar.

On May 27, 2021, following its 2021–22 upfronts, ACME announced 9 new scripted series for the upcoming season. After the extension of Fox’s *Animation Domination* block to Monday nights, ACME Networks CEO Joey Villalobos asked Golden Television Chairman Richie Ledford to develop programming for a time period that would compete with the Sunday night block. After several attempts at original program development, the network stated that it planned to commission and acquire more series from "independent" studios, and will look to showcase diverse stories by placing a larger emphasis on animation. ACME was able to assess the potential of certain shorts to serve as pilots for spin-off series and signed contracts with their creators to create ongoing series. Many of these series premiered bearing the "Animation Destination" brand, airing prominently on Fridays, which became the marquee night for premieres of new episodes and series beginning on September 24, 2021.

On April 26, 2022, following the announcement that TBS and its sister network TNT would no longer produce any scripted programming as a result of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery company resulted from the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., the Dorado Media Group announced it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to acquire a 20 percent stake of the ACME network. ACME Networks CEO Joey Villalobos stated that the network planned to place a larger emphasis on its original programming division under the Golden Television banner, potentially steering the network in a new direction, rather than heavily relying on co-owner Warner Bros. Television Studios.

## Programming

As of 2021, ACME currently provides 89 hours of regularly scheduled network programming each week. It provides 22 hours of prime-time programming to affiliated stations from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday (all times Eastern and Pacific Time) and 7:00–11:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Daytime programming is also provided from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific weekdays(Subtract 1 hour for all other time Zones) (with a one-hour break at 12:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific for stations to air newscasts, locally produced programming or syndicated programs) featuring the talk-lifestyle shows *The Daybreak Take* and *Daybreak with Ricki Lake*, and the soap opera *Green Acres.* ACME’s News division programming includes *Daybreak* from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. weekdays and Saturdays (along with one-hour Sunday editions), and the Sunday political talk show *America In Focus*. Late nights feature the weeknight talk shows *Into The Night with Arsenio Hall* and *The Big Finish with Mo’Nique,* which kick off the *ACME After Dark* block into the early morning.

### **Adult animation**

In 2021, typically every Friday night during prime time, ACME airs a lineup incorporating original adult animation sitcoms, all being produced by the network's sister company, Golden Television. Animated shows currently airing as part of the lineup include *Moose & Molly*, *The Middletons*, *Geech*, *Dilbert*, *The Brak Show,* and *Freakazoid*.

### **Specials**

ACME currently holds the broadcast rights to the *Spotify Music Awards,* and most of the *Hanna-Barbera/Warner Bros.* television specials, such as the debut of *Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale* in 2021 (a few other specials broadcast annually by ACME, in addition to *Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale*, include *The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone,* & *Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost*).

## Stations

ACME has seventy-four owned-and-operated stations, and current and pending affiliation agreements with 220 additional television stations encompassing 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. possessions. Since January 2016, three U.S. states (Delaware, New Hampshire, and New Jersey) lack a locally licensed ACME affiliate, largely due to a lack of a need for a local affiliate as those states are located within the broadcast ranges of stations in nearby states. Delaware is served by Philadelphia O&O WGBS-TV and Salisbury, Maryland affiliate WJDY-DT2, while New Hampshire is served by three ACME stations based in surrounding states (including Boston O&O WHUB-TV). New Jersey is served by WGBS-TV and New York City O&O WNYX.

As a newer broadcast network, ACME maintains affiliations with low-power stations (broadcasting either in analog or digital) in a few markets, such as West Palm Beach, Florida (WVGA-CD), Missoula, Montana (KMVI-CD), and Boise, Idaho (KYBI-LD). In some markets, including both of those mentioned, these stations also maintain digital simulcasts on a subchannel of a co-owned/co-managed full-power television station. ACME also maintains a sizeable number of subchannel-only affiliations, the majority of which are with stations in cities located outside of the 50 largest Nielsen-designated markets; the largest subchannel-only ACME affiliate by market size, as of May 31, 2019, is WMAF-DT2 in Portland, Maine.

### **Station standardization**

When ACME launched in June 2016, the network began branding most of its affiliates using a combination of "ACME", and at the affiliate's choice, either the station's channel number (for example, Birmingham affiliate WHMA is branded as "ACME58" and Portland O&O KUXP brands as "ACME30") or the name of the city or region it serves. Examples of the latter include Philadelphia O&O WGBS-TV (known as "ACME Philly 57" as an homage to its prior branding as an independent station), WHUB-TV (known as "ACME Boston"), WAGO-TV (known as "ACME ATL" at launch, but is now known as "ACME 6"), Port Arthur, Texas affiliate KOLE-TV (known as "ACME Southeast Texas") and KVMY (branded as "ACME Las Vegas").