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American TV channel (founded 1998) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oxygen (branded on air as Oxygen True Crime) is an American cable and digital multicast television network owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group unit of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast. The network primarily airs true crime television series and police procedural dramas.
Country | United States |
---|---|
Headquarters | Comcast Building, New York City, New York |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
Ownership | |
Owner | NBCUniversal (Comcast) |
Parent | NBCUniversal Media Group |
Sister channels | |
History | |
Founded | 1998 |
Launched | February 1, 2000 |
Founder | |
Links | |
Website | www |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Digital terrestrial television | List
|
Streaming media | |
Sling, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV | |
ClaroTV+ | (requires subscription to access content)
|
The channel launched on February 1, 2000, under the ownership of Oxygen Media, a consortium including Geraldine Laybourne and Oprah Winfrey among other stakeholders. It originally carried a format of lifestyle and entertainment programming oriented towards women. Oxygen Media was acquired by NBC Universal in 2007 for nearly $1 billion, after which the channel began to place a stronger focus on targeting young adult women. After the network experienced ratings successes with a programming block dedicated to such programming, Oxygen was relaunched in mid-2017 to focus primarily on true crime programs and crime dramas.
The channel initially operated as a cable network; in 2022, Oxygen began to also operate as a digital multicast television network on subchannels of NBC Owned Television Stations. As of November 2023[update], Oxygen is available to approximately 59,000,000 pay television households in the United States, down from its 2012 peak of 80,000,000 households.[1]
The privately held company Oxygen Media was founded in 1998 by former Nickelodeon executive Geraldine Laybourne, talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, media executive Lisa Gersh, and producers Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn Mandabach (of Carsey-Werner fame).[2] Laybourne was the service's founder, chairwoman, and CEO, staying with the channel until the NBCUniversal sale. The company's subscription network Oxygen launched on February 1, 2000.
Oxygen's first headquarters were at Battery Park City in New York City, near the World Trade Center. It was knocked off the air on September 11, 2001; a simulcast of Time Warner Cable-owned regional news channel NY1 was carried by Oxygen's channel space until the studio reopened within a week after the attack.[3] Oxygen's operations were later consolidated at Chelsea Market, a former Nabisco factory at 15th Street and Ninth Avenue in New York City.[4]
Prior to 2005, the channel carried a limited schedule of regular season WNBA games produced by NBA TV. The channel later began to focus chiefly on reality shows, reruns, and movies. For a time during the talk show's syndication run, Oxygen aired week-delayed repeats of The Tyra Banks Show. The yoga/meditation/exercise program Inhale was the last inaugural Oxygen program on air into the channel's NBC Universal era, albeit in repeats; it was cancelled in 2010.
Campus Ladies, Bliss, Oprah After the Show, Talk Sex with Sue Johanson, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, Snapped, Girls Behaving Badly and Bad Girls Club, a reality series, were the highlight shows of the network at this time. Oxygen launched with immediate DirecTV carriage, and arrived on Dish Network in early 2006 during that provider's carriage conflict with Lifetime.
In August 2007, rumors emerged that NBC Universal had made offers to acquire Oxygen, with the network reportedly recommending that Bravo Media head Lauren Zalaznick lead the network post-acquisition. It was reported that the network had been pursuing offers of at least $1 billion (referred to internally as "BET money", in reference to Viacom's earlier acquisition of the channel).[5] On October 9, 2007, NBC Universal announced it would be acquiring Oxygen for $925 million.[6]
The sale was completed on November 20, 2007, with Zalaznick appointed head of Oxygen. NBCU cable head Jeff Gaspin stated that Oxygen would be marketed to advertisers alongside sister properties targeting an "upscale" female audience, such as Bravo, iVillage, and Today. Some of Oxygen's executives departed during the integration, with Laybourne and president of programming Debby Beece both stepping down, and Gersh transitioning to roles at other NBCU divisions (including The Weather Channel, and later NBC News).[7][8]
In April 2008, during its first upfronts under NBCU ownership, Oxygen announced a planned rebranding to take effect that June, including a new logo and slogan ("Live Out Loud"), establishing women 18-49 (with a particular emphasis on a "young, trend-obsessed" women 18–34) as the network's target demographic, and relaunching its website with a larger focus on video content from its shows. It also announced upcoming series in development, such as Coolio's Rules and Dance Your Ass Off.[9][10] During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Oxygen aired a two-hour block of coverage on weekday evenings as part of NBC Sports' overall coverage. Oxygen focused primarily on coverage of the gymnastics competitions.[11][12]
The June 29, 2009 premiere of Dance Your Ass Off was Oxygen's highest-rated series premiere to-date, with an average of 1.3 million viewers.[13] A high definition simulcast feed launched in March 2011.[14] Following the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast and the last-minute replacement of its subscription channel Style Network with Esquire Network (which was originally intended to replace G4) on September 23, 2013, some of its acquired programs were dispersed to Oxygen.[15]
In April 2014, as part of a gradual re-focusing of NBCU's women's cable networks by new division head Bonnie Hammer, and the appointment of Frances Berwick as the head of Oxygen and Bravo, it was revealed that Oxygen would undergo a shift in its programming strategy to focus on a "modern", young female audience. Berwick explained that the new slate, which included upcoming series such as Fix My Choir, Funny Girls, Nail'd It, Sisterhood of Hip Hop, Street Art Throwdown, and planned spin-offs of Preachers of L.A., would "deliver on the freshness, authenticity, high emotional stakes and optimism that this demographic is looking for", and that many of the new programs would "appeal to things that are important in the lives of young, millennial women" and be "authentic".[16][17] As part of the re-focusing, the network also introduced a new slogan, "Very Real".[17]
In December 2016, it was reported that NBCUniversal was considering reformatting Oxygen as a true crime-oriented channel. Since 2015, the genre had seen growing interest, especially among young adult women. The network had introduced a primetime block known as Crime Time on Fridays through Mondays (anchored by series such as Snapped), which had helped Oxygen see a 42% increase in total viewership, and a 22% increase among women 25–54.[18] NBCUniversal had reportedly been in talks with Dick Wolf—producer of NBC's Law & Order and Chicago franchises—to take an equity stake in a re-branded channel that could be led by reruns of the programs.[19][20] In January 2017, the network also began a related foray into podcasting, with the true crime series Martinis & Murder.[21]
In February 2017, NBCUniversal confirmed that it planned to re-format Oxygen with a focus on true crime programming aimed towards women. The change was accompanied by a larger re-branding later in the year, with new police tape-inspired logo.[22][23] Oxygen's new lineup was built largely around its existing library of unscripted true-crime programming (such as Snapped), and reruns of police procedurals such as the CSI and NCIS franchises.[24][18][25] Berwick stated that the network had not determined the fate of the network's non-crime programming, such as Bad Girls Club, after the full re-branding takes effect.[18][25]
During its upfront presentations, Oxygen unveiled other new crime programs that were in development for the upcoming season, such the new Dick Wolf series Criminal Confessions, a docuseries on the murder of Jessica Chambers co-produced with NBCUniversal-funded BuzzFeed,[23] and a new season of Wolf's Cold Justice (which had been originally cancelled by TNT).[18][25] In September 2017, Oxygen and USA Network acquired off-network reruns of Chicago P.D., which were added to their schedules in October 2017.[26][27]
On October 17, 2024, NBCUniversal announced an agreement with Bell Media to launch a Canadian version of Oxygen. The channel launched on January 1, 2025, replacing the similarly-formatted Oxygen competitor Investigation Discovery, following Bell's loss of rights to Warner Bros. Discovery factual channel brands to Rogers Media.[28]
On May 2, 2022, NBC Owned Television Stations began to carry Oxygen as a subchannel on digital terrestrial television, primarily on NBC and Telemundo owned and operated stations.[32] However, during 2024, Gray Television began adding the network to their stations.[citation needed]
City of license/market | Station[33] | Virtual | Primary affiliation
(on main feed) |
Owner | Launch date/notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | |||||
Birmingham | WBRC | 6.4 | Fox | Gray Television | |
Mobile | WALA-TV | 10.6 | |||
Montgomery | WSFA | 12.6 | NBC | ||
Arizona | |||||
Phoenix | KTAZ | 39.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Tucson | KHRR | 40.4 | |||
Arkansas | |||||
Hot Springs (Little Rock) | KWMO-LD | 34.6 | Defy | Innovate Corp. | |
California | |||||
Bakersfield | KTLD-CD | 8.4 | 3ABN | Innovate Corp. | |
Clovis (Fresno) | KNSO | 51.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Los Angeles | KNBC | 4.3 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | |
Sacramento | KCSO-LD | 33.6 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | |
San Diego | KNSD | 39.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | |
San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KSTS | 48.6 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | |
Colorado | |||||
Longmont (Denver) | KDEN-TV | 25.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Connecticut | |||||
New Britain (Hartford/New Haven) | WVIT | 30.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
District of Columbia | |||||
Washington, D.C. | WRC-TV | 4.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Florida | |||||
Jacksonville | WODH-LD | 34.5 | Infomercials | Innovate Corp. | |
Miami/Fort Lauderdale | WTVJ | 6.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Tampa | WRMD-CD | 49.4 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | |
West Palm Beach | WFLX | 29.4 | Fox | Gray Television | |
Georgia | |||||
Atlanta | WYGA-CD | 16.8 | ULFN | Innovate Corp. | |
Columbus | WTVM | 9.7 | ABC | Gray Television | |
Savannah | WDID-LD | 26.7 | Outlaw | Innovate Corp. | |
Hawaii | |||||
Honolulu | KHNL | 13.4 | NBC | Gray Television | |
Idaho | |||||
Boise | KFLL-LD | 25.3 | Infomercials | Innovate Corp. | |
Caldwell (Boise) | KNIN-TV | 9.3 | Fox | Marquee Broadcasting | |
Iowa | |||||
Des Moines | KAJR-LD | 36.7 | Defy | Innovate Corp. | |
Illinois | |||||
Chicago | WMAQ-TV | 5.3 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Springfield | WCQA-LD | 16.8 | The365 | Innovate Corp. | |
Indiana | |||||
Evansville | WEIN-LD | 40.3 | Buzzr | Innovate Corp. | |
Fort Wayne | WCUH-LD | 16.5 | Outlaw | ||
Indianapolis | WUDZ-LD | 28.6 | Buzzr | ||
South Bend | WNDU-TV | 16.6 | NBC | Gray Television | |
Kansas | |||||
Topeka | WIBW-TV | 13.7 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Wichita | KFVT-LD | 34.4 | SonLife | Innovate Corp. | |
Kentucky | |||||
Bowling Green | WBKO | 13.5 | ABC | Gray Television | |
Louisiana | |||||
Alexandria | KALB-TV | 5.6 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Baton Rouge | WAFB | 9.7 | |||
New Orleans | WTNO-CD | 22.4 | Visión Latina | Innovate Corp. | |
WVUE-DT | 8.5 | Fox | Gray Television | ||
Michigan | |||||
Detroit | WDWO-CD | 18.3 | Visión Latina | Innovate Corp. | |
Marquette | WLUC-TV | 6.5 | NBC | Gray Television | |
Midland | W35DQ-D | 24.6 | NTD America | Innovate Corp. | |
Traverse City | W36FH-D | 36.3 | The365 | ||
Minnesota | |||||
Mankato | KEYC-TV | 12.5 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Missouri | |||||
Cape Girardeau | KFVS-TV | 15.6 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Columbia (Jefferson City) | K35OY-D | 35.3 | The365 | Innovate Corp. | |
Joplin | KRLJ-LD | 45.6 | Shop LC | ||
Kansas City | KAJF-LD | 21.6 | Law & Crime Network | ||
Springfield | KCNH-LD | 47.3 | NTD America | ||
St. Louis | K25NG-D | 25.6 | Visión Latina | ||
Nebraska | |||||
Hastings | KNHL | 5.5 | CW+ | Gray Television | |
Omaha | KAJS-LD | 33.5 | Buzzr | Innovate Corp. | |
York (Lincoln) | KSNB-TV | 4.5 | NBC | Gray Television | |
Nevada | |||||
Paradise (Las Vegas) | KBLR | 39.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Reno | K07AAI-D | 12.2 | NBC American Crimes | Innovate Corp. | |
New Hampshire | |||||
Merrimack (Boston, Massachusetts) | WNEU | 15.4 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
New Mexico | |||||
Albuquerque | KUPT-LD | 2.4 | Movies! | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Las Cruces (El Paso, Texas) | KTDO | 48.5 | Telemundo | ||
New York | |||||
Olean (Buffalo) | WVTT-CD | 34.7 | Defy | Innovate Corp. | |
New York City | WNBC | 4.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Saranac Lake | WYCI | 40.5 | MyNetworkTV | Gray Television | |
Watertown | WWNY-TV | 7.5 | CBS | ||
North Carolina | |||||
Charlotte | WBTV | 3.5 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Washington | WITN-TV | 7.7 | NBC | ||
Wilmington | WECT | 6.7 | |||
North Dakota | |||||
Fargo | K15MR-D | 51.2 | NBC American Crimes | Innovate Corp. | |
Ohio | |||||
Columbus | WDEM-CD | 17.2 | Infomercials | Innovate Corp. | |
Lorain (Cleveland) | WUAB | 43.3 | The CW | Gray Television | |
Oklahoma | |||||
Oklahoma City | KTOU-LD | 22.5 | Visión Latina | Innovate Corp. | |
Tulsa | KZLL-LD | 39.6 | NTD America | ||
Oregon | |||||
Portland | KPTV | 12.4 | Fox | Gray Television | |
KOXI-CD | 20.5 | Salem News Channel | Innovate Corp. | ||
Pennsylvania | |||||
Butler (Pittsburgh) | WJMB-CD | 60.2 | NBC American Crimes | Innovate Corp. | |
Charleroi (Pittsburgh) | WMVH-CD | 26.3 | Infomercials | ||
Philadelphia | WCAU | 10.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Uniontown (Pittsburgh) | WWKH-CD | 35.3 | Infomercials | Innovate Corp. | |
Washington (Pittsburgh) | WWLM-CD | 20.3 | |||
Rhode Island | |||||
Providence | WRIW-CD | 51.3 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
South Carolina | |||||
Columbia | WIS | 10.5 | NBC | Gray Television | |
Florence | W33DN-D | 16.3 | Outlaw | Innovate Corp. | |
South Dakota | |||||
Rapid City | KHME | 23.5 | MeTV | Gray Television | |
Tennessee | |||||
Knoxville | WVLT-TV | 8.5 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Memphis | WMC-TV | 5.4 | NBC | ||
Nashville | WSMV-TV | 4.4 | |||
Texas | |||||
Amarillo | KFDA-TV | 10.6 | CBS | Gray Television | |
Austin | KVAT-LD | 17.8 | Visión Latina | Innovate Corp. | |
Corpus Christi | K21OC-D | 54.5 | |||
K32OC-D | 29.7 | NTD America | |||
Dallas/Fort Worth | KXAS-TV | 5.4 | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | May 2022 |
Galveston (Houston) | KTMD | 47.3 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | |
Lubbock | KNKC-LD | 29.4 | Estrella TV | Innovate Corp. | |
Rio Grande City/Harlingen/McAllen | KTLM | 40.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
San Antonio | KVDA | 60.5 | |||
Tyler | KLTV | 7.6 | ABC | Gray Television | |
Waco | KWTX-TV | 10.5 | CBS | ||
Utah | |||||
Salt Lake City | KTMW | 20.5 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Virginia | |||||
Richmond | WZTD-LD | 45.3 | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | May 2022 |
Washington | |||||
Pasco | K28QK-D | 22.2 | NBC American Crimes | Innovate Corp. | |
Seattle | KUSE-LD | 46.5 | Visión Latina | ||
West Virginia | |||||
Charleston | WOCW-LD | 21.7 | Salem News Channel | Innovate Corp. | |
Clarksburg | WVFX | 10.6 | Fox | Gray Television | |
Wisconsin | |||||
Fond du Lac (Milwaukee–Green Bay) | WIWN | 68.5 | Cozi TV | Family Worship Center Church, Inc. | |
Madison | W23BW-D | 23.7 | Infomercials | Innovate Corp. | |
Wyoming | |||||
Casper | KCWY-DT | 13.6 | NBC | Marquee Broadcasting |
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