or


[02/13/15 - 06:47 AM]
LAFF Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements
"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting.

[via press release from LAFF]

LAFF -- The Nation's First Comedy-Driven Broadcast Television Network -- Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements

ATLANTA (February 13, 2015) - LAFF, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock set to launch on April 15, 2015, made the first in what-will-be a series of programming acquisition announcements today, landing the broadcast television rights to more than 800 episodes of some of the most popular sitcoms in contemporary television.

In the three individual, multi-year licensing agreements, LAFF licenses:

· All nine seasons of both The Drew Carey Show (233 episodes) and Night Court (193 episodes) from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

· Two series from The Disney/ABC Television Group: Ellen DeGeneres' first sitcom Ellen (109 episodes) and all seven seasons of Empty Nest (170 episodes).

· Grace Under Fire (112 episodes) starring Brett Butler from Carsey-Werner Productions.

"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting. "We're assembling an all-star comedy line-up and will be announcing more acquisitions shortly."

LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18-49. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the linear network carried on the signals of local broadcast television stations and corresponding cable carriage while a selection of companion digital content will be available at LAFF.com and via the LAFF app.

The newly-announced LAFF already has two major distribution agreements in place. The ABC Owned Television Stations will carry LAFF in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh and Fresno. The E.W. Scripps Company will also launch LAFF on its stations in Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Buffalo and Tulsa.

These initial agreements will make LAFF available to more than 35% of the country, with more distribution additions expected to be announced shortly.

LAFF is owned and operated by Katz Broadcasting, established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. LAFF joins GRIT, the first broadcast network targeting men, and ESCAPE, the first over-the-air network designed for women, in the Katz Broadcasting portfolio. Katz is President and CEO of the company while also still serving as COO of Bounce TV, the nation's first and only over-the-air television network for African Americans.





  [february 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)





[12/19/25 - 04:52 PM]
Season One Finale of Vince Gilligan's Critically Acclaimed Science Fiction Drama "Pluribus" Starring Emmy Award-Nominee Rhea Seehorn Premieres Early on December 24, 2025 on Apple TV
The ninth episode will debut early ahead of the holiday on Apple TV on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

[12/19/25 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The latest installment premieres on Thursday, March 19, 2026, only on Netflix.

[12/19/25 - 02:33 PM]
ABC Celebrates Record-Breaking 2025 with Top Six Shows Among Adults 18-49 and TV's No. 1 Show, "High Potential"
"High Potential" stands as the No. 1 series for the year in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, with the network also owning the Top Six shows in the key Adult demo.

[12/19/25 - 12:24 PM]
Multi Emmy-Nominated BET+ Comedy "The Ms. Pat Show" Returns for Season 5 on Wednesday, January 7
The first four seasons of the groundbreaking R-rated sitcom unpacked everything from drug addiction and abortion to sexual abuse and dysfunctional family cycles.

[12/19/25 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Critical Incident" Debuts December 29
The film revisits the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernández-Rojas, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who died while in custody at the border.

[12/19/25 - 09:31 AM]
Laura Marcus Joins the Cast of "Assassin's Creed," The New Live-Action Series Adaptation of Ubisoft's Best-Selling Video Game Franchise
Toby Wallace, Lola Petticrew, and Zachary Hart also star in the Netflix series.

[12/19/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Focus Features' Critically Acclaimed "Bugonia" Beginning December 26
Nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards and 3 Critics Choice Awards, Focus Features' psychological thriller stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone.

[12/19/25 - 06:01 AM]
"Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party" to Feature the Singing Voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" and Country Sensation Lainey Wilson
This Christmas, Netflix is decking the halls and the halftime stage with a spectacular celebration that's set to dazzle fans around the globe.

[12/19/25 - 06:01 AM]
ESPN and The Heisman Trophy Trust Extend Exclusive Media Rights Agreement
The 2025 Heisman Trophy Ceremony averaged 4.3 million viewers, delivering the event's best audience since 2012 and finishing up 69% year-over-year.

[12/19/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils the Teaser Trailer and Reveals the Release Month of Its Next Italian Prime Original Film Shot in English, "Love Me Love Me"
It only takes one look to fall in love. And nothing will ever be the same again.

[12/19/25 - 02:01 AM]
"Salvador" Arrives to Netflix on February 6
"Salvador" is an action drama series in which Luis Tosar steps into the shoes of Salvador, a father and emergency medical technician who fights to leave behind his past with alcohol and make amends for the mistakes he made with his family.

[12/18/25 - 07:01 PM]
"Last Samurai Standing" Renewed for Season 2 - A Global Sensation Proudly Made in Japan
The battle royale that captivated Japan and international audiences now turns the page to its next chapter.

[12/18/25 - 06:01 PM]
"Dynamite Kiss" Nears Its Final Episode, Leaving Ji-hyeok and Da-rim at a Crossroads Between Romance and Goodbye
The final episode premieres December 24, just in time for Christmas, only on Netflix.

[12/18/25 - 01:56 PM]
Apple TV Sets New Dramedy "Beat the Reaper," Starring and Executive Produced by Will Poulter
Based on the novel of the same name by Josh Bazell, "Beat the Reaper" will star Poulter as Dr. Peter Brown, an intern at Boston's worst hospital who has a talent for medicine, works a shift from hell and has a past he'd prefer to keep hidden.

[12/18/25 - 11:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "So Far Gone" with Straight-to-Series Order After Competitive Bidding
The series, like Jess Walter's book, follows Rhys Kinnick, a journalist who's pulled out of retirement when his daughter goes missing.