FGO

**FGO** is an American digital broadcast television network owned by Dorado Television Group, a subsidiary of the Dorado Media Group. The channel's programming primarily consists of theatrically released films, along with contemporary off-network syndicated reruns and original series. The channel's name originally stood for "Frost Great Outdoors," but since 2020 the full name has been de-emphasized as a result of a major shift in its programming.

## History

Frost Great Outdoors was an American television network, operated as a joint venture between Luken Communications and Frost Cutlery, a cutlery manufacturer based in Ooltewah, Tennessee. FGO began programming in late fall 2011. The network did not yet have a website, and the network carried outdoor programming, along with home shopping from Frost Cutlery during certain hours, mostly on weekends. The network shut down and ceased operations on January 31, 2020.

### **Development**

In January 2017, it was reported by various media outlets that classic television- focused channel The WB Classics would be shut down and be replaced with a general entertainment network that would act as a brother service to ACME; while ACC was a possible name from the start, another name proposed for the new network was ACME Plus.

Dorado Media Group announced its plans for FGO on March 28, 2019, for a planned launch on June 10, 2020, intending for FGO to be a new strategy of "providing an independent broadcast platform for producers and syndicators who desire to reach a national audience."  In the months leading up to the launch, Dorado was generally withdrawn about definitively confirming where ACC would be placed as a result of several deals earlier in the decade in which the Dorado Media Group-owned three largest stations in New York City, Los Angeles, and in Chicago. Despite concerns about The WB Classics' future that came up after ACME purchased the QTV stations, the network signed three-year affiliation renewals with the network's pre-ACME-owned affiliates back in 2015.

### **2015–2018: Beginnings**

The network was founded by the chairman of former parent company QTV Incorporated. It was originally to be called WB Retro but was renamed The WB Classics – shortly before its launch. The network was originally developed as a programming block which initially was planned to air for three hours daily from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., before expanding to seven hours a day (from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Its initial programming was a mixture of sitcoms, movies, and one drama series. The same block of programs originally repeated from 1:00 a.m. and ran until QTV began its broadcast day at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. As the network grew, it would add to its library of shows – expanding out to rerun sketch comedy. As the months went by, the channel's sitcom library expanded to over several shows.

Most of the network's initial affiliates were QTV-owned affiliate stations of the QTV Network, a network launched also launched in 2015 that relied mainly on reboots and other brokered programming. During the late spring and summer of the same year, a half-hour preview special featuring interviews about The WB Classics development and initial programming aired on QTV stations slated to become charter outlets of the new network.

In lieu of a national news program, in 2000, QTV Inc. signed an agreement with AccuWeather – which mainly produces weather forecast inserts for television stations in certain markets that do not operate an in-house news department or maintain a news share agreement with another local station – to produce a national forecast segment that aired Monday through Friday nights at the conclusion of The WB Classics entertainment schedule. Starting in 2017, many stations also entered into news share agreements with a local major network affiliate to air tape-delayed broadcasts of the evening, and in some markets, morning newscasts from the partner station; in a few cases, the agreement partner produced live newscasts for The WB Classics station. In some cities, a major network affiliate also provided some engineering and other back-office services for the station.

In an effort to increase revenue due to low viewership and other financial issues, The WB Classics gradually increased the amount of paid programming content on its schedule throughout 2017, at the expense of its general entertainment programming. Infomercials and other types of brokered programs ultimately became the dominant form of programming during the network's broadcast day; by 2018: the time that Classics had allocated to entertainment programs had been reduced to six hours on weekdays (from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) and five hours on weekends (from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Central Time). Original programming was also affected by the network's programming changes; The WB Classics was originally offering five or six new series each season. However, in late 2018, the number of new series that aired on the network dwindled to just two.

#### **2015-2017: QTV era and decline**

Unable to find a suitable partner, in May 2017, QTV Inc. announced its $27 million mergers with the Dorado Media Group. The merger would give the company extra stations in several small to medium-sized markets, expanding affiliation agreements with several television station groups. QTV allowed Dorado to buy out its stake, giving it full control of the network. This gave The WB Classics the rare distinction of being one of a few broadcast networks to not have had owned-and-operated stations (O&O) in the three largest media markets, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. With Dorado taking full ownership control of Classics, the network's largest owned-and-operated station becoming Los Angeles outlet KSCF-TV (which serves as a station of The ACME Television Network). In addition, neither QTV nor Dorado had ever held ownership of Chicago affiliate WQCO-TV, which had been the largest station that was not owned-and-operated by the network prior to the Dorado buyout.

### **2018-2020: Relaunched as ACC**

On July 1, 2019, the Dorado Media Group announced that it would rebrand Classics as ACC. The rebranding also resulted in several changes to its programming lineup: infomercials replaced overnight programming, the network shifted its format almost entirely to reruns of television series from the 1960s to the early 2000s while including sitcoms, dramas, limited original programming as a complement to sister network ACME, and feature films. In turn, the network adapted its programming content standards to those similar to other broadcast networks.

ACC's programming, for the most part, remained unchanged upon the rebrand; the network continued to feature programming from the content deals it signed while under the Classics brand. The network also aired a late afternoon sitcom block called "Laughternoon", which featured reruns of comedy series targeted at African American audiences. On August 12, 2019, the network secured exclusive rights for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Unhappily Ever After, Felicity, and Dawson's Creek. With the rebrand, the network also retooled its focus, emphasizing the key demographic of adults between the ages of 18 and 49, and airing more recently acquired programming aimed at young adults.

### **2020–present: Format change and expansion into original programming**

On August 4, 2020, ACC executives were proposing a relaunch of the network which later underwent a significant rebranding, broadening to a more general focus on movies and programming. During the channel's 2020–21 upfront presentation, it was announced that ACC would be rebranded as FGO. The rebranding as FGO took effect on October 5, 2020, coinciding with the premiere of the 2017 film *Wonder Woman*. The network would continue to carry much of the existing programming it aired beforehand under the ACC brand, including its series and films.

On September 7, 2020, ACME Networks announced that it would be leaving the FGO partnership. The Dorado Television Group, owners of the UDC television network, took over daily operations of FGO on November 2, 2020.

## Programming

FGO began operations on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, with the premieres of its two initial series. Some affiliates unofficially began branding their stations well beforehand in July into August to allow viewers to grow accustomed to their new branding. The network provided a block of preview programming that aired the day before on June 9.

Outside of prime time, FGO (as of March 2020) offers a slate of mostly reruns of contemporary comedy series and animated sitcom series, such as *In The Motherhood*, *Good Vibes,* and *Napoleon Dynamite*.

The channel also produces some original programming, which (as of August 2020) includes shows such as *Bittersweet*, *Like You, There Can't be 2*, *Empire of Lies*, *The One Who Couldn't Love*, and *The Three Sides of Ana.*

FGO airs its original drama series on Monday and/or Tuesday nights, and since 2016 (beginning under the former WB Classics brand), has aired its comedy series on Wednesdays. The channel airs first-run episodes of its original series mainly between January and August, with films generally airing in their place during prime time on the aforementioned nights from September to December. FGO typically only reruns episodes of its original series in a marathon that airs prior to a season premiere, mid-season or season finale, or other special occasions, though the channel does air encore presentations of its shows that typically preempt programs that normally air at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time during the rest of the week on these nights (with the previous week's episode airing in the former time slot prior to the newest episode and a same-night encore of the newest episode on the evening of an episode premiere in the latter time slot).

### **Films**

FGO airs movies in prime-time on Thursday and Friday nights (and if no original series are scheduled, Mondays, Tuesdays, and/or Wednesdays as well), along with a day-long schedule of films on weekends from as early as 7:00 a.m. (sometimes later, such as around 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m.) to as late as 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturdays and Sundays.

FGO also shows sub-runs (runs of films that have already received broadcast or syndicated television airings) of theatrical films from Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks Pictures.