History of Court TV in Timeline

Court TV is an American digital broadcast network, originally a pay-television channel launched in 1991. It primarily focuses on crime-related programming, including true crime documentaries, legal analysis talk shows, and live coverage of significant criminal trials. The original cable channel was rebranded as TruTV in 2008, but the Court TV brand was later revived as a digital broadcast network.

June 1990: Projects Presented at National Cable Television Association

In June 1990, the American Trial Network from Time Warner and American Lawyer Media, and In Court from Cablevision and NBC, competing projects to launch cable channels with live courtroom proceedings were both presented at the National Cable Television Association.

December 14, 1990: Projects Combined to Form Court TV

On December 14, 1990, the American Trial Network from Time Warner and American Lawyer Media, and In Court from Cablevision and NBC, competing projects to launch cable channels with live courtroom proceedings, combined to form what would become Court TV.

July 1, 1991: Court TV Launched

On July 1, 1991, the Courtroom Television Network, known as Court TV, was launched at 6:00 am Eastern Time by founder Steven Brill. It was available to three million subscribers and featured original anchors Jack Ford, Fred Graham, Cynthia McFadden, and Gregg Jarrett.

1991: Court TV Launched

In 1991, Court TV was originally launched as an American pay-television channel with a focus on crime-themed programs, including true crime documentaries, legal analysis talk shows, and live news coverage of prominent criminal cases.

1993: Menéndez Brothers' Trial

In 1993, Court TV gained prominence during the Menéndez brothers' first trial.

1995: O.J. Simpson Murder Trial

In 1995, Court TV further gained prominence during the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

1996: Time Warner Acquired Turner

In 1996, Time Warner acquired Turner.

1997: Steven Brill left Court TV

In 1997, law writer Steven Brill, who led the channel originally, left Court TV.

1997: Approved as Eligible Foreign Channel

In 1997, the U.S. version of Court TV was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission as an eligible foreign channel.

1998: NBC Sells Share and Original Programming Begins

In 1998, NBC sold its share of Court TV to Time Warner. That same year, Court TV began running original and acquired programs in prime time, such as Homicide: Life on the Street and Forensic Files.

Loading Video...

1999: Second Logo

From 1999 to 2005, Court TV used its second logo.

1999: Acquired Rerun Rights to Cops

In 1999, Court TV acquired the rerun rights to Fox's Cops.

Loading Video...

September 7, 2001: Court TV Canada Launched

On September 7, 2001, Court TV Canada, a Canadian version of the channel, was launched by CHUM Limited.

2001: Purchased The Smoking Gun

In 2001, Court TV purchased The Smoking Gun, a website focusing on legal items such as mug shots and other public documents.

2001: Purchased Crime Library

In 2001, Court TV purchased the website Crime Library, which provided detailed information about infamous crimes and how they were solved.

February 3, 2003: Court TV Plus Debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio

On February 3, 2003, Court TV Plus debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio, featuring audio from Court TV programs, launched on Channel 134.

September 2005: Court TV Plus Moved to Channel 110

In September 2005, Court TV Plus on Sirius Satellite Radio was moved to Channel 110.

2005: Third Logo

From 2005 to 2007, Court TV used its third and final logo.

2005: Programming Split Announced

In 2005, Court TV announced that it would split its programming into two brands. Daytime trial coverage was branded as Court TV News while other dayparts were branded under the tagline Seriously Entertaining.

January 2006: RED Programming Block Launched

In January 2006, Court TV launched a male-targeted programming block known as "RED", an abbreviation of "Real. Exciting. Dramatic."

2006: Time Warner Buys Full Control

In 2006, Time Warner bought full control of Court TV and began running it as part of the company's Turner Broadcasting System division.

July 11, 2007: Court TV to Relaunch as truTV

On July 11, 2007, it was announced that Court TV would be relaunched as truTV on January 1, 2008, with a shift towards action-oriented reality series.

2007: End of Third Logo

The third logo ran until 2007.

January 1, 2008: Court TV Relaunched as truTV

On January 1, 2008, Court TV was relaunched as truTV, marking a shift towards action-oriented reality series.

2008: Court TV Becomes TruTV

In 2008, the original Court TV cable channel was rebranded and became TruTV.

2008: Pre-2008 Original Programming

Pre-2008 original programming.

August 30, 2010: Court TV Canada Rebranded

On August 30, 2010, Court TV Canada was rebranded to Investigation Discovery as part of a wider licensing agreement with Discovery Communications and CTV.

2014: The Smoking Gun Sold Back

In 2014, The Smoking Gun was sold back to its founder.

2014: Crime Library No Longer Actively Updated

In 2014, the Crime Library website was no longer actively updated.

2015: Crime Library Taken Offline

In 2015, the Crime Library website was taken offline.

2017: HLN Produces Original True Crime Programs

In 2017, HLN began to produce and premiere more original true crime programs due to changes in its programming strategy and the genre's growing popularity. Reruns of Court TV series, primarily Forensic Files, had been airing on HLN.

Loading Video...

2017: Covington Case

The Covington, Georgia trial of parents who reported their newborn missing in 2017 and were later charged with murder, was the first live courtroom coverage.

December 10, 2018: Relaunch Announcement

On December 10, 2018, Katz Broadcasting, owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, announced it would relaunch Court TV as an over-the-air network, acquiring the intellectual property rights and pre-2008 original programming from Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. Television Studios. Affiliation deals were announced with Tribune Media and Univision Communications, in addition to existing Scripps-owned stations.

May 2, 2019: Further Affiliation Deals Announced

On May 2, 2019, further affiliation deals for the relaunched Court TV were announced with Meredith Corporation, Nexstar Media Group, Tegna, and Quincy Media.

May 8, 2019: Court TV Relaunched

On May 8, 2019, Court TV relaunched as a digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks. The channel is also available via streaming and FAST platforms like YouTube TV and The Roku Channel, and its audio feed is available on Sirius XM channel 793.

September 2019: Nexstar Media Group Acquired Tribune

In September 2019, Nexstar Media Group closed its acquisition of Tribune Media.

September 30, 2019: Escape Rebranded as Court TV Mystery

On September 30, 2019, the Escape network was rebranded as Court TV Mystery, serving as an extension to the Court TV brand.

May 15, 2020: Court TV Plus Relaunched on SiriusXM

On May 15, 2020, Scripps relaunched Court TV Plus over SiriusXM.

May 2020: YouTube TV Carriage

In May 2020, the network was picked up for carriage on YouTube TV.

August 10, 2020: Testing on Astra 28.2°E

On August 10, 2020, Court TV began testing on Astra 28.2°E on frequency 11568 V DVB-S QPSK 22 5/6, with the label "54140".

August 11, 2020: Judgment with Ashleigh Banfield Announced

On August 11, 2020, a new original true-crime series titled "Judgment with Ashleigh Banfield" was announced to premiere on September 13, 2020.

Loading Video...

September 1, 2020: Added to Sky EPG

On September 1, 2020, Court TV was added to the EPG on Sky on channel 179 ahead of its official launch.

September 8, 2020: Official Launch on Sky

On September 8, 2020, Court TV officially launched on Sky as a replacement of Sony Crime Channel, according to on-screen information.

September 13, 2020: Judgment with Ashleigh Banfield Premiered

On September 13, 2020, the original true-crime series "Judgment with Ashleigh Banfield" premiered on Court TV.

Loading Video...

February 15, 2021: Joined Freeview in UK

On February 15, 2021, Court TV joined the Freeview television service in the UK on channel 89 with a short-term deal to show the trial of Derek Chauvin. It joined the Law & Crime Trial Network as part of the service's offerings.

June 1, 2021: Shut Down on Freeview

On June 1, 2021, Court TV shut down on Freeview in the UK, less than four months after starting.

2021: Court TV Added to Ion Media Stations

Following Scripps' acquisition of Ion Media in 2021, Court TV began to be added to its stations, replacing the defunct Qubo, Ion Plus, and Ion Shop networks.